Let’s face it. If you want to lose weight, you’re going to have to eat less. Yes… yes… You don’t want to. You enjoy eating. Do you really have to cut down your calorie intake?

Yes.

What if you eat the same amount and just exercise? No. You still need to eat less.

Ok… ok. You’ll eat the same amount, exercise like crazy and pop a few slimming pills too. That ok? No. You’ll still have to eat less.

Now that we have established that fact, we can move on. When we say eat less, it doesn’t mean that you will have to eat like a bird. You’ll always have enough food to eat, to stay strong, fit and healthy.

The problem society faces these days is that people eat too much. They eat when they’re happy. They eat when they’re sad. They eat when they’re hungry and they eat when they’re not hungry… out of fear that they might get hungry later.

Many people’s relationship with food is totally out of whack. The most crucial step to losing weight is consuming the correct amount of calories. Ideally, you should be aiming for a caloric deficit of 500 calories. You can find out the exact number by visiting http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Once you aim to cut your calories, you will definitely end up eating less than you’re accustomed to. Since you’re already in the habit of eating a certain quantity of food daily, the body is going to feel a little hungry.

This is normal. You’re not starving. Your body needs time to adjust to the fewer calories. There will be slight discomfort and you may find yourself thinking of food often. You will need to exercise will-power and not eat. Maintaining the caloric deficit is imperative to losing the pounds.

Look at it as a challenge that you can surmount. Many people look at controlling their diet as a huge pain in the butt. With a negative attitude like this, they best prepare for a hemorrhoid attack.

There are 7 tips in this article to curb your appetite. These will help to a certain extent at controlling your cravings. Do note that within a week of maintaining a caloric deficit, your appetite will naturally diminish. The less you eat, the less you’ll want to eat. You stomach will shrink and you’ll require less food to feel satiated.

That may take a week or two to happen. Depending on how much you’ve been eating daily, it may take longer but rest assured that you will need less food as you go along.

1. Skip breakfast. This runs contrary to everything you’ve heard so far. However, studies have shown that the later in the day you have your first meal, the less you’ll eat throughout the day. If you really must have breakfast, go ahead, but keep it light and make sure it is protein based. Skip the sugary cereals and white bread.
2. Drink lots of water. It’ll make you feel full and very often people mistake thirst for hunger. You also need to be sufficiently hydrated to accelerate fat loss.
3. Consume a tablespoon or 2 of virgin coconut oil daily. It has been shown to reduce one’s appetite, make a person leaner and also less prone to storing fat.
4. Stay active throughout the day. Sedentary activities such as vegetating in front of the TV for hours, playing video games non-stop, watching movies at the cinema, etc. will automatically make you want to pop something in your mouth to munch. Avoid these activities.
5. Eat lots of vegetables. Vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, carrots, cauliflower, kale, celery, etc. contain a ton of beneficial properties. Not only are they good for your health but they will also leave you feeling fuller for longer.
6. Use smaller plates. This is a psychological trick. Smaller plates look fuller with less food. So, your brain automatically assumes you’re eating a lot when you’re not.
7. Go to bed earlier. A bad habit that many people engage in is binge eating at night. This is usually because they’re awake watching TV and end up feeling hungry. If you find that you’re getting hungry at night, go to bed earlier. You will not struggle against cravings.

Follow the tips above and you will reduce the amount that you eat. Once you achieve this feat, your weight loss will go from being a possibility to a probability and finally, a reality. Your diet is that important to your success. Never forget that.

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People really do enjoy making things more complicated than they really are. It is a common practice suggested by fitness trainers and weight loss guides that a person should detox their body before embarking on a weight loss program.

There are detox teas, lemonade fasts, foot patches, laxatives, etc. Thousands of people try to detoxify their body by using these methods. The concept is that they are cleansing their body and by doing so, they will be starting on a clean slate and more primed to lose weight.

The truth of the matter is that there is no scientific proof that detoxification is really necessary. The human liver is more than capable of detoxifying your body if you’ll just take a break from the junk food and processed foods.

The 2 cornerstones of weight loss are a healthy diet that is at a caloric deficit and a good exercise program. That’s it. Detoxification has not been invited to the weight loss panel. You don’t need the added aggravation of figuring it out.

