10 EASY STEPS TO LOSE WEIGHT AND FEEL GOOD

I used to be one of the people who live in the free size world of garments. My clothes that I wear are all in the free size because I don't belong in the small, medium, large, x-large sizes. I never thought that I would lose weight until I discovered the steps. Just follow the steps and see the new you in a couple of months. The wait is worth it.

1) Don't Diet! - The very word "diet" is depressing to most of us. We think of giving up foods that are comforting and enjoyable. With fad diets you may see success on the scales , but soon you are fighting cravings and low energy levels. Eventually, we REBEL against the diet and start cheating as well as carrying negative feelings towards the so-called 'healthier diet foods'. Do yourself a favour and promise never to follow diets.

2) Instead Make Simple Changes To Your Eating Habits. It might be substituting a piece of fruit for a bag of crisps, or drinking water instead of coffee, whatever it is, making these small changes can make all the difference to your overall weight loss goal. Remember, a pound of body fat contains 3,500 calories. Start by lowering the amount of calories each day by 500. By the end of the week, you'll have consumed 3,500 calories less than you need to and in return the loss of one pound of body fat.

3) Start Eating Organically - We need to go back to basics and support our local farmers when it comes to meat, fish & poultry. Nutritious food is essential when it comes to weight loss and should be considered.

4)Applying a "Zigzag Approach" To Calorie Reduction - This approach can have a dramatic affect when it comes to weight loss. Start by reducing your calorie intake for 3 days and then have one day when you eat a bit more.

5) Do More Weights - Many people often shy away from lifting weights when this is the one thing they SHOULD be doing to reduce their body fat. A lot of men and woman are often worried that they don't want to start looking 'bulky' or 'butch' if they start a weights programme. This definitely WON'T happen. Lifting weights builds more muscle tissue. More muscle can speed up your metabolism which means you can burn fat at a quicker rate. Even when you're sleeping, you'll be burning a higher ratio of calories.

6) Eating 5-6 Small Meals Per Day helps your metabolism remain in a 'positive state'. It also helps keep your blood sugar levels stable, which is helpful in appetite build up and food cravings. Your metabolism (the rate at which your body burns calories) slows down throughout the day so never go to bed on a full stomach as this is when your metabolism is at its slowest. Carbohydrates convert into fat more easily than protein so make your first 2 meals of the day the largest, and the smallest meal of the day for dinner.

7) Prepare Yourself Mentally For Weight loss - Its important to mentally prepare yourself for the changes you're going to make. Take some time, before you start your programme, to think about what you actually want to achieve, how much weight you'd like to lose and what level of commitment is required from YOU in order to achieve this. Keeping a nutrition log sheet would be a good place to start.

8) Use Low Fat Cooking Techniques- Avoid frying and microwaving, instead replace with steaming, baking, grilling or stir-frying.

9) Don't Be Lazy - If you drive, you are less likely to meet the recommended health target of 150 minutes of exercise each week. Try to make part of your journey active travel and ask yourself "Could I walk instead, or could I add some walking into my day?"

10) Choose The Best Time To Exercise - The best time to exercise is the time you're most likely to keep it up, which for most people is in the morning. This is also the time when certain hormones peak which in turn boosts your metabolism - they then come down in the afternoon. So you will burn more calories if you exercise in the morning.