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5 Tips to Lose Weight:

Weight, the number on the scale, inches, waist size…we all want those numbers to go down, but sometimes we don’t know where to begin, or forget there are other ways that might help aid in the process of losing weight. There are so many factors that come into play, but here are 5 key tips to help you lose weight, and feel great!

Portion control-never eat out of a box or container, put your desired portion onto a plate or bowl so the amount of food you will be consuming is visible. When we eat out of a box, or bag, or container we eat mindlessly having no idea how much we actually consumed….until…..well its ½ done or even empty! I know I can be a bad culprit with chips. If I do not put a specific amount into a bowl, I will most certainly eat the whole bag of chips. Yikes, talk about dangerous! Also, avoid “supersizing meals” and become conscious of proper portion sizes. When eating out, remember that you can take ½ of your meal home. Eat until you feel comfortable, rather than when you feel stuffed and this will help you reach your weight loss goal.

Exercise- whether it’s a daily walk, or a few times a week of activity, exercise will be one key component to help lose weight. Some people say they have no time for exercise, but it could be as simple as parking further away from the store/mall entrance, taking the stairs vs. the elevator, or joining a sports league or fitness class that excites you. Get friends involved with you as you are more apt to continue and feel motivated when you have a group to keep you accountable. Once you give exercise a chance you will feel the rewards, start losing weight, feel better, have more energy and will be more apt to continue.

Keep a food diary- as scary as this may seem to some, it’s the best way to figure out what you are all putting into your body during the course of a day/week/month. The food diary itself will help create self-awareness that you may realize later that you crave and eat certain things during certain parts of the day. By realizing this you can help stop bad habits and try to create new…healthier habits. I know for some, the thought of having to write certain foods down in the diary can oftentimes prevent them from eating the food altogether, having a feeling of guilt inside if they were to eat it. Creating a food diary will help you reach your weight loss goals. Remember these sweat products can lead to calculus bridge i.e a dental problem.

Drinks matter- liquid calories can often be higher in calories and sugar than some food we consume. We must be aware of what we are putting into our body if we are looking to lose weight. Cutting out pop/soda can save the average person hundreds of calories a day, not to mention save them from a ton of unneeded sugar. Even diet pop/soda, fruit juices, and whole milk can add unnecessary calories to your daily intake. The best thing to drink is water, one of our most inexpensive drinks available to us, and one of the best for us! Water helps cleanse our body and helps reduce weight all over. Try watering down your juice, making your own juice at home, and switching from whole to skim milk-or even to soy/almond milk. Small changes can make a big difference on ones health and aid in weight loss.