If you truly wish to cleanse your body, consume lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Completely avoid the fast food, processed foods, white foods such as white bread and white flour products, refined sugar, etc. Just by avoiding these detrimental products, you will be doing your body a huge favor.

Your liver that has been overworked trying to remove all the toxins from these harmful foods will be able to focus on cleansing your body now. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated and also to flush out any excess toxins.

Hard exercise that makes you sweat buckets will also help to remove toxins that have accumulated beneath the skin. Many people do not know that a poor diet will lead to a buildup of toxins that spread outwards toward the skin. This will also result in acne.

When you perspire, these toxins will be flushed out with the sweat. Not only do you get fitter and leaner but you’re also removing the harmful toxins in your body. It’s a win-win situation.

Juicing is also excellent for the body. Juice green vegetables such as cucumbers, broccoli, kale, parsley, etc. These contain antioxidant properties and a ton of micronutrients that the body craves.

Juicing is an excellent method to employ for losing weight.

There was a documentary, “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead”. The creator, Joe Cross, was overweight and sick. He switched to a diet of vegetable and fruit juice. In a matter of months, he shed all the excess weight and looked and felt much better.

Just by going on a healthy and wholesome diet, your body will automatically cleanse itself. Don’t torture yourself by fasting for days or drinking lemon juice for days without eating food.

Eat sensibly. Every time you eat or drink something, you’re either feeding disease or fighting it.

Train sensibly. Build your strength and stamina. The exercise will boost your metabolic rate and make you a fat burning machine.

That’s all you really need to do to lose weight. Don’t overcomplicate things. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Surveys have shown that the majority of those who are overweight or obese wish that they could lose the weight. Many feel depressed and inferior. They desperately wish to shed the excess pounds but they feel like they can never achieve it.

They feel like they have been fat since they were young and it is their destiny. They think that they were cursed with fat genes.

The truth of the matter is that the majority of the people who are obese can lose weight and get fit over time. It takes time. It will take effort and discipline. But… it can be done.

You could be 100 pounds overweight, but if you decide that enough is enough and you want to lose it all, it can be done. It may even take you a year or more but it can be done. You’re not destined to a life of obesity and disease.

If you will change, your body will change.

Follow the 7 tips below and you’ll gradually lose the weight. All you need to do is stick with these tips and you will be just fine.

1. Find out what your daily calorie maintenance is and aim for a caloric deficit of 500 calories till your weight drops a little. Weigh yourself after a week and find out your new calorie maintenance level and carry on with a caloric deficit of 500 calories based on this new number.

As long as you follow this plan, it is inevitable that you lose weight. You can find out your calorie numbers at http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

1. Start walking for 30 to 45 minutes daily. Ideally, your walking should be brisk but you shouldn’t be out of breath. You’ll need to do this when you wake in the morning and you’re on an empty stomach.

Initially, if 5 minutes is all you can manage, that’s ok. Walk for 5 minutes and rest. Over time, increase your time by a minute or 2 every day or every few days.

You want to make slow and steady progress.

1. If you wish to speed up your progress, 2 exercise sessions a day would be excellent. One in the morning and one in the evening. Make sure each session does not exceed 60 minutes.
2. Slowly clean up your diet. Make one positive change every week. If you drink 3 cans of soda a day. Reduce it to 2 cans a day for a week. The next week reduce it to one can. You must do this gradually. Many people make the mistake of doing too much too soon. Clean up your diet as much as you can but do it slowly.

Sudden changes cause shock and resistance in the body. It’s just too much too soon and the body can’t adapt. You will get food cravings and constantly battle the temptation to binge eat the foods that you’re not supposed to.

So, keep your progress slow and measured.

1. Work your way up to high intensity training sessions. Initially, when you are first exercising, walking will suffice. As you shed the pounds and get slimmer, you may wish to try out high intensity training.

It does not have to be a long session. Even a short 4 minute Tabata workout can work wonders. You may be shocked to see that even a 4 minute workout can be extremely challenging and you might not be able to complete it.

That’s ok. What matters is that you tried. Aim to progress a little more in the next workout and so on.

There are hundreds of weight loss tips but the 5 mentioned above are the fundamentals of all weight loss. Always remember that time is your friend and there is no rush.

