45 Fat Burning Secrets - Easy Ways to Lose Weight Fast and Keep It Off (3 page)

Watching your diet shouldn’t mean that you’re stuck at home. You can still enjoy your favorite restaurant, but you may have to tweak the way you order. Here are some calorie-saving options:

• Tell the waitress or waiter to not even bring the bread basket. You’ll remove the temptation for carbs that will bulge you up, not slim you down.
  

·
        
Choose foods that are cooked healthy; think grilled, broiled and baked. And pick sides just as healthy, such as vegetables that are steamed.

·
        
Stay away from buttery sauces and fried appetizers and entrees. It’s not that you can
never
eat them, but eat them too much and your waist will get bigger instead of smaller.

·
        
Practice portion control. Split your meal with someone else or take half home. Save yourself the extra calories and you’ll arrive at your weight loss goal faster than ever!

Secret #19:
Keep Snacks Low-Calorie

If you’re eating to stoke your metabolism, you’re eating several mini-meals daily. But, remember that you still want to watch your calorie intake. The best way to do this is to have some of your mini-meals lower in calorie. Here are some great options that will reduce your calories without sacrificing taste:

• Veggies (such as cucumbers, broccoli and cauliflower)
  
• Fruits (like as apples, berries and melons)
  
• Sugar-free Jell-O cups
  
• Low-fat cheese wedges or cheese sticks
  
• Low-fat yogurt or frozen yogurt
  
• Air popped or microwave popcorn
  

While it may be tempting to go for the low calorie ‘treat’ packs of cookies and crackers, save those for times when you’re trying to satisfy a craving, not true hunger. Options like the ones above will keep hunger at bay longer and make weight loss easier than ever!

Secret #20:
Yummy Sweets That Are Low-Fat

Losing weight doesn’t have to mean never enjoying something sweet and savory. You still have plenty of options that will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep your waistline in check. They include:

• Weight Watchers frozen desserts
  
• Full-fat versions of desserts served in portion controlled packages
  
• Low-fat snack cakes
  
• Sugar-free pudding with whipped topping
  
• Reduced-calorie pound cake with berries and sugar-free Cool Whip
  

If you’re going to eat something sweet, do it after you’ve already eaten something substantial. This will help keep your blood sugar stable and keep cravings at bay. 

The main thing to remember is that you can have the pleasure of an occasional dessert as long as it is occasional, portion controlled and eaten in conjunction with a food that will help stabilize your blood sugar.

Secret #21: Surviving the Holidays

There’s no worst time to be trying to slim down than when food is most abundant. Not only do you have those cherished seasonal meals, but you have leftovers for days on end. Trying to commit to healthy eating can become a nightmare.

You have to look at the big picture. You can eat however you want over the holidays, but you’re only going to end up with more weight to lose. Why take that route?

Enjoy time with your family and friends and keep your weight under control by doing things such as these:

• Allow yourself one or two indulgences so you don’t feel restricted.
  
• Never go to a holiday party famished. Eat something light beforehand.
  
• Watch your portions and keep yourself hydrated, preferably with water.
  
• Increase your time at the gym during the holiday season.
  

Secret #22:
Buffet Eating for the Weight Watcher

If you are watching your weight, a buffet is probably your nightmare scenario. Not only do you have too many choices, but you are responsible for your own portion sizes. While it may be a little more difficult when you’re prevented with a plethora of food, there are still things you can do to escape the situation with your weight relatively intact. They are:

• Eat something small before you go so you’re not over-hungry.
  
• Load your plate with veggies and salads, not bread and breadsticks.
  
• Choose quality proteins, such as roast beef, baked fish and grilled chicken breast.
  
• Select beverages that are sugar-free such as tea, coffee and water. 
  
• Go for the lowest fat dessert option available, such as frozen yogurt. Some places even have sugar-free options which are healthier than the full fat versions.
  

Secret #23:
Which is Worse: Carbs or Fat?

Since there are many proponents of each, it can be hard to decide which you need to avoid more: carbs or fat. Some health experts suggest that you should opt for low-fat because it’s better for your heart. Others would lead you to believe that carbs are the enemy as they are often high in sugar and have profound effects on your blood sugar levels. Who wins?

Shockingly enough - neither. If you eat low-fat, you risk consuming more calories to try to quench your hunger. In addition, you don’t want to eliminate all fat because some is necessary for your body to function efficiently and effectively.

If you eat low-carb, on the other hand, you likely have reduced energy, feel a little sad and may even feel upset to your stomach.

If you want to lose weight and make the loss permanent, you have to live and eat in a way that includes all sorts of foods. It has to fit into your lifestyle and budget and not make you feel like you’re withholding from yourself. For this reason, you’re going to want to practice selectivity and moderation.

Enjoy foods that have both fat and carbs, but select ones that are healthier for you. Eat complex carbohydrates, such as oatmeal, fruits and whole wheat and pick foods that contain unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, fish and avocado.

The best diet to follow is one that you’re willing to follow forever!

Secret #24:
Practice Mindful Eating

When it comes to eating, there are things you can do to make weight loss easier and more sustainable. And, the more mindful you are when you eat, the more satisfied you are with less food.

Try these tricks that will not only have you eating less but, subsequently, weighing less:

• Sit down when you eat.
  Eating on the go often results in eating more because you’re not paying attention to what you’re putting in your mouth.
  
