Eight Secrets to Healthy Weight Loss

  1. Eat several small meals a day, rather than 3 large ones. Especially try to eat less in the evening so that your digestive process is not overloaded. Eat slowly – this gives your brain a chance to let you know your full.
  2. Drink water several times a day and keep hydrated. No need to drink too much water, and especially don’t drink water with your meals ( a sip is OK), since drinking water dilutes the acid in your stomach and as a result, you don’t digest your food as well as you otherwise would. Adjust your water intake to your level of activity.
  3. Moderate exercise is helpful – especially walking and some light weight training is useful if you’e able to do so. Muscle burns calories, even when the body is at rest, so it has the effect of raising your resting metabolism – which of course helps to burn fat. Try to exercise 3 to 5 times a week if you’re able. More if you can.
  4. Watch what you eat – avoid high caloric meals – especially those loaded with sugar (in spite of what the corn industry would have you believe – high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a cheap synthetic form of sugar and should be avoided. This finding is supported by some research done at Princeton. The US government subsidies corn, and this makes it a cheap alternative to cane sugar. Unfortunately, Princeton researchers also believe that the way HFCS metabolizes can lead to a condition know as insulin resistance. The corn industry is lobbying hard to say HFCS is just like real old fashioned sugar (for obvious reasons), but Princeton research seems to tell another story. To be on the safe side, it seems prudent to avoid HFCS for the time being. This is hard to do however, as most packaged and processed foods at the grocery contain it. Learn to read the food labels – it’s the only way to know what you’re eating.
  5. Eat lots of vegetables that have a low glycemic load – broccoli, spinach, asparagus, peppers, and romaine lettuce are great candidates for a weight loss program. Eat fruit in moderation, and if you eat fruit, do so on any empty stomach. Fruit passes through the digestive system very quickly – and you don’t want some heavy meal sitting there preventing the fruit you eat from digesting properly. Only eat broccoli cooked. New research shows that foods like broccoli and cauliflower are goitrogens and as such may adversely effect your thyroid gland and as a result your metabolism. Cooking these foods makes them healthy to eat. Steaming is an excellent way to cook vegetables.
  6. Try to reduce the stress in your life – exercise helps with this too, as does meditation.
  7. Get plenty of rest – 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night are ideal. Researchers have discovered that not enough sleep can cause you gain weight, as will too much sleep.
  8. Try to have a positive outlook on life and visualize the new, healthier you. It seems to help for some people. It may help you. Try to have a glass half-full outlook on life. Smile at people – it’s amazing what this can do for your sense of well-being.