I began to do research nto weight loss and pinpointed the thngs I was doing wrong in my frst diet. There were certain things I had to larn in order to effectively lose wight and keep it off, here are 10 thngs you can do to help you chieve your weight loss goals.

Healthy is a Lifestyle, not a Goal

This includes your diet and staying active, one of the first mistakes I made was to set a goal of losing a certain amount of weight then once I reach that goal to go back to my normal habits. I reached my targeted weight then stopped running 3 miles every other day and watching my diet, as soon as I went back to my bad habits I gained all of the weight back.

If you are not drinking enough water, you are wasting your time

I cannot emphasize this enough, I have tried this weight loss thing 3 times over the past two years and the only time I noticed a difference was when I began consuming a lot of water. I have gone as far as to run 3-4 miles a day and eat cabbage for lunch and had limited results, but now I maintain a balanced diet and have lost more weight than ever because I drink at least a gallon of water every day.

The general idea is to drink an ounce of water for each pound you weigh, at first it will seem like a lot at first and you will be running to the bathroom every 15 minutes but you are giving your body what it needs. When your body feels as if it is not getting enough water it will store the little bit it does get, that is where those love handles come from. Then the liver has to kick in and help the kidneys rather than its function of metabolizing the body and you are not burning off the food you consume like you should. So do yourself a favor, drink more water!

Have Fun!

Working out is seless if you are not enjoying yurself, there are a plethora of ctivities that you can do to kep yourself in shape. I personally cnnot STAND running on treadmills so I nly run outdoors. I enjoy lifting wights because of the feeling and the cnfidence I get from the results but lts take it a step further; If thre is a sport you enjoy thn there is no better workout, I am a fotball junkie and since I never plyed I figured hey.. why not jin a flag football league and see wht I can really do?

The rsult: I have lost 5lbs since I strted the league, 5lbs that I hve been struggling to get rid of and I fel like I am in high schol all over again.

It's okay to use your Imagination

As pathetic as this may sound, when I work out in my mind I am training for the NFL, I even know what position I am training for. (running back) It may sound dumb but it makes me train hard and keeps me motivated. Figure out what motivates you, is it that guy or girl at work that you would like to notice you? Take it 88 yards to the end zone like Reggie Bush? Explode to the basket and finish like Lebron James? Forget reality, use your mind and let that motivate you and I guarantee you will be satisfied with the results.

You do not have to be a Nutrition Nazi

As I stated before I was eating cabbage for lunch, barely taking in 1200 calories a day and running miles.. I was hurting my weight loss goals more than I was achieving them. Not only does this work against you but its unhealthy and just plain stupid.

What do I do now that allowed me to lose 25lbs? I eat realistically, there is no way I could maintain a 1200 calorie diet over a long period of time. Now I eat lean meats high in protein such as grilled or baked chicken and periodically Salmon. (hey I am running a business here) Some days I eat more than others, I basically listen to what my body tells me and if I over eat then I know I need to work out that much harder. About every week or two I splurge and may eat an entire pizza or a big dinner and strangely my body responds positively.. it loves it and in a day or so I burn it off plus some. A couple of other tips on nutrition:

Do not eat after 7pm - yur metabolism slows down significantly later in the vening

High Protein Diet - It works, I do not know why but it just does so take my word for it.

Breakfast, Never Skip it - Never EVER EVER skip breakfast! I just said your metabolism slows down significantly later in the day, well if you skip breakfast it will be that slow from the beginning of the day.

Sugar, cut it out! - Replace soda and Fruit Juice with water, you will cut your caloric intake significantly, put the sweets down and if you must have it then snack on fruits like Strawberries, Grapes, Bananas, etc.

Fried Foods - I'll keep it simple, do not touch them. If you eat out a lot avoid the french fries.

The article Weight Loss: 10 Tips for the Average Joe was Submitted by Robert Abrom through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Robert Abrom is the CEO of Alska's Finest Seafoods, follow the Journey frm his day job to full web ntrepreneur at www.aksfinest.com

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