Trying to figure out how to lose weight can be a challenge for the best of us. If you need help losing weight then there are some tips that may help get you started in the right direction.

Losing weight is going to be different for each of us and we will all be presented with our own special challenges. But, everyone can start out with the same advice. Alter your diet, get enough water to drink every day and get some sort of daily exercise.

If you adhere to the following guidelines you should be able to get the help losing weight you need and shed at least a few pounds and start to look better in the mirror.

If you have a significant amount of weight to lose then break it up into smaller goals. Say you have 100 pounds to lose, break that down to losing ten pounds at a time and tell yourself you only have to lose ten pounds ten times. That sounds a lot better than telling yourself that you have 100 pounds to lose, doesn’t it?

Setting small realistic goals that are easier to reach will help keep your motivation high and you will be able to see small successes all along the way. Treat each one as a check in the win column and celebrate. Eventually you will only have the last ten pounds to lose and you will wonder at how easy it really was to accomplish.

Find an exercise routine that you think you can stick with and start doing it everyday. If walking on the treadmill is not your thing then find another way to get at least thirty minutes of exercise each day. Walk around your neighborhood or join the local pool and check out the times they let people come and do their lap swim.
Swimming is a great way to get your whole body into shape.

In addition to your regular exercise try to remember to park farther away from the door of the store and sneak in some extra exercise that way. If the parking lot is big enough then you could probably realistically add another quarter mile or so to your daily exercise routine. Walk the stairs instead of taking the elevator.

Your diet is just as important as the exercise you get. Eat healthier by adding more fresh fruits and vegetables to each meal you eat. Nuts like pistachios and almonds are great ways to get a lot of the good fats that you have heard so much about these days. Change the oil you use to olive oil and eat lots of greens either as salads or sides and eat more whole grain, as well.

Stoke your metabolism by eating several small meals throughout your day. Your metabolism will begin to wake up and you will actually feel hungry again. Plan your day out so you can have what you need to eat right at your finger tips. If you need to cook a piece of chicken then cook several so they are right there for you and all you have to do is reheat them. Making things more convenient will be a great help losing weight.

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Many people have difficulty losing their fat belly, nothing is more frustrating than to get your motivation up, find the perfect diet and exercise program for you and then not lose and ounce. Some people may actually have a metabolic issue that makes it virtually impossible to lose weight, but not many.

For most of us the harsh reality is that we are just not being as good as we think we are. There are a few simple things you can do that will help keep you honest in your weight loss journey.

For one thing, it’s amazingly easy to lie about what we have eaten in any given day. There have been times when I would have sworn I was good, until my spouse will remind me of that pastry I had at lunch or all the cream and sugar I put in my coffee. We do not mean to lie to ourselves, we just are so busy we do not pay attention.

To keep yourself on track, simply keep a food journal. This is a very real way to keep tabs on yourself. For the next fourteen days, write down every single thing that you eat or drink. You have to be honest and you have to write down every last bit. Even that second glass of soda at lunch and the two pats of margarine you put on your toast.

If you do this for two weeks, you will quickly be able to spot the times of the day and the areas in your diet where you always screw up. Once you pinpoint the reasons you have difficulty losing your fat belly you can make changes that will help you achieve your goals much more quickly.

The same principle can apply to when you work out. Again, it is easy to think that you are working harder than you really are. Just like the food journal, keep a workout journal so it is harder to convince yourself that you have done something you really haven’t. Not only can you track the number of times you go to the gym but you can also track how long you spent on the treadmill or rode the stationary bike. Write down how many exercises you did for your upper body, how many you did for your lower body, etc.

You can also keep track of how much weight you used for each exercise. Ideally, you should increase your weight after every few workouts. It is important to challenge yourself so you do not get bored. By changing up the weights you lift as well as the exercises you do, you will keep your body guessing. This will help you get better results in a shorter time frame.

Working all of the major muscle groups with more than one exercise is ideal. By mixing up the exercises you do for each group you are keeping your toning efforts in high gear. Another benefit is that the different exercises will target each muscle group in a slightly different way which can also decrease many of the repetitive motion types of injuries to your body.

I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, but usually when someone has difficulty losing their fat belly it really is more about what they are doing, or not doing, than about any metabolic issue with their body.

