How To Lose Weight By Dieting

Here are some tips that may help you in achieve your weight loss goals. Remember to always visit a health professional to confirm your diet plan before starting out on any regimen and always ensure that you are getting adequate nutrition while dieting.

Steps

1. Drink lots of water during the day, aiming to drink at least eight cups. Water nourishes your skin, your body and gives you a sense of being full for a short period of time.
2. Find foods that are low in fat and calories, but high on nutrition. Vegetables, fruit, grains and lean meats are always good choices. Speak with a nutritionist, general doctor or other health professional for ideas that suit you the best.
3. Eat the foods you have selected, and plan meals ahead if possible. Do not skip meals (see reasons below). A plan makes sticking to a diet much easier, especially if you have a busy life and tend to "eat on the run" and grab anything at hand.
4. Keep track of everything that you eat in a food diary, including calories for each item. It is amazing how quickly calories add up, and tracking them is the only way to be sure you know exactly how many you ate. You can look up calories for various foods on sites like Calorie King.
5. Decide on what method of eating suits your needs best. Eat "normally" with three usual-sized meal portions if you like consistency and have the ability to sit down at a table three times a day. Or, you could try eating a full breakfast, then eating several small snacks the rest of the day (known as "grazing"). Ask a nutritionist or health professional to advise you on which method is best for your needs.
6. Brush your teeth early so that you won't be as tempted to eat anything else at night. If you must nibble, have small slices of apple, carrot sticks or similar until your body learns to not crave food later at night.
7. Exercise. Always make exercise a part of any diet. Exercise is the part that firms and tones you; it is also the part that helps to ensure that your metabolism can cope with the dietary changes.
8. Think lifestyle eating. Diets come to an end, which is a good thing because we should not spend out life feeling "deprived". Instead, once you have reached your goal, focus on good eating habits and exercise as part of your lifestyle. Lifestyle eating is about embracing a permanent change in the way you eat and the things you eat and keeping this up. Done properly, it will usually eliminate the need for dieting again.
9. If you need some extra motivation, consider joining an organized diet program like Jenny Craig, or Weight Watchers. They have worked for many people, and the support/advice they provide can be very helpful, especially for new dieters.

Tips

• Make sure you set a goal for yourself. If it is a big goal, break it into some smaller obtainable goals. When you reach them, reward yourself (with something other than food)!
• If you feel yourself getting hungry before dinner, try drinking a glass of water or green tea. This should fill you up and stave off hunger pangs a little longer.
• If you start to crave something sweet and sugary, try chewing a piece of gum. Sugar-free is best. You can also try brushing your teeth. The minty flavor of the toothpaste will help curb the craving and get rid of that sweet tooth.
• It is generally not advisable to lose more than 2 pounds per week. Or 8 pounds per month.
• For many people, it is good to eat a larger breakfast, a decent lunch and a small dinner. This will depend on your lifestyle needs, however. Check with a health professional for more advice.
• You can control the portions by measuring your meals for the day.
• Try to eat smaller portions if you go out to eat with friends or family.
• If you get the munchies eat some carrot sticks or peanut butter crackers.
• If you're thirsty, try some warm water with lemon or cool water with lemon preferably warm water with lemon.

Warnings

• Don't be too obsessed over this. People will start to worry about you and your health.
• Do not skip meals; you will upset your metabolism and eventually this will make it harder to lose weight. Also, skipping meals encourages your body to go into "storage mode" and you will keep weight in areas such as your stomach.
• Don't avoid eating altogether. If you do this, you will starve your body of its fuel and cause damage to your organs and bodily functions.
• If you are trying to lose more than 20% of your body weight, it is best to consult your physician or a specialist about how to do so in a healthy way, and keep the weight off.
• Mind what you eat: you wouldn't run your car on empty, so don't be afraid to eat. And make it quality fuel, not the poor stuff!
• If you are a child, make sure you get a medical opinion before you attempt anything.
• Aspartame is a common sweetener in diet foods; it is advised not to give it to children, as the long-term effects are still unclear.