Ten Small Changes You Can Make to Lose Weight

There are hundreds and thousands of weigh-loss solutions on the market. Different diets and pills and drinks flood the market, all promising to help the weight melt off. I do not know anyone who has had weight melt off. It takes determination, an effective plan, and time.

If you speak with people who have successfully lost weight and kept it off, you will find that they have had a shift in lifestyle from when they were overweight. But, making a drastic change in one's diet will be difficult to maintain even if weight loss is successful. Personally, I have found that several small changes throughout the day can lead to a sizable calorie reduction and add up to a lot of weight lost in the long term.

We have all heard about people that can lose 10 pounds over the course of a year simply by eliminating soft drinks (or about 120 calories) from their diets. These tips are along that line: small changes. And the best part, they do not require you to eat anything different that what you already enjoy eating.

1-- First, and perhaps most effectively, make small eliminations and substitutions in your diet. For instance, order your sandwich with no cheese and/or mustard rather than mayo. Skip a sugar in your coffee. Eliminating 20-30 calories here and there can add up by the end of the day.

2-Take a fiber supplement (such as Metamucil) 15 minutes or so before dinner. It will make you feel fuller.

3- When you receive your meal at a restaurant, immediately request a to-go container and put half your meal inside it. Or better yet, save some money and share your meal with a friend.

4- Eat slowly and drink plenty of water with your meal. There is generally a lag time between your stomach becoming full and your brain receiving that signal. Water will help fill your stomach and make you feel fuller.

5- Use smaller plates at dinnertime so it appears as if you have more food and you will not be able to fit as much on your plate. This will also trick your mind into thinking that you are eating more than you are.

6- If you have a craving for something, wait 20 minutes before acting on it. It will likely pass.

7- Chew sugarless gum to curb a craving for sweets.

8-Avoid drinking alcohol around mealtime, as it can make you eat more than you normally would. Additionally, because alcohol is highly caloric, avoiding is as much as possible can add up to even more weight loss.

9-Brush your teeth immediately after dinner. That can serve as a signal that you are finished eating for the day.

10-Make a conscious effort to include just a little extra activity in each day, whether this means parking a bit farther away from the grocery store or adding ten minutes onto your treadmill workout. Burning and extra 20-30 calories here and there will add up at the end of the day.

This is not a diet, per se, but a small, completely do-able shift in the way you eat the foods you already enjoy. The weight loss you will incur from the small, simple changes I have suggested will certainly help you lose weight over the long haul. Good luck!