Weight Loss Tips andTools

Here's some weight loss tips that helped me. Please remember, I am not a doctor, just a regular gal who found these tips helpful.

1. Keep a Journal I know, you are thinking 'I don't need a journal, I’ll remember everything in my head'. That’s what I thought too, but believe me keeping a journal is one of the most important weight loss tools you can have. It wasn’t until I actually started keeping one that I realized how much I was really eating. It enabled me to analyze what I was eating and why which caused me to come up with solutions to my eating problems. You should write down everything you eat, how hungry you were when you ate it (I rated it on a scale from 1 to 10) and how you felt when you ate it (i.e. Stressed out, angry, happy etc..). At the end of the day take a look and you will see patterns emerge. When I first looked at mine I was amazed at how much food I ate in 1 day. Made me think twice when I started snacking the next day! You can use just a plain note book, or use a tracker like carbtrack or NutriCounter or better yet, join an online weight loss service.

2. Watch out for Emotional Eating This ties into the journal keeping. Every time you eat, keep track of wether or not you were actually eating because you were hungry or if it was for emotional reasons. Really think about how you feel when you reach for that next candy bar or bag of chips. When I started to really notice how I felt, I realized that I ate mostly for emotional reasons. More than half the time I found myself eating, I wasn’t even hungry! I realized that I ate when work was stressing me out (almost all the time!), when I was bored, when I was angry and even sometimes when I was happy. No wonder my weight loss plans always failed! Analyze why you are eating and then come up with other things to distract or reward yourself instead of food - like those mentioned in tip #3.

3. Rewards other than food Most of us were rewarded with food as children so it only makes sense that we use food as a reward as adults. As mentioned in tip #2 you could be eating to relieve stress, boredom, anger or even to celebrate! Try to find other ways to reward yourself like taking a nice walk, or perhaps buying yourself that outfit or piece of jewelry you’ve been wanting. How about a nice day at a spa or a nice dinner out (low carb of course!) With your spouse. It can even be as simple as a nice hot bath, or setting aside an evening to relax by the fire. Just think about the extra weight loss you will have if you don't reward yourself with that high carb food.

4. Water Drink lots of pure water. Water is wonderful for you and can really fill you up. Drink a large glass before each meal and see if you get full faster. When you feel like a little snack, try a glass of water first - it may be that you are thirsty instead of needing food. Water also helps to flush out the system which aids in weight loss.

5. Exercise Start or maintain your exercise program. Even just going for a small walk will burn a few calories and you will feel great! Try lifting some light weights and doing situps. After a while you will notice that you are looking forward to daily exercise and it will really help you slim down. The key is to make it fun - don’t push yourself too much - if you don’t feel like exercising one day, then don’t! Work your way up to a comfortable workout and of course, consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.

6. Get the book If you haven’t already, pick a weight loss plan and invest in the book that goes with it. Read the book. Really read the book. Follow what it says.

7. Join an Online Weight Loss Service An online service can help you track your carbs, provide recipes, shopping lists, daily food menus, chat boards and support which are all very important for sustained weight loss.

8. Look at the “bad foods” as poison When I was quitting smoking, everytime I would think about lighting up a cigarette, I would picture how poisonous it was and the horrible things it would do to my body both inside and out. When I realized that I had to put some serious thought into weight loss, I applied that same technique to food. Next time you go to pick up that donut, picture what is really happening inside when you eat it - the insulin rush, the clogged arteries, the widening hips. After a while you won’t want that donut anymore.

9. Avoid boredom with recipes Use recipes to spice up your eating choices. Check out my Free Low Carb Recipes section and learn how to cook your favorite foods the low carb way.

10. Use Substitues Old habits die hard so you may find it easier if you use substitues for those high carb habits like Low carb mashed potatoes and other comfort foods.