Our weight loss community is full of some very smart "losers"! A couple of weeks ago, I shared my favorite weight loss "survival" skills with you and asked for you to send in your own. Thank you to everyone who sent in your tips! If you don't see your tip this week, stay tuned, because it will be included in an upcoming feature.
Plus, we're currently building a weight loss tips database categorized by topic, so I'm still looking for more, so don't hesitate to post or e-mail me your advice! Drum roll please... here are the excellent tips that will help you be the best "loser" you can be!
- Mike Zmuda has got a great idea for you to foil the portion size challenge you may find when dining out:
"When I go to a restaurant, I'll order a kids size meal (from the children's menu). I'm a big guy, and sometimes they look at me funny, but I tell them I'm doing it on a bet. Usually, they'll do it, and I tip them an extra bit as '... their half of the tip.' (with a wink and a nudge.) If that doesn't work, I'll volunteer to pay the adult price for the children's meal. If that's the case, they don't get a tip. All in all, it works out just fine. I get a filling meal, and the wait-person (or is that 'Weight-person') gets what he/she deserves (good tip/no tip)." - Brittney Fuqua says H20 is the way to go!
"To me, the most beneficial weight-loss strategy is drinking plenty of water. At least two liters a day makes a huge difference, and its really not as hard as it seems after you do for a few days. Not only does it help shed pounds, but it improves your complexion, too!" - And community member Nicci certainly agrees:
"Dieticians aren't kidding when they said the average person should drink AT LEAST 8 glasses of water a day. I know 8 glasses of water seem like a lot, at the start it was, but the body adapts to all that water intake and craves more, so it becomes easier with time to drink more.
Water is the main component humans are made of, so why not drink it? Especially exclusively. Water is all I drink, other than the occasional skim milk, OJ, or iced chai latte if I'm feeling really bad! After awhile you really start to enjoy the taste and feel really parched if you aren't taking a sip or two every so often.
I have to personally vouch that it works. Not only is it completely healthy for you, and something you should be doing already, its also a natural appetite suppressant, in fact, many times you feel hungry for a snack, you are really just thirsty. It's really easy to train your body to crave water instead of a candy bar, if I am tempted I immediately grab my water and take a large gulp. I bring water to work in a large sport container so I can drink it there too. People call me the 'Water Girl'!"
- Community member LOVERIOT has identified the emotional and social connections:
"I think the most helpful thing for me was identifying/separating true hunger from emotional/social eating cues and developing strategies and new habits to replace them. For example, going out with a group of friends and eating foods mindlessly when I'm not really hungry. The real reason I went out was to socialize with my friends. Another example is when I've had a bad day and I would previous reach for 'comfort foods' to placate myself. Instead I phone a friend to chat, take a relaxing bath, or go to the gym and work off the stress." - Community member Stephen a.k.a PQLIER says tracking his progress is key:
"I weigh every morning and chart the results. Doing that makes it much harder for bad food choices to escape unnoticed through the course of the day." - Community member Caylynn says movement matters the most:
"Exercise! Both cardio and weight training. Both are essential to long-term health."
