10 Great Lessons You Can Learn From 30-Day Meal Plan & Weight Loss.

Proven Weight Loss Tips

Australia has seen an enormous increase in the number of people considered obese by the medical community. In fact many call it an obesity epidemic. To combat this we find all sorts of pharmaceutical companies selling the "quick fix" pills, powders, and lotions that do nothing to actually help people take the fat off and keep it off.

Of course the same could be said of the diet industry as well. There are so many different diets going around now you could pick one a month and in a years time still have more to choose from.

What is truly needed are some sensible proven weight loss tips that people can implement no matter what their present physical condition is. That said let's dive right in.

Drink more water. All too often Australians are borderline dehydrated and so their bodies are working on the water starvation reflex and not flushing the toxins and junk out.

Eat more often. I bet you thought I was going to say eat less. While it is true that to lose weight you need to eat less calories than you expend...you need to eat more often to get the metabolic furnace stoked up and burning right. Get it out of starvation mode. So start the day off with breakfast. Even an instant breakfast drink and a piece of fruit as we head out the door in the morning.

 Move more. Depending on your physical condition you need to be moving more. Use the stairs rather than the elevator, park farther out from the office or the store, go for a walk around the block, go dancing, play with your kids. Make it fun.

Running is not the only way to burn more calories.

Finally, determine your "Why". Decide why you want to discard fat. Make your reason big enough to motivate you through the slumps that invariably happen.

Overcome Your Plateau with these 5 Easy Tips

If you need to lose a few extra pounds but feel you've hit a plateau, there are several ways to get your body back in the weight loss mode. A plateau is when you're no longer losing weight though it seems nothing has changed in your diet or exercise routine. Your body has adapted to the diet and now refuses to budge. So you must make some changes to boost your weight loss again.

  Change your calorie intake.

One way to overcome a plateau while maintaining a healthy weight loss plan is to change your calorie intake. Monitor how many calories you're eating and decrease them slightly to see if your weight scale moves again. You might try the zigzag method as well.

To do this, decrease calories one day, and then increase calories the next. This helps shift your body out of its comfort zone. Only make minor adjustments and monitor your weight with each small change.

  Replace a snack or two.

If you usually eat a chocolate bar as a mid-afternoon snack, try replacing this with a fruit or vegetable. Eat apples, bananas, carrots and low-fat dip, or celery and low- fat dip instead of chocolate. Fruits and vegetables are not only filling, but they also promote healthy weight loss.

  Keep exercising, but endure longer.

Another way to boost weight loss and get your body moving again is to increase your exercise time. Instead of 30 minutes a day, try exercising 45 minutes a day. Walk every chance you get. Walking is a great (non-strenuous) exercise that helps your heart and promotes healthy weight loss.

Park your car a little farther from the mall than usual when shopping. Walk your dog twice a day instead of only once.Take a walk during your breaks at work. These small changes can make a big difference in your weight loss efforts.

  Monitor "what" you are eating.

Are you eating mainly sugar and carbohydrates on your weight loss diet? If so, try replacing one or two of these with a protein-rich food. Protein is a proven fat burner and energy booster, and many weight trainers use it to boost their workouts.

Protein also helps you fill full longer so you're less likely to be hungry an hour later. There are protein snack bars on the market now so you can easily get a boost during the day. Other changes you can make include increasing your water and fiber intake if you feel you're not getting enough of these.

  Eat smaller, more frequent meals.

Instead of eating three large meals a day, try eating smaller, more frequent meals. Reduce portion sizes at your regular meals, and add small snacks in between each meal. This helps boost your metabolism and keeps you from being hungry during the day and splurging at night.

Keep in mind that fast weight loss can be unhealthy, but you might lose fast at the start of any diet or when overcoming a plateau. This is normal. These tips are to help you break the plateau so you can start losing weight again. Weight loss diets can help you feel and look better than you ever have before. Use these ideas to break through your plateau today so you can reach your future weight loss goals.

 Types of Weight Loss Diets

There are many weight loss plans, but each is different. It's a good idea to study the different types of plans before getting started on your weight loss journey. Find the type of weight loss diet that best suits you. Consider how each affects your body and health, and how each plan fits into your schedule or routine. Let's see what types of diet plans are available and what is required with each.

