8 Ways To Lose Weight Permanently

Just by saying you're on a diet words such as deprivation, starvation, lack of satisfaction, and even suffering are probably dancing in your head. You've probably also settled on a specific time frame to hit your target. Well I'm sure we all know what happens after the first 2 weeks when we realize we've lost 5 lbs — yep time to celebrate with some pizza, ice cream, or chips. So much for the diet!

So what should you be doing? Your focus should be on improving your lifestyle as it relates to eating. For long term success you really need to focus on the way you live and the pounds will fall off as a side benefit. Here are eight ways to change the way you live and improve your chances of long term weight loss.

Drink Plenty of Water: Everywhere you look there is advice to drink plenty of water. When it comes to not over-eating there is a good reason for this. Many times our bodies get confused between thirst and hunger, so avoid thirst. Also, putting some liquids in your belly will prevent it from being empty and provide some fullness. So, drink throughout the day, especially before meals. But not sugary drinks!

Choose Small Snacks: snack between meals. But make sure it's a healthy snack, e.g. a fruit. This will prevent the blood sugar levels from dropping, which is what creates cravings, and usually for junk food.

Get Enough Sleep: lack of sleep is seen as a stressor. And any stress can cause the body to want more food. So make sure you're getting enough sack time, but also good quality sleep, every night.

Plan Your Meals: if you don't plan what you are going to eat, then you will eat whatever is around, which will probably be junk food, and you will probably eat too much. So, the night before sit down and plan what you will eat, and how much, the next day. And prepare things before you get hungry, because once you are hungry you will probably eat more than you need to. Along with this, you should also keep track of what you are eating, when you are eating it, and how many calories you are eating. This will go a long way into educating yourself about your eating habits.

Eliminate Temptations: keep your house clean of junk food. Empty your fridge and cup boards. Throw it all out and replace it with fruits, vegies, legumes, grains, etc.

Exercise is Vital: It will keep your metabolism from dropping, it will burn a few calories, it will make you feel good, and it helps preserve muscle mass. So, plan for physical activity 3-5 times per week.

Know What You're Eating: Here are a few examples to think about. And keep in mind that the best way to not being taken for a ride is to educate yourself, or to shop only from the fruit and vegetable isles.

• The box of cookies that says “low fat,” do you really think it's good for you? Low fat does not mean low calories. You see, calories can also come from sugar/carbs, protein, and alcohol.
• Have you heard the commercial from KFC which promotes their deep fried chicken as suitable for low carb diet? Well, it's true, there are very few carbs in deep fried chicken, but a lot of calories from fat, and the worst kind of fat too.
• Did you hear about the potatoe chip company advertising their chips as ‘zere' cholesterol? Here's a surprise, any chip that is deep fried in vegetable oil never ever had cholesterol. You see, cholesterol can only come from animals or from animal products. What they don't tell you though is all the calories you're getting from the vegetable oil, and that when you cook a vegetable oil it changes molecularly so it acts like saturated fat in your body.
• The little green check mark you see on some products, do you really know what it means? Who put it there? Are there any regulations? Does it mean low fat, low sugar, low salt, lots of vitamins, what?

Avoide Yo-Yo Dieting: if you've lost weight in the past, and obviously re-gained it, it becomes harder and harder for your body to lose again. The more diets you've been on the harder it is to lose. This is a protective mechanism the body has to deal with famine. So, what do you do? Go to the point above called “You are calling it a diet.”

Reward Yourself: so, it's 8pm, you've just come back from a walk, and you think to yourself, “I've done well today, I've eating healthy, I exercised, I think I deserve a treat. Well, so much for doing well throughout the day. That treat, even of just 200-300 calories, will easily make up for ‘doing well' and exercising. So, if you want a treat, find one that does not involve eating. Food should not be seen as a reward.