5 Ways to Lose Weight and Keep it off

The best way to lose weight, Do not diet- Yes you heard me right- throw away your Atkins, South-Beach, Zone, and Jenny Craig books. I am a firm believer that diets just do not work. Why, you might ask? Well, if watching my mother diet from the time I could walk and NEVER lose those last twenty pounds is not enough proof, I do not know what is. We all like to see instant results, but once the weight loss plateaus, we give up. And, once we go back to our old way of eating we gain all of the weight we lost back.

2. Make your own lifestyle change- So, instead of dieting start focusing on adding healthier foods into your diet, and slowly removing the unhealthy ones. You do not have to be a nutritionist to realize that fried foods are not good for you and that soup and high fibre foods will help you feel full. The best part of making your own diet, you can still eat the foods you like to eat- just make sure you don't over-do with the junk food.

3. Skip the processed foods- Wherever you live you can lose that extra ten or twenty pounds without even trying by eating just that little bit healthier. Eat more natural foods. Fresh fish, meat, poultry and try this with fresh vegetables or even salad. I even get the bread fresh from a bakery. Not only does everything taste better, it is better for you.

So, while I am assuming most of you are not able to buy completely fresh foods, you can do your best. Wherever you shop you can usually ask for advice on how best to cook from fresh. Make cooking part of your daily fun routine and it will change your lifestyle, believe me. Most recipes show you how to make dinner for a family of four.

Whatever your budget, when you go to the grocery store try to shop on the outside online (don't go down the aisles in the middle) the outside usually contains the unprocessed foods (your dairy, meats, and vegetables). Also, read the labels- if you cannot pronounce a word in the product, it most likely is not good for you!

4. Try and leave the sweet stuff alone, you know it’s not good for you. If you want something sweet you are better off eating something made with real sugar as it will break down better in the body.

5. Drink plenty of water- The average person drinks 1/3 of their calories each day. If you drank iced cold water instead, you would actually be burning calories. Try drinking MORE than four 8-oz glasses for two weeks and I guarantee that you will see a difference.

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