Do not expect results overnight or in 2 weeks. Take a photo of yourself today and take one 3 months later. The difference will stun you. As long as you follow the tips above, weight loss is inevitable. Visible results will take about 2 to 3 months. Do not give up before 3 months.

Always remember that it does not have to be torture. Slow and steady wins the race.

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The famous motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, has 2 profound quotes that can be applied to weight loss.

The first one is, “Failure is a few errors in judgment repeated everyday”.

The second quote is, “Make measurable progress in reasonable time”.

That’s exactly what this article is about. Progress.

In order to get the body you desire, there must be progress. Anybody with some level of common sense will know that you can’t go from flab to fab overnight. You can’t go from being 30 pounds overweight to having the body of a fitness model in 2 weeks.

Yet, many people who embark on a weight loss quest expect miraculous results. They weigh themselves daily. They look at the mirror a hundred times a day, turning from side to side trying to get a flattering angle, etc.

They then fret and complain and feel dejected that nothing is working. They do not see results. It’s all just too much work and no pay off. It’s just a matter of time before they lose hope and give up. This scenario happens to thousands of people daily.

The first thing you should do when embarking on your weight loss journey is to take photos of your body while in your underwear. Take a frontal photo and a side profile photo.

Next up, use a measuring tape to measure certain parts of your body such as your waist, thighs, arms (around biceps) and belly.

Get a blank book that will be your weight loss journal. Record down the measurements and date they were taken. This book will be your bible. You will write down exactly what you ate for the day and what you did during your exercise sessions. You’ll also write down how you felt for that day and during your workout.

This book will serve as a record of your progress. You will only need to weigh yourself once a week. Use the measuring tape to measure your body after 3 weeks. You will also take photos of your body once a month to see the difference.

It is so important to track your progress. The photos and measurements will show you exactly how much progress you’ve made. Do NOT rely on your memory. Most people can’t even remember what they ate 2 days earlier.

Losing weight is a very gradual progress and you will not realize it because you’re seeing yourself daily. You may have noticed that people tell you that you’ve lost weight, but you don’t realize it yourself. That’s because it’s so gradual.

The training records will also show how much you have improved and more importantly, what more you can do to challenge yourself. Maybe shave off a few seconds from your timing? Add a few reps to your set? Increase the weights in your resistance training? Your journal will guide you.

You will also record down slip ups or bad habits that may have crept in. These are the errors in judgment that you will work to eliminate.

Losing weight is a slow process. Like Jim said, you must make measurable progress in reasonable time. By tracking your progress in the journal, you will know that you’re on the right track. As long as you’re losing weight, keep doing what you’re doing.

If you’re not, examine your diet and training to see where the hitch is.

If you’ve gained weight, you really need to study your journal to see where you’ve slipped up.

In this way, you’ll always have a point of reference and will not lose your way in the fat loss journey. Track your progress religiously and celebrate all progress, however humble or small. That’s how you get the body you’ve always wanted. You do not need to be great to start, but you must start in order to be great.

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If you don’t have the time to read the entire article, the quick answer is, “No!”
You really do not need a gym membership to lose weight.

Every year in January, the sales of gym memberships skyrocket. Everybody and their pet cat has made a New Year resolution to get in shape. By February, over 95% of these “fitness minded folks” have given up and the gym memberships that have been fully paid for go to waste.

If you wish to lose weight, all you need to do is eat less, eat right and move more. That’s it. You do not require Nautilus machines, kettlebells, rowing machines, etc. All these are effective but not a necessity.

If you can walk, you can lose weight. All you need to do is maintain your diet at a caloric deficit of about 500 calories and walk for 30 to 60 minutes a day. Ideally, walking first thing upon waking will be fantastic. Your glycogen stores will be low and the body will access fat stores for fuel.

If you can walk for 45 minutes in the morning and 45 minutes in the evening, your results will be much faster. There is no need to pant and gasp at the gym. Usually, people who are embarking on a weight loss plan have led sedentary lives with very little exercise. Even walking will be beneficial and more exercise than they have gotten in a long time.

If you have the budget, you can always purchase dumbbells, barbells, a bench, etc. as equipment and keep them at home. Your muscles do not care where you workout as long as you do.

