You know, it may not be fair that society and advertises perpetuate an unreasonable ideal for what people should look like. Nobody’s perfect. On the other hand, there is also a point when it’s a good idea to lose weight. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be healthy, or to look your best. Losing weight isn’t always easy, but what follows will make it much, much easier. Nothing complicated, just stuff that actually works.

Building muscle burns calories even when you’re at rest. Wait! While that may be true, the calorie-burning effect of extra muscle tends to be exaggerated. The one thing that is not in dispute is that muscle does burn more calories, pound for pound, than fat does. The only question is how much, but in the battle of the bulging waistline we’ll use every trick in the book.

Write a plan to lose weight. Even if you’re writing down somebody else’s plan. The sheer act of writing it down increases the odds of your success. What foods will you be adding or reducing? What new habits will you encourage? What about exercise? There are no right or wrong answers, you know yourself better than anybody, so only you can make the best plan for you. The more specific your plan, the better.

Be ready for the inevitable roadblocks and setbacks. Yeah, I’m human, too. There will be times when you veer from your plan. It may be a moment of weakness, or it could be due to an unforeseen circumstance. The trick is to not let it get to you. All too often we make one slip and use that as an excuse for letting our plan slide for the day. Don’t let that happen. Forgive and forget and get back to your plan.

Make the better choice. This ranks right up there as an easy way to lose weight. For example, let’s say you are buying a bag of potato chips (yes, you can eat chips), compare it to another bag and see which has the fewest calories. Or, even better, compare the chips to another snack food, or something from the produce department. You always have a choice. How much weight loss you experience will correspond directly to how good your exercise and food choices are.

Perhaps you noticed that we actually said you can eat potato chips earlier. Yes! Chips. It’s silly to think you will really be able to swear off the foods you truly love for the rest of your life (barring serious health reasons for doing so). So, instead of fighting it, you’re going to control it. How? By eating smaller portions of the foods that do the most damage to your waistline.

None of the things we just covered are complicated. Start incorporating them into your daily routine now. The best part is that you can keep eating all of the foods you love if you’re willing to build a little extra muscle, have a plan, be prepared, make better choices and keep portions in check.

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Staying positive throughout the weight loss process can be difficult. A few setbacks and you may be ready to give up. Staying motivated throughout your weight loss journey requires focus on the goal and positive thinking but what do you do when youre feeling less than positive about your efforts?

Use these tips to help you stay positive:

1. List Your Reasons:
List your reasons for choosing to lose weight. Whether it’s for health reasons, or simply to be able to fit into your favorite dress again list it.

Then make several copies of the list, and place them where you’ll be able to see them regularly. Keeping your goals in front of you will help you remember why you’re doing all this in the first place.

2. Never Say Diet:
Don’t use the word diet if you can possibly avoid it. This conjures up images of deprivation, and you end up feeling sorry for yourself. Instead, tell yourself (and others) that youre not on a diet, but that you are trying to make healthier choices.

3. Dont Use the 3 letter “F” Word:
Avoid using the word fat when describing yourself. This includes your thoughts. Thinking about how fat you are and how bad you think you look will only bring you down and stress you out. Stress often equals eating another bag of cookies.

4. Use Positive Adjectives:
Instead, use another adjective that you prefer. Heavy, voluptuous, overweight – these all have nicer connotations than fat and will help you to see yourself in a more positive light.

5. Focus on the Positive:
Think about all the things you like about your body, as well. If you have great hair, for example, focus on that as you attempt to lose weight. This takes the focus off of the body parts you dislike, and helps to get rid of the stress.

6. Find a Role Model:
Instead of focusing on celebrities that are thin, find a celebrity that is larger and attractive, or one that is struggling with weight loss. This allows you to choose a realistic role model.

Positive body image can be difficult to find when you’re struggling to lose weight. Focusing on your positive mental and physical traits will help you to be comfortable in the body you have.

This allows you to work towards better health, instead of simply working to be skinnier. Overall, this is a much healthier approach to weight loss, and will help you stay positive throughout the process.

This article is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, nor should it be interpreted or substituted as medical advice. Prior to making changes to your physical exercise routine and your diet, you should always consult your personal physician. Better safe than sorry.

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If you have been attempting to lose weight for a while, you know how difficult it can be to maintain motivation. Motivation is extremely important to continued consistent weight loss. Without keeping your weight loss motivation, it will almost be impossible to reach your fat loss goal; be it 10 pounds or a 100 pounds.

If your positive attitude has been lagging behind lately, try these motivational tips:

Use Inspirational Quotes – Find a moving quote or inspiring phrase. Choose something that inspires you and guides you towards healthy lifestyle choices. Print it up on nice paper and post it on your refrigerator. Be sure that it is something that will motivate you each time you reach for a snack. This will enable you to choose healthy options, and keep your weight loss goals at the front of your mind.

Keep a Journal – Keep a journal from the day you begin your weight loss program. This will help you to see progress each day. Write about your feelings towards weight loss, your motivational goals, and any setbacks or plateaus that you are experiencing. Once you reach your goal weight, you’ll be pleased to look back at how far you’ve come.

Plan for Busy Days – The first step off the weight loss wagon often occurs when life gets busy. Plan for distractions and busy days. Keep work out videos at home for those days when you just don’t make it to the gym.

Keep pre-prepared meals or frozen diet dinners handy for days when you don’t have time to cook. Remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail! Stay on track with preparation for days when life gets in the way.

Mix Up Your Weight Loss – Constantly doing the same exercises and eating the same food can get old. Take the time to develop several exercise routines to avoid boredom. Add a new vegetable, fruit, or salad dressing to your normal diet rut. These small changes can make a world of difference.

There is no doubt it can be difficult to maintain motivation throughout your weight loss program. Take the time to mix up routines and add inspiration to your daily life. Focus on your goals, and your reasons for wanting to lose weight in the first place.

Envision a slimmer, healthier you, and keep striving to reach your goal weight. If motivation becomes an issue, try some of the above tips to get you going again.
Here’s to a healthier you!

This article is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, nor should it be interpreted or substituted as medical advice. Prior to making changes to your physical exercise routine and your diet, you should always consult your personal physician. Better safe than sorry.

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