NeoWeight

Weight loss is not an instant process. For this reason, many people are able to lose weight, but after a few months they forget about their original goals and are no longer motivated. They eventually forget all about losing weight, and gain all the weight back. Here are some ways to stay motivated, so that all your weight loss attempts do not end in disaster:

1. Remember why you want to lose the weight. The best way to stay motivated is to remember why you want to lose the weight. Write down a list of the reasons why you want to lose weight. Put this list somewhere where you will see it everyday. Putting it on the fridge wouldn’t be a bad idea… Every time you see this paper you will remember your motivations for losing weight, and for this reason you will continue living healthy and losing weight.
2. Keep a log. Make some sort of chart or log so that you can write down every day, if you stayed true to your weight loss regiment. Perhaps, check one box for the days on which you think you ate healthy and worked out. Check a different box for the days you forgot to workout or ate unhealthily. This way, you will be able to track how you are doing. Another good type of log to keep yourself motivated, is a sort of numerical log. On the days you stay true to your workout / eating regiment you go up one number; and on the days you don’t eat healthy etc. you go down one number. You should set a number at which you want to be at, at the end of each month. A number like 25, would show that you didn’t complete your goals on five days (depending on how long that month was), and you succeeded on the other 25.
3. Tell someone how you are doing. Try to tell a close friend / spouse / etc., how you are doing every week. You won’t want to tell that person that you gained a pound this week, so you will be more motivated to lose weight and stay dedicated to your original goals. Another way people do this is by video blogging. Which means posting videos on a website such as youtube, explaining how your weight loss is going.

These 3 techniques can help you stay dedicated to your weight loss goals. Not only will these techniques help you throw off the weight, but more importantly, they will help you keep the weight off.

A big mistake that many overweight people make is eating to late at night. When you eat a late night meal or snack, the calories which you consume don’t have time to be burnt away before you go to sleep. When you go to sleep, these excess calories are converted into body fat. So, if you love eating a pint of ice cream before you go to bed, that is probably a big reason why you are overweight.

A simple change in your eating habits can have tremendous weight loss results. I recommend not eating anything after 7 PM. Just making this one simple change will really help you lose weight. Eating your last food item of the day at 7 PM will give you just enough time to burn off those excess calories, so that they don’t turn into extra body fat. When you don’t eat anything after 7 PM, you will wake up hungry. This will lead to eating a larger breakfast, and less for lunch and dinner; so that most of your calories will be consumed earlier in the day.

Sometimes it may be hard to not eat anything past 7 PM, and you may get late night food cravings. I find that a hot glass of tea helps to stave off hunger (But remember, drink decaffeinated tea or else you won’t be able to fall asleep!). And if you are still hungry before going to bed, only eat very low calorie foods. Vegetables are always a good low calorie late night snack to fill up your stomach.

Sometimes people are not very creative when it comes to working out. To some people, a work out is limited to a run on the treadmill. However, a lot of people, especially those who are older or overweight, complain of foot and knee pains after a run or other type of cardio workout. I have been swimming for years, and I believe it is the best workout for anyone with any type of foot or knee pain. When I run too much my feet often get inflamed and I feel great pain, however when I swim this never happens. An added benefit of swimming is that it works out every part of your body and tones your muscles, while burning fat. A good swim is one of the greatest workouts. If you don’t have a pool, sign up at a local gym and start swimming; it is a great workout which anyone who knows how to swim, can do.

Is chocolate really bad for you? The answer to this is sometimes yes and sometimes no. Chocolate can sometimes be very bad for you and contribute a lot to weight gain, and sometimes it can actually be… somewhat healthy!

When Chocolate Is Bad:

Milk Chocolate is usually a bad choice. It is very sweet (lots of sugar) and very high in fat. Also milk chocolate has dairy fats that are worse for you than the cocoa butter which comprises dark chocolate. Because milk chocolate is sweet, people tend to eat too much of it, and this is what really leads to weight gain.

When Chocolate is Good:

Chocolate can actually be good for you. Dark chocolate, also known as semi sweet chocolate, is much healthier for you than milk chocolate. Dark chocolate has less sugar and fat than milk chocolate. Also dark chocolate has high levels of cocoa content containing flavanoids and antioxidents, which have many health benefits. These flavonoids and antioxidents have positive cardiovascular properties. Also, because dark chocolate is quite bitter, it is less likely that one will eat way too much of it. However, remember that despite dark chocolates various health benefits, it is still a high calorie high fat food. So, remember to eat it in very limited quantities.

Sometimes food and eating become a too big of a part of people’s lives. Many people live to eat, and don’t eat to live. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with enjoying dinner after a long day of work; but there is a problem when the only thing you look forward to after work is dinner. By this I mean, that for many people eating and food is the main source of pleasure in their lives, and they don’t look forward to anything else. These “foodies” have made eating into a hobby.

The reason many people are overweight and always are going to be overweight is because they have made eating a too big part of their lives. After a hard day’s work you should look forward to seeing your family, doing some activity, pretty much doing anything other than eating. Eating will not bring you long term happiness in life. If you disagree with this statement, then I guess you just have to deal with being overweight your whole life.

If eating is your favorite thing to do, it will be impossible for you to lose weight. So, if you have subconsciously turned into a “foodoholic”, make some changes in your life so that you can look forward to things other than food. Maybe join an art class or join a basketball league, anything is good. You will feel better with yourself, and you will not be living for food. Get some hobbies, live happier, (make it so your life does not revolve around food!) and lose weight as a result!