9 Of The Easiest Diet Tips Ever | Weight Loss articles | Well Being center

Dieting and weight loss is without a doubt one of the biggest and most profitable industries in the U.S. Each year, over 100 million Americans will be dieting at any one time and the industry makes a whopping $20 billion per year - a huge number. There are hundreds and hundreds of diets out there and although many advocate a return to healthy, natural eating, too many of them are still "fad" diets - we've seen everything from the cabbage soup diet, where people eat nothing but cabbage soup, as well as the "red foods" diet - where you can eat as much of any food that you like, as long as it is red in color.

We would never advise you to cut any food group out of your diet - and we want you to eat plenty of natural, flavorful foods. Follow these nine simple diet tips to help you shed those pounds.

Think About What You Can Add To Your Diet

When we go on a diet, the first thing most of us think about is what we can take away from our current eating plan. Instead, think about what you can add to your diet. What do you eat right now? What are the foods that you eat that are contributing to your current weight? What should you be eating?For most people, this will be fruits and plenty of vegetables. Others will need to add dairy and protein to their diet.

Note down what you should be eating and make every effort to add them to your diet. Over time, your unhealthy choices will be replaced by those healthy choices.

Weigh Yourself Once a Week

Your weight can fluctuate by 2.2lb up or down every day. Weighing yourself every day and seeing a gain could lead to you being discouraged - and because you feel discouraged and like the diet "isn't working", you might veer off-plan and eat the wrong foods and this could lead to a "proper" weight gain. Ignore the scales and use them once a week and once a week only, wearing the same clothes, weighing at the same time of day.

Knowing you have a weekly weigh-in can motivate you to make healthier choices throughout the week, such as eating nutritious foods and maintaining an active lifestyle. By not focusing solely on the scale, you can pay more attention to other important indicators of health, such as how you feel, how your clothes fit, your energy levels, and overall well-being.

Don't Forget The Exercise

For most people, weight loss is around 80% diet and 20% exercise - but for those last 10 or 20 pounds, or if you're having a week where you're struggling, exercise becomes even more important.

Don't forget it, as even 30 minutes of cardio exercise five times per week could have a huge impact on your weight, as well as your fitness levels and your health. Not feeling motivated? Think about your favorite sitcom. During that Friends rerun, instead of sitting on the sofa, you could have done a workout.

Stash Fruit

Whether you're at home or at work, stash fruit in your desk, kitchen, cupboard or on your coffee table. When you're fancying something sugary mid-afternoon, reach for the fruit stash instead of the chocolate bar and you'll see the pounds drop off.

Fruits are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, contributing to overall health and well-being. By choosing fruit over less nutritious snacks, you're providing your body with valuable nutrients. Most fruits are low in calories yet high in volume, meaning you can eat a satisfying portion without consuming too many calories.

Are You Really Hungry?

When you're fancying something to eat, stop before you reach the fridge and take a stock check. Are you really hungry? Are you just thirsty? Or are you just feeling bored, sad, lonely, or even happy? Think about what you really want.

If you are actually hungry, make sure you choose foods that will fuel and fill your body.

If you don't know whether you're hungry or thirsty, have a glass of water. You might find that your hunger is satiated.

And if you're feeling bored, sad, lonely or even happy, turn to something other than food. If you're bored, paint your nails. Sad or lonely? Phone a friend or go for a walk - the endorphins will make you feel better. And if you're happy, celebrate - but celebrate by hanging out with your friends, rather than by eating.

Make Yourself Accountable

Tell people that you're on a diet. The more people that know you're on a diet, the more people you'll be accountable to - and the more people you're accountable to, the more difficult it will be for you to fail.

When people know that you're on a diet, they'll call you out if you're making the wrong choices.

It'll motivate you, knowing that other people know - and knowing that they care about where you end up. And if people say to you, "You don't have to diet" - but you know that you're overweight, ignore what they have to say. You're doing the right thing!

Be Careful In Front Of The TV

Mindless eating occurs most frequently after dinner, once you've settled down for the night in front of the television.

You could eat an extraordinary amount of calories during this time which will derail any consistent weight loss efforts, so it's really important to be careful about what you're eating at this time.

Keep a bowl of chopped fruit to hand that you can reach for instead of potato chips or sip on a glass of milk instead of reaching for a glass of beer. It might feel like you'll never satisfy your cravings with these changes, but you will!

A Bit Of What You Fancy Does You Good

Dieting is boring, and if you deny yourself the odd treat, takeaway or meal out with your family and friends, you'll soon feel thoroughly fed up. Have a little bit of what you fancy now and then, or designate one day a week as your "treat day", so that you have something to look forward to. Never, ever deprive yourself.

Have A Goal In Mind

Be it a goal weight, a goal size, a goal figure or even just a goal frame of mind - have something to work towards.

Having something in mind, or even a day or event that you'd like to lose weight for will really boost your confidence and will keep you fighting to get those pounds off.

Knowing exactly what you're aiming for helps to structure your diet and exercise plans. It allows you to break down your ultimate goal into smaller, more manageable milestones. A defined goal allows you to measure your progress in a concrete way. This can be very satisfying and encouraging, as you can see the results of your hard work.

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