Weight loss is a most challenging endeavor; it draws on your mental, emotional, and physical strengths and pushes you out of your comfort zone. The task can seem daunting, maybe even fruitless at times, but a little preparation and a little time go a long way. To promote weight loss, focusing on three things will greatly improve your chances of success: tracking, portion control, and calories burned. Consistently using these tools, which you can access at any time, are the keys to healthy, lasting weight loss.
Tracking your food and exercise. Several studies, including one published in July of this year in The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, have shown that participants who kept a food journal consistently lost more weight than those who did not - and by a pretty significant margin. Experts recommend keeping a food journal as the number one tactic for losing weight. Whether you choose an online tool or use a notebook and pen, be consistent, honest, and reflective with your journal. By tracking each day, you will be able to see patterns over time, gaining valuable information about what you eat, when, and why. Knowledge about your triggers or "give-in" times will help you better prepare and combat them. And being upfront about what you've eaten will help keep you accountable to yourself.
Portion control. If you search for "portion distortion" in Google Images, you will see a lot of pictures showing the difference between what a portion size should be and what they usually are. When working toward weight loss, cutting out entire food groups will almost always backfire. You may be successful at first, but the results will not be long-term. The healthier and longer-lasting approach is portion control. Rather than denying yourself foods you love, limit how much of it you eat. To learn what portion sizes are, use measuring cups and a kitchen scale until you can do it by sight. You can also make healthier versions of foods you love, gradually reducing the amount that way. Focusing on portion size increases your awareness of what you're eating and keeps you from feeling deprived. It also allows you to keep a more accurate food journal because you know exactly how much you've eaten.
Calories burned. What you eat is the majority of your success with weight loss, but exercise is an important helper. You have a basal metabolic rate, which is the number of calories your body needs to simply maintain its functions, and then you add to that the number of calories burned by your activity level (such as having an active versus sedentary job) and exercise. You'll want to pay attention to this number in relation to the calories you consume. Creating a deficit will promote weight loss, but make sure to find the right balance for you since too much of a deficit will stall your progress. A lot of calculators online will estimate your basal metabolic rate and calories burned for a specific activity. For more accurate numbers, use a personal heart rate monitor. Understanding your activity level and calories burned in relation to your food intake and adjusting accordingly will accelerate your results.
As a group, these three tools have to do with awareness - awareness of what you eat, how much you eat, and how many calories you burn. Stick with these tactics and you will find great success with your weight loss!
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