In fact, many people who have gyms at home report having better workouts since they do not have to share the equipment and wait their turn. You will be saving time and money. There are also no distractions unlike a gym.

The equipment once purchased, will last a lifetime. Unlike gym memberships which can be expensive and have annual fees, your home gym will never have fees. You will also not be intimidated by other people who look like they have stepped out of fitness magazines.

Many newbies to a gym feel inferior and intimidated when they see people who are ripped and look fantastic. This can be depressing and you really don’t need the vexation.

There are a plethora of exercises that you can do without weights. Just go on YouTube and search for calisthenics exercises. Lunges, push-ups, squats, tuck jumps, burpees, mountain climbers, etc. are all fantastic compound exercises that can be done in the privacy of your own home.

These exercises when executed fast in an interval circuit will boost your metabolic rate and get your heart pumping. They are excellent fat burning exercises. You may be surprised to know that many of the muscular, bulky guys at the gym may not even be able to complete a high intensity workout. They just do not have the stamina to.

When you work on your stamina, your body will burn fat fast and furiously. Your stamina can be built with high intensity workouts at home, at the park, at the beach etc. You don’t need a gym.

One who wishes to progress will make a step out of a stone. If you do not have the budget for a gym membership or you just don’t like the idea of being in a gym, don’t let that discourage you. You can definitely lose weight without a gym membership.

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Pain is weakness leaving the body. Wow! That’s a cool saying. What’s not so cool is the pain and muscle soreness that accompanies hard workouts.

This pain is known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Some people call it muscle fever. The pain and stiffness in the muscles may last for several hours to a few days. This usually occurs in people unaccustomed to exercise or it may occur after strenuous exercise. The soreness is at its peak 24 to 72 hours after the workout.

If you have led a sedentary life for years, do not start your exercise program by training like a ninja when in reality, you’re a neophyte. If you go too hard, you will wake up the next day in so much pain that you’re going to be in agony. You will not be able to exercise because your muscles are stiff and painful.

Initially, you should start small. Maybe workout for 5 to 10 minutes at a slow pace. The following day, do the same thing. Over a period of a week, you may increase the duration to 20 or 30 minutes.

If you’re doing resistance training, put your ego at the door and stick to the light weights. Resistance training has a much higher probability of causing muscle aches and fatigue than cardio sessions.

The 2 keys to note are gradual training and not over-exercising. It can take anywhere from 2 weeks to a month before your body is ready for harder, more intense exercise. There is time. Do not rush it.

You do not want to be in a situation where you have to stop training because you over-trained. This will just delay your results and be a waste of time.

As you progress and start engaging in heavier, more strenuous workouts, there will be days when your muscles ache or you feel fatigued. This is inevitable. However, usually the pain will be isolated to the muscles you have trained and you will be able to endure the pain unlike a beginner who just starts off.

There are a few ways to deal with muscle soreness or fatigue. Follow the points below and help yourself.

1. If you’re about to do a resistance training session, it would be a good idea to do a quick 10 minute walk on the treadmill. This will warm up your muscles and gets the blood flowing.

Next, stretch your muscles and joints. The number one cause for strained muscles, DOMS and sprains is insufficient stretching. Always stretch your muscles and warm up your joints.

2. If you have muscles that ache, take a hot shower but alternate the temperature of the water to 1 minute of warm water and one minute of cold water. Do this for 5 to 6 times.

Each time you are under the warm water, your muscles will expand and when you switch to cold water, your muscles will contract. By doing this repeatedly, you will be squeezing out the lactic acid lingering in your muscles and you’ll feel better.

3. If you really overdid it, you may take an aspirin to numb the pain.

4. You may also wish to get a massage. This will be soothing to your muscles and boost circulation. Do note that massages do not cure muscle pain. They are soothing but you can only heal with time.

5. Drink water or fruit juice and add electrolytes. You should also stay hydrated so that your muscles are less prone to cramping.

These are just some of the ways to deal with muscle soreness and fatigue. Time is the best healer. Rest or sleep if you’re tired. If your muscles ache badly, do not workout for a day or two. Take the time to rest. Pushing through pain may cause you to tear a muscle or result in some other more serious injury.

Train responsibly and don’t be too hard on yourself. You will lose the weight with time. There is no need to suffer in pain unnecessarily. Inch by inch, life’s a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard.