Title: How to Lose Those Menacing Pounds Word Count: 1316 Summary: Here are some ways to help you drop pounds. Keywords: weight loss, beauty, health Article Body: Everyone wants to look great during the holidays. It’s the time they see their family and friends. For some people, that’s means to drop a few pounds. Many of us want to lose weight. The equation of losing weight is simple; take in fewer calories than you burn. But we all know it isn’t that easy. Our bodies aren’t math problems. We are very complex organisms. Each one of our bodies differs in some way. You can’t exactly pin point a diet to work for everyone, but here are some tips on helping you lose a few pounds. You can use these tips just for the basis of the holidays or you can use them all year around. 1. Put the kettle on Green tea is a great way to lose weight. It also is very healthy for your body. 2. Drink water Water is one of the main elements of your body. You need it. Drinking water helps regulate your body system. Besides being healthy, water makes you feel fuller. Everyday, you should drink half of your body weight in ounces. For example if you weigh 180 pounds, you should drink 90 ounces of water. Don’t try to drink this all at once; spread it throughout the day. 3. Stop drinking sodas Sodas are no nos. Sodas dries your body out. “There are approximately nine packets of sugar and close to one hundred and fifty calories in one twelve-ounce can of soda or juice,” says Netty Levine, M.S., R.D., a registered dietitian at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. They just aren’t healthy. 4. Eat healthy Start eating healthy. So many of us exercise and look over the simple fact that we do not eat healthy. Eating healthy can improve your look as well as your attitude. Some ways to eat healthy are to: · Eat food rich in monosaturated fats · Eat a fiber-based breakfast. Fiber helps you stay full longer. · Place protein in your meals. Protein also makes you stay full longer · Eat more vegetables. Vegetables balance your meal out. They also contain fewer calories as other foods. · Keep track of calorie intake. Calories turn into fat. · Throw the chips away. “Junk food” isn’t good for the body. They usually contain lots of saturated fat, which is not good unless it is polysaturated or monosaturated. Most of these foods are also high in sodium; this causes the body to become bloated. · Eliminated red meat. Its not healthy. · Eat soup, salad, and fruit. You just can’t go wrong with these types of food. They are low in calories and fat. · Cut out fried foods. Fried foods taste good, but it isn’t the best for our bodies. The oil causes our bodies to become slightly sluggish. Over time it can even start to clog your arteries. 5. Enjoy your meals So many of us rush. We have to make a deadline, so we rush. We have to run some errands, so we rush. Don’t rush your meal. If you rush your meal, you won’t feel hungry when you are done. You will eat more and more because you feel that you aren’t satisfied. Take the time to savor your food; you will fill full faster. 6. Stop dining out. COOK! When cooking foods you can control your calorie intake. You also tend to eat more healthy food; your food tends to have less fats. 7. Do not eat late! Most people are more active earlier in the day. Eating late, one tends to lie down, sit down, or even go to sleep. If one is not active after they eat then the calories from the food turns into fat. 8. Don’t try to starve yourself Starving yourself is not healthy. All it does is break down your body. Most people should eat at least 1200 calories a day. When you starve yourself your body thinks that you are going through starvation periods. Because of this your metabolism is slowed to a crawl. Even if you lose weight, once you begin to eat once again you will gain it all back and more. 9. No emotional eating! One of the worse things you can do is eat when you are emotional. We all are emotional at times. Eating when you are emotional might calm you down, but it also might place a tire around your waist or hips. Instead try using another outlet when you are emotional. Try running, aerobics, pilates, or yoga. If you don’t want to get physical during that time, try writing poems. If none of those works for you, there are many other things you can try. Listen to calming music, or just write your feelings down. Whatever you do; don’t pick up the dinnerware. 10. EXERCISE! Exercise is one of the best ways to lose weight. Even though your weight won’t come off immediately, your weight will stay off if you keep a healthy routine. Many people see exercising as a rigorous activity; it doesn’t have to be one. Besides the aerobics, the sports, and the running, you can try yoga or pilates. You don’t even have to do that. You can use the stairs instead of an elevator. You can park your car at the back of a store lot. You can even sign up for a dance class. You’ll get two in one; a fit body and some new dance moves. If you like to shop, go to the mall. You’ll walk a lot while carrying bags. Take a stroll after dinner. All of these are workouts that can help you drop some pounds. 11. Prioritize your workouts Exercising doesn’t work unless you keep with it. Quitting exercising after two-weeks won’t help you. 12. Inches not pounds Don’t worry if you step on the scale and you don’t look lighter. It’s not about the pounds; it’s about the inches. You should also keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat. 13. Say no to negative Have courage in losing weight. Thinking that you will never lose weight will only discourage you. You will never get anywhere with a bad attitude. 14. Hide the scale Looking at the scale will make you feel that you haven’t loss anything. It also makes us rush our weight loss. Looking at the scales is a quick way to gain discouragement. 15. Avoid fad diets Do not use fad diets. Fad diets will only cause you to lose weight temporarily. As soon as you decide you want to get off the diet, you will gain all the weight back. If you want long-term weight loss, stay away from the fad diets. 16. Don’t just think about it. Do it! Thinking about what you are going to do to lose weight will not help you. You have to get up and do it. If you remain thinking about weight loss, it will remain at just that, a thought.