Diets for Fast Weight Loss

Though fast weight loss is not recommended for the long term, there are some quick diets to help you lose 2-6kgs in no time. These include the low-carb diet, three-to-five-day meal replacement shakes, water or juice fasts, and alternate vegetable/fruit diets in which you eat only fruits one day and only vegetables the next. These diets work great for a quick fix, but are very difficult (and possibly unhealthy) to maintain for the long term.

Low Calorie Weight Loss Diets

There are many low calorie diets with which you will reduce your daily calories to lose weight. There are several ways to monitor your calories. You can read food labels and count the calories of everything you eat. You can also use a calorie guide to determine how many calories are in certain foods or dishes that do not have labels. Weight Watchers provides an easy point counter that calculates points based on calories, fiber, and fat grams in foods.

Fixed Menu Plans

With a fixed menu diet plan, you will be given a list of all the foods you can eat. The meal plans are put together especially for you based on your likes and needs. This type of diet can make things easy for you as you lose weight, but keep in mind that you will eventually need to start planning your own meals again. So it's a good idea to learn how to plan your meals after you've lost the initial weight. This will help you keep the weight off once the fixed-menu diet has ended.

Exchange Food Diet

With an exchange food diet, you will plan meals with a set number of servings from several food groups. The foods are determined by calorie intake, and you can pick and choose among foods that have the same calories to give you a variety of choices at each meal. This diet is great if you've just completed a fixed menu diet because it allows you to make your own food choices each day.

Low Fat Diet

Another type of diet is the low fat diet, which requires lowering the intake of fat. This doesn't mean eating fat-free everything, but simply lowering fats (especially saturated fats) and oils to a normal level according to the food pyramid. Fat should take up around 30 percent of the calories eaten. Lowering saturated fat promotes

healthy weight loss and helps lower cholesterol levels to promote good heart health. There are many foods that advertise "low fat" but many of these are also very high in sugar. Look for foods that are low in fat and low in sugar for healthy weight loss. Also, limit fast foods or make healthier choices from the menu such as salads or grilled foods. Many fried fast foods are loaded with fat.

Weight Loss through Reduced Portions

There are also weight loss diets with which only the portions are reduced, but you basically eat anything you want. You eat only small portions of foods and basically follow your stomach. When your stomach is empty, you eat slowly until you feel satisfied, but not overly full.

You only eat when you're really hungry. This type of diet gives you freedom to choose what you want to eat, but limits how much you can eat. The concept is when you eat less food in smaller portions then you're also eating less fat and calories with every meal, no matter what the food.

There are also pre-packaged meals and formulas to help promote weight loss. Almost any diet can work if you adhere to its rules, add activity or exercises, and drink plenty of water. Study each type of diet to find one that will work for you, and check with you doctor before starting a new diet plan if you have a health condition or take medications. You can easily research diet plans online and find many free weight loss tips to help you develop a plan.

Boost Metabolism And Lose Weight By Eating Well

We've all known for some time that breakfast is an integral part of the day. Now research has shown that, regardless of physical activity, eating high fibre cereal in the morning at least three times a week leads to having a lower body mass index.

This study followed 2,300 teenage girls over ten years, and was conducted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in the US. One reason people skip breakfast is because they are trying to reduce their overall calorie intake.

Whilst its important not to eat too many excess calories, having breakfast, even if its a simple smoothie, or a couple of pieces of fruit, will reduce the urge to snack on chocolate or other unhealthy options, as well as improving your performance at work and reducing fatigue. Sometimes its not just the overall calorie intake.

But the types of foods we eat as well. Grab a couple of carrots instead of some toast - not only will you be getting fiber, but the phytochemicals such as carotene and other vitamins will help you get the most out of your body and your day. And if you're a bit disorganized with buying fruit and vegetables, visit the local fruit street vendor on the way to your local coffee shop before work. It beats a muffin nutritionally.

And for the final word on going overboard with calorie restriction, recent research found that even though mice will live up to 50% longer by eating less, humans don't. The most having a low calorie diet over your life would do is extend your time span on this earth by 7% Physiologically, having breakfast will in fact boost your metabolism. And its certainly a cheaper way to do that than investing in a bottle of diet pills.

A couple of weight loss tips for parents and expecting mothers.

Early research has suggested that those mothers who eat excessively (think Britney Spears) have children who are more prone to being overweight by the time they are toddlers. This sets up food difficulties from a young age.

