With fad diets and fitness routines round every corner, it is quite difficult to keep a tab on which weight loss
tips really do work and which don't. Should you join that bhangra
aerobics class, adopt that no-carb diet, or eat dinner at 6pm? Never
mind all that loophole-ridden weight loss jargon, step over to the
healthy side. Here are 10 tips for guaranteed weight loss that will set
your weight straight, and help you adopt some really healthy,
weight-friendly habits for life. 
Weight loss tip 1:
Decide how much weight you need to lose - Most people start their
weight loss journey by claiming to be xyz kilos overweight. This isn't a
healthy way to project or aim for weight loss. Calculate your desired
weight against your height by using reliable methods like the BMI, and
set a healthy weight loss target. This is often half the battle won.
Weight loss tip 2:
Time management - This is quite often overlooked. Decide which part of
your day will be dedicated to exercise, when in the week you will stock
up on groceries, and when you will do the cooking - all within your
current work and home life routine. If you don't do this now, your days
will be rushed and unplanned, and you won't be able to sustain your
weight loss efforts.
Weight loss tip 3:
Stock your kitchen - Keep your house well-stocked with fruits,
vegetables, healthy meats, grains, cereals, spices, and flavourers.
Follow our tricks to healthy cooking, cooking vegetables for the week,
and low-fat cooking posts to understand how best you can stock your
kitchen with healthy and delicious ingredients. All of this will go into
helping the next step - cooking healthy meals at home.
Weight loss tip 4:
Eat healthy homecooked meals - Whether it's you who's cooking, a family
member, or house help, ensure that every one practises healthy cooking
methods, and ingredients. Ask any person who's lost weight the healthy
way, and you will always hear about how healthy homecooked meals were a
big reason behind it. Use less oil, low salt, fresh produce, and you'll
start seeing results in no time.
Weight loss tip 5
: Start a cardio + weights workout - A healthy weight loss programme is
incomplete without a good exercise routine, and weight training mixed
with cardio is the best way to lose weight. Of course, variations and
forms exist, but any workout that stresses on muscle tone and increased
heart rate will always help you lose weight and keep it off. You can
either start a home workout today, or rely on gyms for fitness training.
Weight loss tip 6:
Alter your snacking habits - At Health Me Up, we have several healthy
snacking ideas for you. Set those French fries aside, skip that aerated
drink, and ban those unhealthy deep fried samosas. Explore the healthy
snack world and you will find several appetisers, party snacks, movie
snacks and meal accompaniments that'll satisfy every craving of yours.
Weight loss tip 7:
Have at least one active hobby - It isn't sufficient to rely on just 30
to 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Moving from bed to office
chair, and back to bed, isn't a healthy way to live. Buy a motion sensor
gaming console that lets you enjoy social games with friends and
family, plan weekend trips, clean your house once a week, dance, play
sports, the list is endless. Get out of the coffee shop and dining table
rut, and you'll have fun along with the healthy weight loss.
Weight loss tip 8: Find a
solution to combat stress - As we pointed out in our post about stress
and weight loss, stress is always detrimental to healthy weight loss in
the long run. Find ways to combat stress and you'll soon realise that
your diet and exercise aren't sabotaged anymore, and that you truly do
see results. Look at yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises, or
simple hobbies like reading to fight stress.
Weight loss tip 9:
Drink plenty of water - You've known that your body relies heavily on
water for all important bodily functions, and yet you skimp on drinking
adequate quantities of water every day. Well, it's time to stop that.
Check out some exciting ways to make water interesting and you'll be
packing it away in no time. Do not forget to carry a water bottle to
your workout, and take a few sips after every 2-3 minutes of exercise.
Weight loss tip 10:
Plan healthy vacations - Why go all the way with healthy weight loss,
when one tiny vacation will just come along and topple it all? Healthy
vacations aren't impossible. Take a look at how you can eat smart on a
holiday, and then at bodyweight workouts that you can carry with you
wherever you go, to understand how to holiday right. Above all, remember
that these are lifelong habits that'll help you stay fit forever and
not short term weight loss quickfixes.
