20 Tips for Losing Weight

I've been asking around for tips on what motivates people to lose weight. Today's blog I'll share some of the best ideas. I actually know many of these, but they are all worth posting as reminders. Plus I picked up so good ideas that I hadn't considered before. I'll talk more about that tomorrow.

20 Tips for Losing Weight

1. A mirror and decide you like your body. When you do, you'll want to take care of it. – submitted by kaslkaos, and the mirror was also recommended by The Joy of Homemaking, however friendsofmissi pointed out that looking in the mirror can have the opposite effect, so be sensible and use the tips that work for you. Lilysdivorce agrees with the aspect of learning to love who you are.
2. Use small plates, and always finish it and wait 15 mins before getting another serving, to let the stomach-full signal hit the brain properly. – submitted by Aasiyah Qamar
3. The long-term goal of looking and feeling good. – submitted by cayasm
4. Chew your food well and 'lose' time over it - gives your brain time to acknowledge that you're full. – submitted by Aasiyah Qamar
5. Read up on nutrition and or diabetes. A diabetic diet is just a plain old healthy diet for anybody – submitted by kaslkaos
6. Eat mindfully, when you're body says it's full then stop eating. Enjoy your food! Eat chocolate every now and then to satisfy your sweet tooth. Go for dark chocolate. – submitted by Lilysdivorce
7. Make healthy choices often, treat yourself sometimes – submitted by kaslkaos
8. An old skinny picture – submitted by shawie9877
9. I think of the money you save if you don't buy junk food actually costs money.
10. I find if I stay in my office (where no food is allowed) I'm more apt to not snack too much during times of stress. I just drink lots of water – submitted by Jill James
11. No colas/fizzy drinks or very rarely. – submitted by Aasiyah Qamar
12. I make myself workout at least once an hour while at the keyboard--get up, chin up or pushup or some such for five minutes or more--I find it actually helps me write--sort of gets the blood going. I find at the end of the day I have the best of both worlds (since exercise bores me senseless) so I do the carrot and stick thing to myself. – submitted by T.J. Glenn
13. Eat everything but in small amounts. – submitted by Aasiyah Qamar
14. Schedule your meals. It eliminates random snacking. Once it becomes routine, then don't break it, and the temptation to random snack becomes eliminated. When you're hungry, you can look forward to the next mealtime, instead of satisfying the hunger right away. – submitted by kaslkaos
15. Steer clear of simple sugars as much as possible, though the occasional treat works. Have honey instead of sugar in tea/coffee. – submitted by Aasiyah Qamar
16. Don't put dressing directly over your salad - dip your fork only in dressing on the side. – submitted by Aasiyah Qamar
17. My scale. I'm so paranoid about gaining that I keep a close eye. I make my own Ranch dressing with low-fat mayo and 2% milk and have huge salads once or twice a week. Yum-yum. With chunks of chicken and all my favorite veggies – submitted by Chiron.
18. Be wary of taste add-ons, such as mayonnaise - A jacket potato is healthy, it's the add-ons that make it junk food. – submitted by Aasiyah Qamar
19. Steer clear of oil and trans fat. – submitted by Aasiyah Qamar
20. Prefer grilled and steamed food. – submitted by Aasiyah Qamar