7 Tips to Help You Lose Weight (and Keep It Off)

It's the time of year when everyone is talking about losing weight, but most people end up feeling disheartened pretty quickly. Here are my top seven tips to help you lose weight and improve your overall health (which at the end of the day should be your top goal)...

Eat Clean... or just eat real food (JERF)

It really is simple to get your diet in order -- you don't need expensive cookbooks or fancy meal plans. Eliminate sugar and processed foods and you will find it much easier to get to your ideal weight. Your diet may not need much modification or it may need a lot. The key is to look for the weak points in your current diet where you can make some instant changes. If you're starting the day with sugary breakfast cereal then you aren't nourishing your body for the day, if you skip lunch and then gobble down a block of chocolate at 3 p.m. you can easily have a healthy salad for your lunch and turn that habit around.

Move it to lose it

Exercise really is the key to weight loss, we can maintain our ideal weight while eating whole foods but to lose weight we have to be moving and regularly. That doesn't mean you need to spend hours on the treadmill either. As little as 30 minutes a day can be effective. Stop making excuses that you can't afford a gym membership, there are so many affordable ways to exercise -- apps, eBooks and You Tube videos mean you can have a great exercise routine in the comfort of your own home. The key is to have some balance in your exercise routine -- a week that consists of three sessions of cardio, two sessions of strength training and one stretching session is ideal.

Don't just count the kilos... centimeters count too

So many people only focus on the scale but when we tone up our body shape changes and the scales don't always reflect this. Most women would be happy to lose centimeters so measure them along with your weight. The hips and tummy are usually the areas us ladies like to focus on so get the tape measure out and you might be surprised with your results.

Track your food intake

I don't believe in counting calories but I certainly think many people benefit from tracking the food that they eat, a biscuit here and there adds up. Apps like My Fitness Pal make tracking food intake easy and don't forget to count liquids too.

Stay Hydrated

One of the simplest changes you can make to help you lose weight is to drink more water. Water is essential for our bodies to function effectively and if you want to lose weight you really need to ensure you are getting enough.

Get Enough Sleep

We really don't give sleep enough credit in the weight loss equation, if you are highly stressed and sleep deprived you will find it hard to lose weight even if you're exercising and eating clean foods. You've probably heard of the stress hormone "cortisol" -- did you know that it's one of the main reasons why women have trouble shifting belly fat? Even if you're exercising and eating well, if you're stressed then your body isn't going to let the fat go.

Make Meditation a Habit

Meditation is one of the best ways to reduce your stress levels, introducing a regular meditation habit will help you feel calmer and less stressed. If you're particularly busy and juggling many hats then try to introduce a few short meditation sessions each week. A calmer mind makes it easier to sleep and better sleep habits make it easier to lose weight.

And finally make sure you set realistic weight loss goals, trying to lose thirty pounds in a month just isn't feasible... what you want to aim for is gradual and sustainable weight loss. Remember it's about the whole picture, you can't eat rubbish food then exercise for three hours trying to burn it off -- if you eat well (most of the time), move regularly and have good sleep and relaxation habits you are much more likely to lose the weight and keep it off.

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