Healthy Weight Loss Tips, Fat Loss - MA

Mindful Eating tips for Healthy Weight Loss

• Pay attention while you are eating. Be aware of your environment; eat slowly, enjoying each bite – savor the smells and textures of your food. If your mind wanders, just gently remind yourself to return to focusing on your food and how it tastes and feels in your mouth.
• Avoid distractions while eating. Try not to eat while working, watching TV, reading or using a computer.
• Try mixing things up to force yourself to focus on the experience of eating – try using chopsticks rather than a fork, or use your utensils with your non-dominant hand
• Chew your food thoroughly.
• Stop eating before you are stuffed. Avoid the temptation to “clean your plate”. Yes, there are children starving in Africa, but you packing on the pounds won’t help them!
• If eating alone, leave the table as soon as you are full. The longer you sit at the table, the more you will eat.
• Skip the all-you-can eat buffets. Too many choices at once leads to over consumption
• Eat from small plates, bowls and cups. This will make your portions appear larger.
• Don’t eat out of large bags or boxes. Buy single serving snacks or create your own small portions in plastic bags or containers.

Weight Loss Myths: Fact or Fiction?

MYTH: If you raise your metabolism, you can eat more and still lose weight!
FACT: Your metabolism controls how fast and in what way you burn the calories you consume. We burn calories throughout the day in many ways – from breathing to walking the dog. Despite the claims of the diet pill manufacturers, you have very little ability to change your metabolism. But you can help your body burn more calories by incorporating lifestyle changes, like more exercise.

MYTH: “Carbs” are evil!
FACT: The popularity of low-carb diets has made people crazy about counting carbs, but this is far less important than counting calories. The long-term effects of high-fat, high-protein diets are still unknown, but we do know that a diet high in good carbohydrates (which are lower in calories than fat) coming from whole grains, fruits, and veggies, provides adequate nutrition and can be ideal for weight loss.

MYTH: Fasting is a great way to lose weight.
FACT Hollywood starlets swear by “fasts” or “cleanses” where they eat practically nothing for days. Starving yourself can help you drop a few pounds fast, but chances are you will regain that weight as soon as you start eating again, not to mention the numerous negative health effects a starvation diet can cause (gallstones, fainting, malnutrition...just to name a few.) Also, losing a lot of weight rapidly usually means you’re losing muscle and water rather than fat.

MYTH: To lose weight, eat fat-free foods.
FACT Fat-free does not mean calorie-free. Many fat-free versions of your favorite products have the same or more calories as the originals, because sugar has to be added to replace the flavor that is lost when the fat is taken out. Remember that you need to watch your caloric intake in order to lose weight, so keep track of the foods you are eating, fat-free or otherwise.

Tips for Healthy Weight Loss your Way - Lifestyle and planning tips

Get plenty of exercise. Exercise is a dieter’s best friend! It not only burns calories, but can actually improve your resting metabolism. No time for a long workout? Research shows that three 10-minute spurts of exercise per day are just as good as one 30-minute workout.

Get proper sleep. People with improper sleep have a much higher risk of obesity. Exhaustion can make you feel hungrier, and impair your judgment. Aim for around 8 hours of good sleep a night.

Turn off the TV. You actually burn less calories watching television than you do sleeping! If you simply can’t miss your favorite shows, getting a little workout in while watching – do easy exercises like squats, sit-ups, jogging in place, or using resistance bands or hand weights.

Make sure to shop when you are not hungry. Create a shopping list to stick to, and store tempting foods in cabinets or drawers out of your sight.

Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. You will be more inclined to eat in moderation if you have thought out healthy meals in advance, and eat when are truly hungry.

Lose weight slowly. Losing weight too fast can take a toll on your nervous system, making you feel sluggish, drained, and sick. When you drop a lot of weight quickly, you’re actually losing mostly water and muscle rather than fat. Aim to lose 1-2 lbs a week to ensure healthy weight loss.