• Eat slowly
  . Take the time to actually taste your food so your body can fully understand that it has just eaten.
  
• Don’t multitask
  . When you eat, just eat. Don’t read the paper or watch TV so you’re fully engaged in the process.
  
• Pretend someone is watching you
  . We tend to make better choices and eat more rationally when we feel like we’re being scrutinized. So, eat as if someone, maybe even me, is there with you.
  

Secret #25:
Combat Food Boredom

One of the biggest reasons that people give up on eating healthy is that they get bored. You can’t eat the same foods day in and day out without getting burnt out on them. So, how do you add gusto to your eating plan?

• Add variety
  .
  Eat as many different types of foods as possible. Make it a goal to add one new food to your diet weekly. Either decide what you’re going to get before you go grocery shopping, or just pick something up and look it up on the internet when you get home to figure out what to do with it. You may be pleasantly surprised!
  
• Use spices.
  Experiment with your spice rack to make your food stand out. For example, it’s amazing how different chicken breast tastes when it has some cumin and chili powder on it as opposed to garlic and onion powder.
  
• Cook using different methods.
  There are many healthy cooking options. You can broil, boil, bake and grill. Each one adds different texture and a different taste dimension to food. If you want help in this area, consider taking a cooking class to expand your culinary horizons.
  

Secret #26:
Get Your RDA of Vitamins and Minerals

Don’t skip getting your Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of necessary vitamins and minerals to help your body process and metabolize your foods. Some nutrients that enhance weight loss include:

• Vitamin A
  –
  Promotes a healthy immune system functioning, keeping you away from colds and illnesses that can slow or stop your weight loss progress.
  
• Vitamin B
  – Improves metabolism which means more calories burned on a day-to-day basis.
  
• Vitamin C
  – Limits the body’s exposure to stress effects and enhances metabolic function.
  
• Calcium
  – Studies show that this people who have adequate amounts of calcium in their diet lose more weight. Choose a multi-vitamin that has 100% of your daily calcium and drink your milk!
  

Secret #27:
The Truth About Carb Blockers

While it’s easy to fall prey to carb blockers, also known as cortisol blockers, their idea is much better than their reality as there hasn’t been adequate research to show that their claims are valid. Also, they create some pretty uncomfortable side gastrointestinal effects, such as gas and diarrhea.

An alternative to these questionable supplements, according to
WebMD
, is to increase your fiber intake. It satisfies your hunger and stops your cravings to eat foods that won’t make you healthy.

If you want to digest less carbs, just eat less. Stay away from foods make with sugar and white flour and focus on healthy foods such as lean proteins, fruits, veggies and low-fat dairy.

And, if you want to lower your cortisol levels, you need to lower your stress. Get in regular physical activity, make sure you have adequate sleep and participate in any relaxation exercise that gives you peace and contentment.

Secret #28:
Natural, Ephedra-Like Herbs

Because of its negative side effects, Ephedra was banned by the FDA. But, you can still get metabolism boosting results from natural substances such as guarana, ma huang and bitter orange peel extract. 

Even though they’re natural, you still need to realize that these types of substances can have negative consequences, particularly for someone with a problematic heart as they increase your blood pressure. It’s always advisable to get the green light from your doctor before taking any supplement, especially one like this.

Secret #29:
Lose Weight in Intervals

There’s no doubt that walking and running both are very good for you. But, if you want to kick your burn into overdrive, it’s best to combine them. This is called interval training.

Well respected institutions such as the
Mayo Clinic
are huge proponents of interval training as it increases the amount of calories you burn, improves your level of fitness and doesn’t let you get bored with your exercise routine. What exactly is it?

When you exercise using interval training, you change the intensity many times during the course of your exercise session. For instance, you may follow a routine such as this:

• Walk for 5 minutes at a relaxed pace
  
• Lightly jog for 4 minutes
  
• Walk for 3 minutes
  
• Sprint for 2 minutes
  
• Walk for 3 minutes
  
• Lightly jog for 5 more; and so on.
  

Interval training stops your body from becoming used to your workout and it kicks your metabolism up. And, since you’re not consistently working at a high intensity, you can do the exercise for longer periods of time.

Secret #30:
Increase Muscle, Improve Metabolism

Just as with cardio, when you do the same weight training routine time after time, your muscles quit progressing. They don’t grow and strengthen like they did in the beginning. How do you stop this effect?

Work your muscles in a sequence, not the same ones day after day. For example, you might work your upper body on Monday, your mid-section on Wednesday and lower body on Friday. Do aerobic exercises on the in-between days so that you’re still burning calories but not overworking your muscles and stopping their growth.

By varying your weight lifting regimen, you’ll continue to see muscle gaining results. And, as you learned above, the greater your muscle mass the greater number of calories you burn even when you aren’t doing anything active.

Move your muscles and they’ll move the fat!

Secret #31:
Know Your Calorie Requirements

Before you can know how many calories you have to burn to lose weight, you have to know how many calories you burn while at rest. This is called your basal metabolic rate, or BMR.

A simple calculation is:

• If you want
  weight loss
  , you have to consumer
  12-13 calories per pound
  of body weight.
  
• If you want
  weight maintenance
  , you must have
  15-16 calories per pound
  .
  
• If it’s
  weight gain
  you seek, you need
  18-19 calories per pound
  of body weight.