Weight Loss Secrets Proven to Help You Slim Down

If you're like the millions of Americans trying to lose weight, you won't want to miss out on this article. There are a few secret weight loss tips that are proven to help you lose weight and get into shape. Adding these weight loss secrets into your daily routine will help the weight come off and stay off. Whether your goal is to lose a lot weight, or just a few pounds, you should be able to find something in this article to aid in the journey.

Weight Loss secret # 1 - Keep a Food Journal (and be accountable for it)

Mindless snacking is a big weight loss killer. I am the queen of mindless snacking, I do it all the time. As a matter of fact, I can eat healthy all day, and blow it completely by indulging in a forbidden late night snack. Now, keeping a food journal will not melt your weight off, but it does aid in losing weight significantly. Sometimes you don't realize how much food you have actually consumed in a day, or how many calories. Many over weight Americans think that they are eating with in their daily recommended caloric intake, only to find out they are way about the 2,000 calorie mark. Studies actually show that keeping a food journal makes you more aware of where you stand with food. It also helps if you have an "accountability partner" to share the journal with. Your accountability partner can be someone who is also trying to lose weight or a spouse. make sure to choose someone who will always be there for you with positive reinforcement; someone who will lash back and say "no wonder why you didn't lose wight this week!" probably isn't the best partner. having an accountability partner to reviews your food journal, may make you take a second thought before grabbing that donut, or second slice of pizza. As long as you are honest with it, having a food journal is a great secret to losing weight and keeping it off!

Weight Loss Secret # 2 - Weigh Yourself Weekly

It is very important that you know how much you weigh. I know some of us go crazy and weigh ourselves daily, while others avoid a scale and have a number in their head that they think they weigh. Weighing yourself too often is not a good indication of true weight because your weight fluctuations with water retention and even muscle tone/ fat distribution. However, not weighing yourself at all leaves you to believe you are the same weight you were six months ago, only to find out you have gained twelve pounds! The key to weight loss is truly what is called weight management. For someone who is trying to lose weight, it is very important to see your progress weekly. Especially because you may step on the scale and be surprised and motivated. however, when trying to lose wight and you find your scale is constantly giving you the same number, it's an indication you need to tweak your regimen. Which is why weekly weigh ins are a must. If you hit a plateau, you will either modify your regime and continue to lose weight, or give up and end up gaining the weight back. Knowing when you hit a plateau is important to keep you on track. As an added bonus, weighing yourself weekly after you have lost all the weight you intended to, keeps you aware of when those pounds start creeping up. It is a whole lot easier to lose one or two unexpected pounds, than to lose an extra ten, twenty, thirty or more that crept up on you.

Weight Loss Secret # 3 Put a Reward System in Place

For some, the reward system has been dysfunctional. You lost ten pounds and celebrated at the buffet! Food should not be your reward. The reasons for this may seem obvious, but the truth is many of us are still calling it a motivating reward when we know we can splurge because of a recent weight loss success. I am not telling you that you can never eat the foods you crave, as a matter of fact, from time to time it is important to include them in your program. But you need to have a mindset that food is not your reward. So what makes a good reward? Well, how about buying a new outfit when your size changes, saving up for exercise equipment? Even if your finances are limited, you can still treat your self to things that make you feel good inside. Maybe just buying a new nail polish color or body spray or buying a book to motivate you. Whatever will make you recognize how good you are doing, do it! For some it may be a trip to the salon or spa for a massage, others it may be much simpler - do what works, but make sure you do it. As a good rule of thumb, you should be rewarding yourself for meeting both short and long term goals.

So now that you have these weigh loss secrets, put them to work for you. They may not seem like it in black and white - but these weight loss secrets are powerful when applied to a healthy eating and exercise program!