5 Proven Strategies to help YOU Lose Weight – and Keep it Off

Probably the most simple strategy for successful weight loss and then to maintain your ideal weight, is to use more calories than you consume in your food and drink. Many people find this quite difficult to apply in their lives. Try changing your diet to cut down on foods which are high in fat or high sugar drinks.  Many people live sedentary lives so take some simple exercise which you enjoy for thirty minutes each day. Try walking to the shops or supermarket instead of driving as this will have a beneficial effect on burning off the calories. Or take up a sport you enjoy – you could even try jogging or cycling! However, if you are in any doubt as to your current state of health, always check with your Doctor before starting on a specific exercise regime.

The second strategy is to get some professional advice. Seeing your Doctor or a practice nurse who specialises in nutrition can be extremely helpful. As a suggestion, keep a food diary for a couple of weeks prior to the visit. Make a note of everything you eat and drink as this will help you and the healthcare practitioner understand why you are finding it difficult to achieve or maintain your desired weight loss. They will often provide you with suggested menus to try.  However, many people who try this strategy find themselves discouraged by a lack of variety in their diet, but there are many different healthy meal options which will help you lose weight. Getting advice from a healthcare professional can make the task of losing weight much easier and they will usually monitor your progress at regular intervals.

Another suggested strategy is to stop the three square meals a day approach. The idea of eating three meals a day was designed far more to fit in with our working habits than to fit in with the needs of our bodies. Many healthcare professionals now recommend eating more meals a day, with less food at each meal. This provides the body with a more balanced way to take food, spreading the load on the body over a longer period of time. When you eat less food more often, the body absorbs more of the nutrients in the food, so your body craves fewer calories. One meal you should not skip is breakfast.  You may also consider eating lighter meals in the evening as the body digests food less easily when you are sleeping.

Becoming a member of a gym is an excellent strategy and is increasingly popular. Most gyms will discuss with you with an exercise regime which will enable you to achieve your goals. This will take into account your current level of fitness and can help tone up your body as well as burn off the calories. However, make sure that you drink plenty of water to keep your body correctly hydrated during periods of exercise. Again, if you are in any doubt as to your current state of health, always consult your Doctor before starting on a specific exercise regime.

Being on any weight loss programme can be a lonely business so why not find someone to exercise with. If you have a friend who is free at the same time of day, it can make sense to train or workout together. Having someone to help you through the times when you don't seem to be getting anywhere can keep you focused until the desired weight loss beings to happen. Having a social aspect to your exercise will also ensure you look forward to it, and make you more likely to be persistent with your efforts. Above all, make it FUN!

The ideal and most effective method for weight loss depends entirely on the individual. It is often a combination of a number of the above strategies. If you follow these five, time-tested principles you will start to see results and soon find you have achieved your perfect weight. However it is important to focus your mind on what you really want your ideal or perfect weight to be. Unless you retrain your mind to remain focused on your perfect weight goals and are prepared to take persistent and consistent action, you may well find your weight begins to increase.