10 Healthiest Weight Loss Tips

1. Don't let yourself get hungry. The worst mistake that a person can make when trying to lose weight is to skip meals or go long periods without eating. This usually results in getting hungry which can affect your mood, making you angry and miserable, resulting in overeating or making poor food choices. If you want to lose weight, never let yourself get hungry. This may sound counterproductive, but it is absolutely the best way to lose weight. Eating only once or twice a day slows down your metabolism and decreases your ability to lose weight even if you are consuming very few calories. Eat small amounts frequently. In fact, it is best if you can eat almost constantly. This helps to keep your metabolic rate high and burning fat. Of course, you must be careful about your food choices. Consuming small amounts of protein frequently throughout the day helps stabilize your blood sugar. Snacking on high bulk foods such as baby carrots or celery is another good habit to develop. 
    
2. Don't drink your calories. One of the leading contributors to being overweight is drinking sweetened drinks such as soda and juices. These drinks are high in calories, with little or no nutritional value. The liquid sugar gets into your system fast. This causes blood sugar levels to increase quickly and then subsequently drop quickly. The resulting low blood sugar causes you to experience hunger even when you have recently eaten. It is much better for you to get calories from eating food, from which you also get nutritional value.
   
   
3. Drink lots of water. Drinking water is very healthy. It helps keep your stomach full so that you are less likely to get hungry or overeat. Drinking lots of water also helps speed up your metabolism thus burning fat, and helps flush toxins out of your system. Keep a bottle or glass of water beside you as often as possible to remain you to drink it. Drink a large glass of water before eating a meal to help fill your stomach up.

4. Drink milk. Nonfat milk of course, also eat nonfat dairy products such as yogurt and cheese. These are great sources of protein, calcium, and Vitamin D. It is particularly important for women to eat adequate amounts of calcium to strengthen their bones and prevent osteoporosis. It has been shown that women who drink milk lose weight easier than women who don't drink milk.
   
   
5. Don't use your body for a garbage can. You may have been encouraged to clean your plate as a child. This well ingrained habit is actually very bad for you. You may also have been taught that it is a shame to waste food because there are starving people in the world. You need to establish new habits if you want to lose weight and stay healthy. Only eat the amount of food required to be satisfied. Resist the temptation of eating any remaining food on your plate. It is far better for you to throw the food away then to pack it into your body when you don't really need or want it.
   
   
6. Snack on almonds. Scientific studies have shown that snacking on almonds helps promote weight loss. Almonds are high in protein and contain healthy oils that help improve lipid levels in your blood. Keep a container of almonds handy and eat a few periodically throughout the day.
   
   
7. Exercise frequently throughout the day. This helps keep your metabolic rate high, helping your body burn fat. It has been shown that women lost more weight by exercising in 10 minutes bouts six times a day than by exercising for 60 minutes once a day. Additionally, it is far easier to take 10 minute breaks than to devote an entire hour to exercise, so you are more likely to get exercise every day.  If you are accustomed to exercising, start slowly and increase the duration and intensity of exercise slowly.  For example, start by walking 5 minutes 2-3 times per day.
   
   
8. Count fat grams not calories. The metabolism of the human body is far more complicated than the simple equation: less calories in and more calories out equals weight loss. Different types of foods are metabolized in different ways. You can consume very few calories and still not loss weight if the majority of the calories are from fat. Start paying attention to food labels and know how much fat is in the food that you eat. Most people consume 50-70 grams of fat each day. If you can limit your fat intake to 20-30 grams per day, you will lose weight, even if that is the only thing you do differently. Be very careful of foods labels such as: “Lite” or “Reduced fat”. Use of the word “lite” is not controlled by the FDA and can mean anything, even that the food is a lighter color. Many foods from which fat has been removed, have sugar added, adding empty calories. Remember there are many foods that are naturally fat free.
   
   
9. Treat yourself. Losing weight does not mean that you have to derive yourself of foods that you really enjoy or want. So allow yourself that special dessert or treat that you really want. Just don't get carried away. It actually only takes three bites to satisfy your desire for anything. So try taking three bites very slowly, savoring that taste that you love so much. If that doesn't quite do it, go ahead and have one more bite.
   
   
10. Think positive. It is important to remain positive to be successful at anything. Your state of mind is a powerful force. The way that things are stated can make a world of difference. If you are offered food that you know is not going to counterproductive to your weight loss, turn them down politely by saying, “No thank you, I am losing weight,”, rather than, “...I am trying to lose weight.” Keep saying “I am losing weight.” to yourself and to others as often as possible, and it will be true.