And beware of teenagers or children who develop poor eating habits, combined with sedentary activities like playing playstation or xbox games too much, and watching television at the expense of even non-athletic activities like having a job or joining school clubs. These kids will have a greater tendency of growing into overweight or obese adults.

One key to integrating changes in your diet, whether with the goal of losing weight, or simply being more healthy, is to add variety. Its easy to get into a food rut, stuck for something tasty to eat that is also going to support our goals.

Planning ahead, and doing a little research, can be one way of mitigating those moments when the urge to grab something unhealthy is driven by both hunger and unappetizing dishes.

Eating fruit and vegetables raw gives you many of their vitamins undiminished by cooking processes. It also means you get enzymes which are great for helping the digestive process. Watermelon is rich in vitamin C and is also one of the few sources of lycopene, others being tomatoes, red grapefruit and guava. Lycopene is a particularly effective antioxidant.

Lose Weight Tricks

Thousands of people are looking for lose weight tricks which can help them with their ongoing struggle. All over the world people are looking for some answers which can make the difference between a frustrating struggle to lose weight, and smooth steady progress. Here are some lose weight tricks designed to help you find the right path.

Lose Weight Tricks 1

If you are determined to lose weight, you have got to stick at it. Nothing great was ever achieved without some effort, and possibly the odd sacrifice. Don't worry if you think it is all taking too long. Time seems to go very quickly in our busy world, so before you know it you will be where you want to be. The time will pass anyway, so make use of it to create a better and healthier you.

Lose Weight Tricks 2

Reward yourself when you achieve major targets. It is a time tested psychological trick to give yourself small treats as a reward when you achieve something significant. Losing your first five Kgs is a vital landmark, for example, so go and visit your favorite restaurant to celebrate. Of course you need to exercise some restraint when you get there, but you are more likely to do this when you are full of satisfaction having reached a significant target!

Lose Weight Tricks 3

Eat a lot of salad food. There are virtually no calories in salad, but plenty of water and nutrients. Salad will allow you to still eat decent sized meals and not feel hungry, but reduce the number of empty calories you take in. This can be extremely beneficial, as most people's calorie intake is too high.

Lose Weight Tricks 4

If you have sugar in tea or coffee, try to cut down on the number of cups you drink. Many people find themselves routinely drinking five or six cups of coffee or tea a day, and if these have sugar in, you are taking in and extra couple of hundred calories you don't need. You can take these two hundred calories in a healthier form, or cut them out altogether to help you lose weight.

Weight Loss: Setting Reasonable Long Term Goals

We see a lot of people struggling with weight issues and their body image. With the available resources and materials for weight loss spilled all over the place, those, who are overweight, are a bit confused about which method to follow to shed those extra lbs.

Although the basics of weight loss do not change, they depend on setting realistic goals, cutting the calorie intake and exercising a little bit. Many presume that a weight loss program is all about a restricted diet, or fad diets, or diet pills and involving strenuous physical exercises. But, actually the basics of weight loss program are rational, flexible and healthy to which any one can adhere to while they work well on the person aiming to lose weight.

The first basic step towards weight loss is to set a reachable goal. When setting a goal to reduce weight, it is good to know the reason for doing so, benefits you may get at the end of the weight reduction program and the changes you are willing to make in your diet. This kind of analysis of the self helps understand the problem the better way and helps in setting realistic goals for weight loss. The weight loss efforts should be a reasonable one and should be gradual.

Once the goal is set to reduce say 1kg a week, then comes the step of creating a food journal to analyze and monitor what you eat for the particular week. This food journal helps keep track of what you eat, or drink.

Sometimes the feeling towards the food you eat is also jotted down. This is very important as it throws light on the food pattern and habits of the person. The weight loss is also recorded. By reviewing the food pattern, the foods that needed to be avoided can be seen clearly and can be substituted with healthy foods.

The secret is to be very consistent with this surely you will see positive results. Water is a very good natural hunger suppressant and can be taken in good quantities, if you note that you are drinking less amounts of water. It too can contribute to the weight loss efforts.

When the diet is combined with good exercise say walking or swimming or aerobics, it too aids in burning calories. The exercise should be in such a way that when it is done, it should be enjoyable, choose the kind of activity which interests you a lot than slogging. Exercise too needs to be tracked in the journal to see its effects with your own eyes.