Ten+ Easy Rules for Weight Loss

Knowing how to lose weight is easy once you get the hang of it. It is a matter of having a good weight loss plan and following a few simple guidelines. Here are ten rules to help with your weight management program.

1. If you want to lose weight and get fit, the first rule, the most simple and the most violated, is that you save some of the elephant for tomorrow. The French eat a diet of very rich food but manage to stay trim. How do they do it? Research disclosed that the French quit eating when they are no longer hungry. Americans quit eating when the food is gone.

2. Don't skip breakfast.  Start your day with a meal that consists primarily of complex carbohydrates. They help stabilize your blood sugar, hold off hunger attacks and provide the energy you need to get the day underway. Often you hear wellmeaning but badly informed fitness pundits hawking no-carb/low carb diets.  The fact is that carbohydrates, gram for gram, have exactly the same calories as protein, a whole lot less saturated fat than animal protien) and are a much more readily available source of energy for your body than protein and fat.  50 t0 65% of your diet should be carbohydrates.  It isn't carbohydrates, per se, that are the problem.  The problem is the quality and quantity of the carbohydrates.

3. Have regular specified times of the day when you eat and eat only at those times. We all want to get in shape but you aren't going to lose weight by skipping meals. If you are eating balanced meals of wholesome food, you will not starve between meals; you won't even get very hungry. The number one cause of snack cravings is feeding on high glycemic foods; e.g. sweets and, for the most part, white foods in general.  They spike your blood sugar giving you and energy high; then, just as quickly they leave your blood stream, your energy level goes into the pits and you reach for more high glycemic 'foods' to get you energy back up.  Familiar pattern?

4. Have specific places in your house where you eat and do not eat anywhere else. For most people, eating in front of the TV should not be part of your weight loss plan.

5. Divide your daily allowance of food into five or six small meals and/or snacks. It will keep your blood sugar stabilized and prevent cravings.

6. Eat high fiber foods such as whole grains, leafy vegetables - esp. cabbage, broccoli, greens, celery etc.  Not only will your colon will love you but the food digests more slowly giving you a feeling of satisfaction for a longer period of time.  If you aren't going to eat the foods you need for your health, you should start shopping for some good nutritional supplements.

7. Until you can 'eyeball it' measure your food. Yes, use a measuring cup. You use it for cooking is it that much harder to use it for serving? You eat a lot more than you think. Go to mypyramid.gov. or some other site and print off a personalized eating plan. It will give you a balance diet, the number of servings you need every day from the various food groups and a guideline to serving sizes. If you use mypyramid.com, when you put in your information, remember that an hour of exercise a day three time a week is not the same as an hour of exercise every day. Divide your weekly exercise time by seven.

8. Watch what you drink. Don't sabatoge your eating plan by drinking high calorie beverages. One glass of soft drink, sweet tea, cool aid, high fructose sweetened fruit juice (read the label) a day will add about a half-pound a week to your waist.

9. Drink water. Drink lots of water. Drink lots and lots of water. You would be suprised how often that hunger pain is a thirst pain misunderstood. The average person loses 10 cups of water at day just doing average activities - now you know the reason for the 6-8 glass rule.  If you exercise vigorously on a regular basis, 1/2 oz. water for each pound of body weight is a better guideline.  Make drinking lots of water part of your exercise plan.  It is that crucial. "How do I know if I am getting enough water?"  Check your urine.  If it isn't clear or very nearly clear, you aren't getting enough water.

10. Do not put bowls and platters of food on the table where the temptation is to have 'just a little more'. And lest you should be tempted to go back to the kitchen for more, it is a grand idea not to prepare anymore than the actual number of servings you and/or your family should be eating. You will spend less time with your doctor, less time in the kitchen and less money at the grocery. Your body will love you and your pocket book will love you.

10+ Exercise.  More than 80% of those who lose weight by diet alone regain the weight within a year.  Find a weight loss plan that includes exercise, find someone who will show you how to exercise then buy some good exercise equipment if you don't want to join a gym. Invest in proper active wear.  Your habits are more likely to follow your money than to follow your dreams.  Plan your diet around healthy, tasty recipes.  

And your bonus for the day is...

Keep a little "Anytime Soup" on hand (it freezes well) for those days when you 'just have to eat or die'. Here's the recipe:

One head cabbage

One large onion

One or two bell peppers

A few stalks celery

One or two cans diced tomatoes

A few clove garlic (optional - but not at my house)

Enough fat free chicken or vegetable broth to cover a couple of inches above veggies.

Salt and pepper to taste. If you will add a little apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar before adding the salt you will find that you use less salt - always a plus. Cook up a pot and store it in serving sizes in the freezer.

This is a great soup for between meal snacks or for those times when you are sure you are going to die if you don't put something in your mouth. A half-cup is a snack. A cup is a big snack. A bowl is a meal.

In a pinch, you can pull a bag out of the freezer, heat it up and serve it as a meal. Put a dollop of low fat cream cheese on top and serve it with a slice of whole grain toast or a few whole grain crackers