Dieting Basics: 8 Crucial Tips to Help You Lose Weight

Dieting can be very difficult, especially if you are unsure about which type of diet to follow. With low carb and no carb diets becoming the newest fad, choosing your diet can be very hard nowadays! Here are 8 crucial tips to help you understand the basics to dieting.

Tip #1: Set Realistic Goals

One of the most important parts of dieting is setting realistic goals!
If you don’t set realistic goals, you will probably get your hopes up. Truth is, you probably won’t lose 10 pounds every day. So regardless of what diet you follow, make sure you set yourself realistic and achievable goals.

Tip #2: Proper Research

Make sure you find the right diet! Don’t settle for the low carb or no carb diet if you feel uncomfortable with them. No carb diets can be very dangerous, so overall I do not recommend them. Yes, low carb diets are a healthier alternative to the no carb diet but remember, there are many other diets out there that have been proven to work.

Tip #3: Have a Daily Routine

Don’t take a day off! Not even one! Keeping a daily routine will help you achieve your realistic goal. Make it a part of your routine to go to the gym or run around your neighborhood. Overall, keeping a routine will help you in the long run! Remember, you not only lose weight, but keep it off for many year to come.

Tip #4: Alter Your Eating Habits

This is the most important part, besides exercising! This should be a given! Stop drinking soda and sugary treats. Stay away from candies, cakes, cookies, and brownies!
Many healthy things can serve as treats in place of candy. Instead, try a fruit salad or blueberries and milk!
Don’t give in once! One cookie leads to two and two leads to three and before you know it you’ve gained back almost all the weight you lost!

Tip #5: Keep it Safe

Don’t make dieting dangerous. Carbs are crucial to your body and you need them to survive. They give you energy and help power important brain functions! Cutting out carbs all together is just one of the dangerous diets out there. Also, almost all dangerous diets will not be beneficial in the long run. Not only will they damage your body but, once you stop dieting you will most likely gain all the weight back!

Tip #6: Know Which Foods to Avoid

Besides cookies and candies which we talked about earlier, there are many foods that you should also avoid when starting a basic diet. Ice cream, soda, fast food and your beloved Twinkies should all be removed from your diet. The key food which affects many Americans today is fast food.

Avoid it all costs! Even if you only eat it once a week, make sure to stop now.

Tip #7: Keep the Variation

Many people assume getting totally rid of carbs, fruits, or vegetables from your diet will help you lose weight faster. This is in fact wrong!
Keeping variation in your diet is important. Yes, fruits have sugar, but many fruits are made up of complex sugar and will not prevent you from losing weight. Overall, keeping every food group is crucial. Just remember to moderate the amount you consume!

Tip #8: Results are Never Instant

Remember, you will not lose weight overnight! Keep in mind you want to keep this weight off for good and not gain it back after two weeks!

Don’t think of it as a diet. Think of it as a lifestyle change!