Diet Success Advice

If dieting was easy, we would all be skinny. Since we are not, here are some tips that successful people use for weight loss so that others can profit, too.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 1 :  Consume 8-10 eight ounce glasses of water per day

Okay, for a number of people this is a big difficulty. Water doesn't taste all that excellent generally because water doesn't really taste like anything. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water every day gets easier the more you actually do it. It is just a matter of conditioning your taste buds, and yourself, so that it becomes less difficult to do. Once you begin, you will begin to crave water.

To begin with, you should drink a glass of water in the morning early, before you have breakfast. This is probably the easiest glass you will drink all day and it will help you remember to drink water all day long. Better yet, why not drink two?

If you really cannot abide the taste of water, try using a water purifying filter. You can also add a few drops of lemon or lime to your water but no sugar or sweetener! Ice sometimes also helps.

Check out flavored waters on the shelf, too. Just keep an eye out for additives.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 2 : EAT BREAKFAST

Do not forget about breakfast. If you need to go to bed a little sooner so that you can get up 25 minutes earlier each morning do it! Breakfast is so important to your good health and to weight control. According to Dr. Barbara Rolls a professor of nutrition at Penn State University, "Your metabolism slows while you sleep, and it doesn't rev back up until you eat again."

Breakfast is not only good for overall weight loss, it will help you stay on track with your diet the rest of the day. You are more likely to binge on something if you skip breakfast.

You can always keep a couple of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge or some high-fiber, low starch fruit around. If you plan to eat fruit at all during the day, breakfast is the perfect time to do it.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 3 : Have 5-6 Small Meals throughout the day

This can be one of the hardest adjustments to make. After all, you are on the go! You already have a full day. When do you have time to concern yourself about filling your plate with more frequent meals?

Just like doing breakfast will augment your metabolism, so will eating more often. This will also help you curb your bad-carb intake by making sure that your healthy snacks are planned and happen regularly throughout the day.

Really, it will just take a minimal expenditure of planning time at the store and at home each morning before you head out for the day to make some nutritious food choices and concoct a few nutritious snacks and meals. For suggestions, just see the handy list of snacks and appetizers listed later.

Tip #4 : AVOID WHITE FOODS

This is one sure way to remember what to avoid eating. If it is made from sugar, flour, potatoes, rice or corn - just say no. Remembering this concept will make it simpler to recognize those rice cakes as an unhealthy high-carb snack.

Always look for colorful fruits and veggies as an alternative for the white ones. Buy broccoli, lettuce, bell peppers, green beans and peas, brown rice in moderation, leafy greens like kale and spinach, apples, melons, oranges and grapes.

These foods are not only colorful they are also high in fiber, nutrients and important antioxidants. Eating colorful fruits and vegetables will give your diet an assortment as well as give you added health benefits.

Tip #5 : Don't forget your vegetables

It is so easy to use a low-carb diet as an justification for poor nutrition. Resist this temptation. If the only vegetable you have consumed in the last 5 years has been the potato, now is a good time to begin experimenting with other vegetables. This is valuable for your overall health and to avoid some nasty side effects of not getting enough fiber in your diet.

If you try hard enough, you will find vegetables that you enjoy eating. Experiment with grilling veggies and cooking with real butter to add flavor. You can also search for new recipes on the net or in cookbooks.

Remember, if you are only eating 40 grams of carbs a day or less, two cups of plain salad greens contain only about 5 grams of carbohydrates. You have no excuse not to eat your veggies.

6. : Cook for Yourself

While more and more restaurants are offering low-carb friendly menu items, many of them are still not ideal low-carb fare. There are many recipes for quick and easy meals that you can fix yourself at home. Try to do this as much as possible.

If you cook your own meals, you know exactly what the contents are and you will be able to better control for hidden sugar and otherwise processed foods.

Another blessing is the cost savings over the long run. Even if you must go to the store more often, you will save a significant amount per meal as opposed to eating at restaurants and fast food establishments.

It will also be easier to maintain your diet with your own favorite fresh food selections on hand.

7. : INVEST IN A GOOD SET OF FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS

Having food storage containers of various sizes on hand will make it so much easier for you to plan your meals and snacks. When you buy nuts, fruits and vegetables in bulk you can easily prepare, separate and store them for easy use later.

For instance, you can pre-slice your apples and snack on them over several days. Simply cut them, rinse them in pineapple or lemon juice and store. This will make a quick and easy snack for later.

Fix your lunch and take it with you to work. Better yet, fix your lunch and 2 snacks for work.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 8 : Try protein for your meals and snacks

In addition to everything that's been discussed before, eating protein helps you burn more calories. Jeff Hample, Ph.D., R.D., a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association says that, "Protein is made up mainly of amino acids, which are harder for your body to breakdown, so you burn more calories ridding your body of them.

Just think eating a protein rich snack can help you lose weight. How about a few slices of turkey or ham?

Eating protein will also help you feel full so that you are less likely to crave unhealthy snacks.

Tip #9 : DRINK A GLASS OF WATER AFTER EACH SNACK

This will help you get in your 8 to 10 glasses of water every day but it can also have other benefits. Ever feel hungry after eating a handful or standard serving of nuts? Try drinking water afterwards. The water will help you feel full and prevent you from overeating.

Drinking water after a snack will also help remove the aftertaste from your mouth and can help curb your desire for more.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 10 : Savor Your Meals, and eat slowly

You will feel full and more satisfied if you take the time to savor your food and chew it slower. Don't get in the habit of eating while standing or eating quickly. Sit down and chew.

