Tips for losing weight for Women

Here are some strategies that will help you get started
losing weight.
1. Set a realistic goal. Take a look at what your weight has been for the past 10 to 15
years. If you want to weigh 130 pounds, but you haven’t been there since you
were 20, keep in mind this might be more difficult to achieve; depending on
your current lifestyle, it may be unrealistic. And don’t think you have to rely on the scale to set a goal. I have many clients who choose a size of clothing as their
target. If you do decide on a number on the scale, make sure you choose a 5-
pound weight range that you plan to stay within. It’s not realistic to remain a
constant weight. You need a little room for holidays, entertaining and vacations!

2. Go in with the right mind-set. Think about making a long-term lifestyle change
rather than a short-term quick fix. I can tell you right now that people who
approach losing weight with a long-term attitude are far more successful. The
right mind-set also means being comfortable with slow and steady weight loss.
A safe weight-loss plan shouldn’t cause you to lose more than 1 to 3 pounds a
week.When you lose weight at a faster rate, there’s a good chance you’re losing
muscle and water. And the more muscle you lose, the slower the rate at which
your body burns calories.

3. Get social support. If you need help from a spouse, family member, co-worker or
friend, ask for it. It often helps to have a workout partner, especially when you’re
beginning an exercise program. If your roommate pulls out a bag of potato chips
every night after dinner, ask him or her to be mindful of your attempt to change
your eating habits. If you want positive reinforcement from someone, let that
person know.

4. Start an exercise program. This is an important step if you’re not already active.
Exercise burns calories while you do it and, by building up muscle, it helps your
body burn more calories at rest.To help lose body fat, aim to get four cardiovascular
workouts each week (brisk walking, jogging, stair climbing, swimming,
cross-country skiing or aerobics classes). Gradually build up to a minimum of 30
minutes each session.When you’re ready, add weight training two or three times
a week. Studies have found that adding a weight workout to a weight-loss program
speeds up weight loss.

5. Eat at regular intervals throughout the day. Eating a meal or snack every four to
five hours will help to boost your metabolism, improve your energy level and
maintain a consistent blood sugar level. Eating regularly prevents hunger and
helps to eliminate mindless snacking and overeating at the next meal.

6. Don’t eat dinner late. Ideally, sit down to dinner before eight o’clock (the earlier
the better). As the evening approaches, your body’s metabolism naturally slows
down. At the dinner hour, your body actually needs the smallest meal (but of course this is when most of us consume the majority of our daily calories). If you
get home late, tell yourself that you’ve missed dinner. Just because you walk in
the door doesn’t mean you have to eat a large dinner. Have a light snack
instead—yogurt, a piece of fruit or a bowl of soup.

7. If your meals are more than five hours apart, plan to have a snack. Between-meal
snacks are important to help keep your energy levels up and prevent snacking on
unhealthy foods like sweets. Depending on the meal, your blood sugar will drop
three to four hours later. Since your blood sugar is the only source of fuel for your
brain, a post-meal dip can make you feel sluggish and tired, and often this is
when people go in search of a pick-me-up. So plan this energy boost. But here’s
my rule—no snacking on refined starchy foods like bagels, pretzels, low-fat cookies,
low-fat crackers or fat-free muffins. Because these foods are quickly converted to
blood glucose, they’re more likely to lead to further hunger and cravings for
sweets. Better snacks include yogurt, milk, homemade smoothies and whole
fruit. Choosing these snacks will also help get more fiber and calcium into your
diet.

8. Be sure to get at least six servings of protein-rich foods each day. Not only will this
help you meet your protein needs, but protein will also help to maintain your
blood-sugar levels longer. I recommend splitting your protein servings between
lunch and dinner; some people prefer to include some protein at breakfast, too.
1 protein serving = 1 oz (30 g) lean meat, poultry, fish, hard cheese
1/4 cup (60 ml) cottage cheese
1 egg or 2 egg whites
2 oz (60 g) firm tofu (1/4 cup cubed)
1/3 cup (75 ml) cooked chickpeas or other legume
2 tbsp (30 ml) roasted soy nuts

9. Reduce your portions of carbohydrate-containing foods. Eating smaller portions of
carbohydrates not only reduces your calorie intake, it also helps reduce high levels
of blood insulin. That’s because, once digested into glucose units, carbohydrate
foods trigger the release of insulin in the bloodstream. But following a
low-carbohydrate diet does not mean giving up all carbohydrate-containing
foods. I do not recommend diets like Dr. Atkins’ or Protein Power where followers
are told to avoid all starch, fruit and milk products.Over the long run this
is not healthy, nor is it sustainable.

Simply reducing your portion size of carbohydrate foods will help you lose
weight. Even though bread on its own is low in fat, it still has calories and they
add up. For example, one large bagel is equivalent to five slices of bread! Here are
a few tips that might help prevent you from overeating starchy foods (something
that’s very easy to do!):
• Say “no” to the bread basket in restaurants;
• When you have pasta or stir-fries with rice, skip the bread;
• At breakfast, have cereal or toast, not both;
• When you eat pasta, your portion should be no larger than 1 cup cooked
(appetizer size);
• When you eat rice, your portion should be no larger than 2/3 cup cooked;
• If you tend to overeat foods like pasta, rice or potatoes, consider skipping the
starchy food at dinner. You don’t have to serve rice or potatoes. Instead, enjoy
grilled fish, chicken or lean meat with plenty of vegetables. Or maybe an
omelet and salad. In my practice, I find this strategy helps women lose weight
and eat more vegetables, and it also reduces bloating.

10. Get rid of excess sugar—natural and refined. I certainly don’t mind a little jam on
your toast or a teaspoon of sugar in your coffee. But drinks like regular soda, fruit
drinks and fruit juice only add extra calories to your day, not to mention elevating
your blood sugar. I’d rather you quench your thirst with water and get your
fruit servings as whole fruit. You’ll save calories and boost your fiber intake.

11. Treat yourself to a serving of sweets, dessert or candy once a week. Enjoy a “real” serving
of whatever you really want once a week. If sweets aren’t your thing, make it
french fries or chicken wings. Make this weekly treat part of your plan and don’t
feel guilty about eating it. Remember that any changes you make to lose weight
have to be sustainable. Can you really see yourself giving up chocolate for good?

12. Don’t eliminate fat from your diet. Keep your intake of added fats and oils to a
moderate level. Aim to get three to four servings of fat each day.
One fat serving = 1 tsp (5 ml) butter or oil (olive, canola and flaxseed are best)
2 tsp (10 ml) regular salad dressing
4 tsp (20 ml) fat-reduced dressing