Most Effective Weight Loss Program

The most effective way to lose weight is to eat healthy and exercise. One of the biggest weight-loss stumbling blocks is dieting. Fad diets and unrealistic goals set us up for failure. Weight loss is accomplished by making realistic lifestyle changes. There are several changes you can make to lose weight, and more important, keep it off.

Avoid Processed Foods

Avoid highly processed foods, such as frozen dinners, bread and pasta made with refined white flour, and high-fat convenience foods. Most convenience foods are highly processed, but that does not mean you have to give up convenience. Nature makes many convenient foods. Take bananas, for example--peel and enjoy.

Eat Whole Foods

Whole foods are nutritious, low in bad fat and refined sugar, and can prevent cancer. The best part of eating whole food is that you can eat much more of it. By choosing only the healthiest food, you can eat until you are full without worrying about your waistline.

Examples of whole foods include: brown rice, fresh fruits and veggies, raw nuts, chicken, fish, and beans. If you are unsure what to cook, there are cookbooks dedicated to delicious whole foods recipes.

Drink Water

Many people find that drinking a glass of water before each meal helps them to feel fuller. Staying hydrated also helps prevent cravings. Often when you feel hungry, your body really just needs water.

Read Food Labels

Keep away from foods with more ingredients than you can count and words you cannot pronounce. Ingredients to avoid include high-fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated, enriched and bleached flower, and shortening. Also avoid foods high in fat, sugar or sodium.

Keep a Food Journal

It does not have to be formal--just jot down anything you eat or drink during the day. It can help you find your trouble areas. It could be that you are drinking too much soda. Maybe you could eat a bigger, but healthier breakfast. A food journals is an excellent tool to help you lose weight.

Exercise

To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you take in. This is best done by eating a healthy diet and following an exercise program. The best part about exercise is it helps in more ways than just weight loss. By exercising, you will improve your overall well-being.

Plan Ahead

Plan how many calories you are going to eat each day. You can do this by using a calorie calculator. Simply plug in your information and find out how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. Your goal should be to eat 500 calories less per day and to burn 500 calories a day. This will result in a 2-pound-per-week weight loss.

Plan your meals ahead of time. Cut up fruits and veggies and keep them on hand. If you don't have time to cook every evening, prepare several meals at once and freeze them so you'll have a quick dinner when you need it.