Eating slower will help you enjoy your food more, pay attention to what it is you are actually eating and get a better sense of when you are actually full. It takes a little time for your brain to get the message from your stomach that you have had enough.

11. : Eating Your Largest Meals Early in the Day will give you Ample Time to Burn off all Those Calories

You will feel healthier and lose weight quicker if you eat a bigger breakfast and eat a lesser supper. You may also want to eat the greater part of your carbs earlier in the day, and having a salad and lean meat protein for supper.

Eating oversized meals during the part of the day when you are most active will assist you to feel satisfied throughout the day and curb cravings for unwholesome snacks.

Tip #12 : Have Mackrel or Salmon for Breakfast

Yes this may seem different, but it is one way to work in Omega-3 fatty acids that are good for you and add some variety to your daily diet. After some extented time you may grow weary of eating eggs and bacon for breakfast. Substituting fish will give you the protein and healthy fish oils your system requires.

You can try canned salmon or mackerel in croquettes for a healthful sausage substitute. Or you could simply eat cold leftover salmon the next morning with dill sauce.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 13 : USE LETTUCE LEAVES INSTEAD OF BREAD

This tip can seem a bit abnormal at first but if you try it you may just grow to love it. Instead of eating buns and bread with your sandwiches and hamburgers, why not try leaves of lettuce?

You can make a double cheeseburger with onions, pickles and tomato wrapped in a whole lettuce leaf. Or you can make tasty wrap sandwiches with lettuce instead of bread and tortillas.

This will help enhance your good carb and fiber intake while giving you more things to choose from in your diet.

Tip #14 : Try having Fruit for Dessert

Okay, we all want a little dessert sometimes, but how do you have your dessert and your low-carb diet also? How about having cheese with berries or fruit slices? Better yet, why not try cream with berries? You could even try sweet pineapples or strawberries with cottage cheese?

Berries are sweet and loaded with fiber and nutrients and dairy products are high in protein. If your low-carb plan will allow it, this is a sweet and tasty alternative to more sugary desserts.

An added benefit is that the protein in the dairy products and the fiber in the fresh fruit will make these desserts more filling.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 15 : GET YOUR FRUIT FRESH NOT SQUEEZED

Fruit juice can be very tempting as a substitute for pop, but just how healthy is fruit juice? If you read the labels you will soon realize that in many of the commercial juices available at your local grocery store there is only a small amount of fruit juice.

What you will discover is lots of sugar water and other ingredients. Why not cut the juice altogether and eat a fresh piece of fruit? Not only does fresh fruit contain less sugar than juice, fresh fruit has fiber that is good for you and will help you feel fuller longer.

Tip #16 : Use Meal replacements Sparingly

New meal replacement shakes and bars go on the market almost every day. These shakes and bars may claim to be healthful, but almost all of them contain hydrogenated oil and sweeteners.

So be wary. The bars especially may be only slightly healthier than a Snickers candy bar. Occasionally, they might not be that bad for you but as a rule you usally don't want to indulge in a meal replacement shake or bar every day.

17. : Too Good To Be True

Low carb doughnuts and muffins? You can find these prepackaged low-carb labeled goods at your neighborhood grocery store and at various low-carb lifestyle specialty shops. That does not mean that you should habitually eat them.

While low-carb muffins may be tempting, remember that they still contain all of the typical carbohydrate suspects: sugar or a sugar substitute and flour.

They may be healthier than your conventional donut as an unfrequent treat, but remember to stick with the basics for continued low-carb success.

Eighteenth Tip : Shop in the Outer Aisles of your Grocery Store

It will be easier to stick with your low-carb lifestyle if you learn the one common thread in all grocery store designs: the nutritious foods are on the perimeter aisles.

Think about it, when you go into your neighborhood grocery store all of the healthy stuff, fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products are arranged along the outer aisles. You only rarely need to enter the center aisle areas in those few stores that stock butter and cheese in the center near the frozen foods. For the most part all of the foods that you need for your low carb diet can be found on the perimeter of the grocery store.

Train yourself to start on one end of the perimeter aisle and work your way around. It will be much simpler to avoid carb cravings and fill your basket with healthful items if you do so.

Nineteenth Tip : Obtain Good Cookbooks

Can't figure out what to eat? Need some assortment in your diet? Turn to a cookbook. Granted, not all recipes in a cookbook are low-carb fare, but you will be surprised at the number of low-carb and low-carb friendly recipes you can find in your standard Betty Crocker Cookbook.

Cookbooks are great reference tools that often contain clever tips on purchasing cuts of meat and preparing meats, fruits and vegetables in new and exciting ways.

Plus, new low-carb cookbooks are hitting the shelves all the time. So be sure to take advantage of these resources to try something new, different and delicious.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 20 : TAKE A GOOD MULTIVITAMIN

We can't all eat right all of the time. Even the most conscientious food combiner may miss some healthy vitamins, minerals and trace elements in their diets. To help make sure you get everything that your body needs, consider taking a good multivitamin.

Check with your doctor first for recommendations and you should be tested for anemia to see if you need a vitamin with iron. However, the longer you eat low-carb and the more red meat you eat, the less anemia will be a problem and you should be able to take vitamins with less iron.

Your success is entirely up to you. Assuming that you are an otherwise healthful person, your body will do its part. Just remember to stick to the low-carb diet plan that is right for you and add some variety to your meals to help you stay faithful to your health and weight loss goals.

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