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With so many people in our country struggling with weight loss and other related health issues, it is no wonder that
Weightloss reality shows are so popular. There are at least 6 different shows on various networks that explore the ins and outs of trying to lose weight.

Some of them are game show formats where the contestants compete to see who can lose the most weight, others are more intimate and chronicle the everyday experiences of just one person as they try to lose weight.

Whether you love these types of shows or you hate them, one thing appears clear, it is unlikely that they will be going anywhere anytime soon. They are just too popular and they seem to strike a chord with many viewers.

Even though the main focus was, and still is, entertainment, many people are actually finding that these shows are providing them with some much needed motivation.

It can make achieving permanent lifestyle changes easier in your life when you see some other normal day to day person doing exactly what you want to be doing. It can really help you believe that you can get where you want to be too.

I think that is one of the biggest draws for these types of shows. They can give us hope and allow us to see someone actually succeeding at the very thing we want to accomplish.

There are even “real world” offshoots of many of these shows. The t.v. show “The Biggest Loser” has actually inspired gyms that allow anyone to join and benefit from the same diet and exercise plans they see on the show.

Since many people can be intimidated by going to gyms, having a gym that screams “every man” might make it easier for people to find the motivation and go workout on a regular basis.

With a lot of gym franchises the commercials always show only the perfect hard bodies that go to that gym. Of course they do this to illustrate what you can accomplish for yourself if you too join their gym.

But sometimes I think it has the opposite affect. I think people who are overweight will look at that and think that everyone at the gym is a perfect specimen and they will be too intimidated to join.

When you have a gym franchise based on a popular t.v. show about average overweight people getting in shape, I believe that sends a very different message and I think a lot of overweight people would be more likely to join and workout and not let the intimidation factor get to them so much.

If you are struggling to lose weight and get into shape, you may find that watching one or more of these t.v. shows will actually help inspire you and keep you motivated.

Making permanent lifestyle changes can be a little intimidating so it’s a good idea to find anything that will help you stay the course. If watching Weightloss reality shows helps, than by all means, go for it. Make it as easy as possible on yourself to accomplish your weight loss goals!

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When it comes to weight loss drugs and teens it may be a case of picking the lesser of two evils. As parents we are never thrilled to give our kids any type of medication unless absolutely necessary. Many of us are concerned about any possible long term side effects. Weight loss drugs are no different.

As parents we don’t take the idea of weight loss drugs and teens lightly. But, if your teenager is obese and you need something that will help them start along a healthier path, isn’t it worth it?

I’m not a doctor and only your doctor can provide you with bona fide medical advice, but as a parent I would balance the pros and cons and proceed with the advice of my doctor.

For example, if my child was only mildly overweight, say between 20 -50 lbs. I would probably encourage them to lose weight in a more natural way. I would tell them how to eat better and encourage them to get more exercise.

Actually, that is exactly what I did when my child needed to lose weight. I worked out with him (though he only wanted to go when there was no one at the gym so we went to workout at midnight!).

But it was good for him to see his mom working out too. And though he would never admit it, I think he really appreciated the motivation and the fact that I was willing to go with him.

If your teen is hundreds of pounds overweight, though, you may need something a little more drastic. Weight loss takes time and anyone who tries to tell you different is lying (or trying to sell you something or both). Since it takes time it can seem overwhelming and it may make your teen reluctant to even start.

Any short term solution that can help them start to see results more quickly may be necessary to help your teen succeed in their weight loss goals.

It’s important for the success of your teen getting in shape that they approach this process with realistic expectations and time frames.

It will only discourage them if they think they will have a certain result in a certain time frame and they don’t achieve that goal.

But, seeing even small results may help them stay motivated and encourage them to keep going. And that is where supplements may be able to come in.

Some supplements that can help your teen kick start their weight loss and allow them to see some results fairly quickly (even if it is just water weight) might still be enough to keep them motivated and moving forward.

So, if you want to help your teen get in better shape, either try to do it yourself by encouraging more exercise and better eating habits, or talk to you doctor about some sort of supplements.

Weight loss drugs and teens may not be an ideal combination but in some cases it may just be the lesser or two evils.

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