You'll
be pleased to know the rules for lasting weight loss are easy to follow. The
trouble is you have probably been through so many diets you've lost track of
what's good advice and what isn't. So let's reset and make a fresh start!
1) Eat Properly!
This
may be stating the obvious but it's an important point. Chances are you've
arrived where you are now because you've developed certain eating habits that
need to be undone. These include snacking, high-fat foods, processed foods, poor
portion control and yo-yo dieting.
As
we have discussed already, by making modest changes you will achieve lasting
weight loss. Your first task is to get into the habit of healthy eating and
planning your meals. This means that if you are busy in the morning prepare
breakfast, lunch and snacks the night before so that you won't be tempted to
snack on unhealthy foods.
You'll spread your calories
across the day so that you feel full and have lots of energy to exercise
effectively and still lose weight. Establishing new eating patterns will take
some dedication on your part and could take 10 to 12 weeks to become automatic.
2) Trim, Don't Slash!
A common mistake is for
dieters to make drastic reductions in their daily calorie intake but this is
counterproductive. It leads to a sluggish metabolism, peaks and lows in energy
levels and leaves you prone to unhealthy snacking.
Begin by reducing your daily calorie intake by just 300.
3) Spread Your Calories Across The Day
To keep you feeling revved
up, full of energy and free from hunger spread your calories across the day.
That way you won't be tempted to snack on the wrong foods and you'll be ready
for your workout
Make sure you have healthy
snacks on hand so that you can keep hunger at bay without ruining your good
work.
4) Make Running A Priority
Regardless of whether you
want to lose weight it is well know that regular exercise is important to
maintain good health.
To recap on some of the
information in the beginner’s guide to running the benefits of regular
exercise include improved cardiovascular health, stronger bones, more energy,
being stronger and more supple and:
maintaining a healthy weight
Regular exercise does more
than burn calories. It makes your body more efficient so that maintaining a
healthy weight is easier than when you’re overweight and out of shape J
Make running regularly a
priority and aim for three to four sessions per week.
5) Don't Cheat!
Some people who take up
running for weight loss mistakenly think they can use running to offset their
diet. WRONG! If you're running for weight loss, you must stick to your diet
program.
Remember, the whole point
of your diet is to create a calorie deficit so that you lose weight. You will
further increase this deficit with regular exercise and increase your weight
loss.
By the same token, don't be
tempted to eat too little. If you cut down on your calories too much, you won't
be able to exercise effectively, and you may feel faint or unwell. Also, if you
resort to crash-dieting, you'll be sure to pile the pounds back on when your
diet finishes.
6) Get Quality Sleep
Sleep is an important
factor in good health but it's even more important if you want to lose weight.
Sleep is when our bodies recover from the days activity and it allows us to
recharge our batteries. Getting good sleep will mean you're fresh and ready to
do your workout.
Aim for seven to eight
hours sleep a night and avoid food, caffeine and alcohol at least two hours
before going to bed. Also try to avoid running close to bed time as you will
find it difficult to sleep – your body will be hyper even if your brain isn't.
7) Have Written Goals
Setting goals helps us
succeed in any area of life. It's vital to your success that you have written
goals and keep them somewhere you will see them regularly. You could try the
fridge, for example.
Sharing your goals with
close friends and loved ones will help you. They'll be happy to help you
succeed!
8) Keep A Food Diary
Keeping a detailed food
diary helps you stay focussed on your goal, it's easy to do and really works.
What format you use is up to you and these days there are a number of online
tools such as MyFoodDiary.com.
Whatever method you use
record detailed notes immediately after each meal right down to what dressing
you had and how much.
9) Eat Lots Of Fiber
Get lots of fiber in your
diet by eating plenty of fruit and vegetable. High-fiber foods take a lot of
chewing so you'll eat more slowly. They also tend to be low in calories so you
get to eat more of this type of food. High fiber foods can also help you stay
full for longer.
High fiber foods like fruit
or raw vegetables also make convenient snacks. You can also use lots of
vegetables to bulk up sandwich fillings.
10) Always Read The Label
When you're out shopping
get into the habit of always reading the label. Make a point of doing this and
it will become automatic. Reading the food label is the only way to make 100%
sure you know what you're eating. There's a section on food labelling later on
in this report.