One of the most common New Year's resolutions that many Americans make, is to lose weight. This very common goal, however, often feels elusive to many people, as they embark on new diets, only to break them. If they start an exercise plan, often, they will give up after several days. This article can show you some baby steps that you can take, so that your weight loss becomes a way of life.
A great way to motivate yourself to lose weight and get more exercise is to join a team sport. For example, a game of pickup basketball can burn over a hundred calories in just half an hour. If you have friends counting on you to show up at an appointed time each weekend, you'll be more likely to go.
A good way to lose weight is to start keeping a daily journal of the food you eat. By keeping a journal of the food you eat, you'll be more inclined to stick with your diet and you can keep track of what foods you like and which ones you don't like.
Fad diets may sound like a fabulous way to jump-start your weight loss. Avoid these diets because many of them can be nutritionally harmful and a majority of users gain the weight right back after stopping. Fad diets that involve eating mostly just on food, like the "grapefruit-diet," or the "all-cabbage-diet," or the "all-bananas-all-the-time-diet" quickly grow old. To make things worse, these diets do not teach you the healthy way to eat. It is far safer to opt for a diet plan that provides you with instruction on how to make healthy food choices.
Reducing your stress level is essential when on a weight loss or fitness plan. Depression can cause you to eat more, eat unhealthy foods and reduce exercise. When you are stressed out it is hard to find motivation to exercise, so reducing stress can lead to being more active.
Make sure to get the proper amount of water every day. When your body is dehydrated, it tends to hold on to fat stores because water is necessary to flush out your system. Drinking enough water every day, especially if you haven't been, helps to flush your system and make you leaner.
If you are trying to lose weight, a great tip is to use natural applesauce to spice up your foods. Natural applesauce makes a tasty dip to use on certain fruits like bananas and melons. Not only is it very tasty, but applesauce also has many antioxidants that aid in weight loss.
Try not to get discouraged if you can't notice a difference a few days into a new weight loss diet. Remember, it is very hard to put on a pound overnight, so don't expect to be able to lose a pound that quickly either. One good way to monitor your weight loss is to take one photograph at the end of every month, then look back through the photos after 6 months.
Remember if you are counting calories, to make sure you count the calories in beverages as well as food. Drinking even two or three sodas or beers each day can add up to a large number of calories over the course of a week. This may be the cause for lack of weight loss in some people.
Many Americans have proven that it is indeed possible to create a weight loss plan and stick with it, and even enjoy yourself in the process! A detailed and thorough understanding of the strategies that help to support and promote weight loss, will save you much time, effort, and frustration. This article can provide you with some of the ways that you can enjoy your weight loss, without deprivation.