10 Tips, Habits, and Ways to Maintaining a Low-Calorie Diet and Losing Weight in 2009

With the New Year coming up pretty fast, I know that most people who are interested in losing that weight that's been bugging for a long time will be looking for easy tips to do it.

In this article you will find the best 10 tips, habits, and ways to build and maintain a low-calorie diet that will bring upon weight loss in no time. Just think, by following these steps, you could reach your 2009 weight loss goal faster than you've ever imagined possible.

Tip # 1: Give up junk food.

For some people this will be the hardest thing to do. Just do it. Don't say you'll have a little bit a day, or that you'll keep it under control, because it's hard. It's hard to contain yourself once you have it, so just don't buy it. If you have it, give it away to someone, don't eat it.

Tip # 2: Research fast food first.

If you're someone who just doesn't have time to make meals to take to work, to school, or who just doesn't know how to start making meals as you've lived off fast food for a while now, then at least research it. Go to the restaurant's website and check out their nutritional info. Cut out mayo, use mustard. Find the lowest calorie foods and then try them out.

Tip # 3: Use small plates and pans.

If you cook a lot, then you eat a lot. So use the smallest pans you have to cook for yourself. If you have big plates, buy small party plates and use those. You can also use tupper wear to start minimizing your portions. If you're eating 2 cups worth of anything, you probably should stop at that point. Measure what you add so that you can always count the calories you're consuming.

Tip # 4: Fill yourself up with water.

If you're hungry, drink 2 cups of water, wait about 10 more minutes then eat if you still feel the need. It's been proven that most people eat when they're thirsty because they don't hydrate properly. I'm not going to say to aim for 8 cups a day, but aim to drink at least 2 cups before, during, or after each full meal to prevent hunger too quickly afterwards.

Tip # 5: Plan meals.

This is probably the best way to stick to a low-calorie diet. If you know what you're going to eat tomorrow, the day after that, and maybe even for the rest of the week, it's not so easy to just mindlessly consume calories. It's good to plan out so that you can look forward to food, instead of having to look for food to eat when you get hungry; this way you already know what to expect.

Tip # 6: Buy your favorite fruits.

I know every one has to have at least 1 to 2 fruits that they know they love. Either in smoothies or with lime and chili, or just simply by themselves. Do yourself a favor and just buy them. Don't think about when you'll eat them, just get them and throw them randomly into your day. Start packing a couple of servings a day and then increase this little by little.

Tip # 7: Go for 100 calorie snacks.

I know that the main store where I go grocery shopping, which is probably the one you use as well has ice cream sandwiches, candies, chip baggies, brownies and frozen treats that are all under 100 calories. Look around the next time you shop, and use these during those times when you feel like indulging yourself in something not so great; the worst you can do is go over by 100 calories at the end of the day.

Tip # 8: Workout to create a calorie deficit.

3,500 calories is one pound of fat. If you burn 2,000 calories a week and subtract 1,500 calories from your weekly meal plan, you'll lose 1 pound of fat per week. This is not hard to do; it means working out about 45 minutes 5 times a week which is not impossible to do. Especially if you cut those minutes into 2 workouts.

Tip # 9: Don't drink your calories.

If you're a coffee drinker, a chocolate milk drinker, a coke addict, today is the day to give that up. I know it will be hard, but there are better substitutions out there. They're called drink mixes, and they come in every flavor. All you have to do is get a pack of bottled waters or your favorite water bottle and throw a zero calorie packet in there and viola! You'll have your favorite flavor of drink without any of the calories or guilt. I like to carry these in my purse for when I go out to restaurants or when I visit friends and family.

Tip # 10: Get good sleep.

If you're not sleeping from 6-8 hours a day, I bet you're probably spending more time throughout the rest of the 24 hours putting stuff into your mouth. Think of sleeping as calorie burning, since that's something it does do. Turn off all things electronic, and make your bed a comfy place that puts you to sleep. The more sleep you have, the more energy you'll have to burn extra calories.