GENERAL WEIGHT LOSS TIPS
1. Write down your goals and keep them in your sight to motivate yourself.

2. The best 5 word diet plan ever: eat less and move more. (I’ve tried it, it works!)

3. When you are first checking out ways to lose weight, don’t be tempted by products that make outrageous claims that couldn’t possibly be accurate. The only thing guaranteed when losing weight is that you will be better off by working hard as there’s no easy solution.

4. When setting on a weight loss goal, be sure to keep it realistic. It’s impossible to lose 20 pounds (10 kg) in a few days. When you create realistic goals, you can enjoy multiple small successes. Doing otherwise only sets you up for failure and disappointment. Your weekly weight loss goal should be one to two pounds (0.5 to 1 kg)

5. If you eat more calories than your body needs, they will be stored as fat. Remember this the next time you are sitting around doing nothing and thinking about eating a huge meal. You don’t need to eat large amounts unless you know you’re going to use plenty of energy for extended physical activity. This way, the calories you ingest actually get used.

6. Avoid eating right before you go to bed. If you typically go to bed at 10, then no more food after 8. If you absolutely must eat a meal before bedtime, eat vegetables and wash them down with water. Although you cannot always avoid eating before bed, do what you can to make it a habit. When the body is inactive, excess calories are stored.

7. Ultimately weight loss is about the balance between calories taken in and calories burned. Take the weight you want to be and the activity level that you maintain and calculate the number of calories that you should eat to maintain that weight. Now you have to eat fewer calories than this number, on average, over time to lose weight and achieve your target. Keep a food diary with full daily calorie calculations. Write down everything.

8. Stop watching the scale every day. If you weigh yourself, do it just once a week — as soon as you wake up, after you use the bathroom. It’s important to make a habit of checking your weight at regular intervals while you’re trying to reduce it. This will help you chart your progress and see what is working with your plan. It is a good idea to record your progress on a chart.

9. No matter how much you want a change in your life, nothing will happen until you DO something. You can talk about starting an exercise regimen and eating healthier foods all you want, but nothing will change until you START DOING IT.

10. Start small. Changing your lifestyle overnight is very bad for your body and your mind. You’ll get sick of eating oatmeal 3 times a day, or grapefruit. Your life should be enjoyable and healthy!

11. For people who want to lose 100+ pounds (45 kg), dealing with the underlying issues of self-medicating depression or anxiety is going to be a lot more effective than anything else. Feeling bad about being fat and trying to lose weight, or putting yourself in exercise situations you don’t feel comfortable in are not going to really help until the underlying issues of using food to treat boredom or anxiety or depression. After treating this underlying problem, the good habits will come without nearly so much struggle.

12. Be aware of self-deception. It can sneak up on you from any angle. Examples of food deceptions: Breaded/fried chicken breast does not constitute an optimally healthy protein source, compared to simple grilled chicken breast. Potatoes do not constitute a viable vegetable source (they are a carbohydrate source).

13. Derive your self-worth from something other than a number on a scale and instead gift yourself a body that will function well to serve your noble life’s goals.

14. Never give up, even after you have failed a few times. When you fail, start over – it’s only natural. Watch those TV programs like “The Biggest Loser” or “Celebrity Fit Club”, because they are great motivators.

15. Get enough sleep – that’s the first and most important step. Without sleep, it’s harder to plan your meals, to exercise, or to consciously eat healthy..

16. Find motivation other than within yourself. Workout FOR somebody else that you care about (your kids, loved ones, friends etc.). When you don’t feel like working out, remember that you’re doing it for them.

17. Focus on health and NOT weight loss. It is far more important that you live a happy, healthy life than look good naked. You’ll thank yourself when you are 80 and still lead an active life.

18. You can lose weight by walking. Walking is not only good for losing weight, but it can keep your appetite satisfied. You can burn up to 500 calories an hour by walking.
 
19. Instead of using an elevator, walk up a flight of stairs. This can help you burn calories and stretch the muscles in your body. If you need to lose weight quickly, run the stairs for a little while.

20. To lose weight properly, your metabolism must be speed up. Gaining muscles will help increase your metabolism. Find exercise activities that you enjoy. That way, you can burn a greater number of calories and have greater flexibility.

21. Try to consume the right types of food if you are beginning a weight loss regimen. Don’t assume that you won’t eat the junk food in your kitchen. Get rid of it so that you don’t fall prey to unhealthy food that is within your grasp. The first thing to do so you can lose weight is to start eating right.

22. If the first exercise and diet plan is not working as quickly as you had hoped, do not allow yourself to become discouraged. Allow some time for you to measure whether or not a plan is working. You don’t need to be hard on yourself or give up.