How to lose weight?

Do you know how to lose weight?

Most people do, but when it comes to actually doing it, not many succeed despite all the knowledge.

Let's start with the basics. We'll share some useful tips to help you with your weight loss.

The concept is simple - you need to expend more energy than you consume and watch what you are eating.

Here is an example.

Calories Eaten	Calories used	Result
2000	1500	Gain weight
1500	1500	Maintain weight
1000	1500	Lose weight

There's nothing more to it. Eat less, expend more and you will lose weight.

You can find a fantastic diet guide on our website http://www.nscclinics.co.uk, which will give you plenty of advice and tips about weight loss, nutrition and recipes.

You may ask - if it is that simple, then why do we have so many books written about dieting and losing weight or why do we have so many health and nutrition clubs and yet  there are still thousands of people overweight?

What do I need to do to lose weight?

You need to change your Lifestyle.

Fad Diets, quick fixes, 'miracle aids' may give you a short-term weight loss, but they won't help you to lose weight and stay that way.

What you really need is to change is your lifestyle!

Instead of 'dieting' change your eating habits. It's not just for a week or two, it's a lifetime commitment. The good news is, once you've changed, you will enjoy healthy eating and exercising, you will never look back. Shift from having to do things to wanting to do them - put yourself on track for long-term success and weight maintenance.

Take before and after pictures.

It is difficult to look at the 'before' photos, but you will really see the results and it will motivate you. Don't be afraid to share. The slimmer you will get, the more confident you will become to share your latest 'after' photos.

Read Labels!

It takes time and effort and a lot of concentration, but nobody will do it for you! You must know what you eat. Be very careful with ingredients and calories intake. Calorie counting is really important. Make sure you understand how to count calories.

Find your exercise.

No two exercises are the same. Try to find the one that you really enjoy and you will find it easy to keep doing it. It shouldn't take all your willpower to put your trainers on and then 10 min into jogging to lose it completely and give up forever.

If you love swimming, find a local swimming pool. If you love games try tennis or squash. If you always wanted to dance, join an aerobics class.

Set realistic goals

 

You should remember - there's no quick fixes, so don't have unrealistic hopes. It takes time, but it will last. If you set very high goals and never reach them, you may get de-motivated. Motivation is a large part of success, so set realistic goals that you can reach, but not too low either as you will feel like a cheat. Step by step you will achieve your 'big targets'. But do it in small steps.

Watch your weight.

Find a pattern which suits you: you can either weigh yourself once a week or watch your changes daily, whichever you are comfortable with but do it regularly to monitor the changes to be able to adapt routines if necessary.

Set your priorities:

Is it more important to add that spoon of mayo, which will moderately change the taste of your food or is your goal of losing weight, feeling and looking great more important? This is a choice you'll have to make every day, so you're better of setting your priorities right in the beginning.

Drink lots of water

We often confuse thirst with hunger, leading to loading our bodies with unnecessary calories, when what we really need is a glass of cold water. If you prefer, you can add some lemon slices to a jug of water for extra flavour, or to drink tea with fruit flavour but no sugar. It is a simple and healthy trick that will help you a lot in your weight loss efforts.

Enjoy your favourite foods

Do not remove your favourite foods completely. You shouldn't feel that you are 'not allowed' to eat foods that you like. Just be sure to buy them in small amounts and eat them less often.