Updated Weight Loss Tips

I wrote this several years ago for a friend who was trying to lose weight. This is what I did back in high school for wrestling... If you feel like I left something out and want to add more, let me know by commenting. I have revised this couple of times over the years.

It is really simple, 2 small meals and 2 snacks, plus a protein drink or another small meal. This is for losing weight only, not gaining muscle, etc. When you accomplish your goal, you can go back to a regular diet but continue to exercise everyday that you have set for yourself so you can keep the pounds off and eat healthy as well so you do not pack the pounds back on.

In the mornings, have a small breakfast, cereal or two-three eggs, keep it simple, the portion should not be a lot.

About an hour or two later, have a small snack, it can be an apple, banana, granola bar.

For lunch, I suggest salad, sandwich, etc, something small with a lot of greens and fiber.

About an hour or two later, have another small snack, it can be an apple, banana, granola bar.

You can mix it up, it does not have to be the same thing everyday, and there is plenty of food out there to eat.

For dinner, have a protein shake. No eating after five at all, that is how you gain weight over night because your digestive system rests when you sleep at night. If you do not like the taste of protein shake, you can eat pasta, with Alfredo sauce, pasta sauce; you can add meat (chicken, etc).

What to AVOID, sugary drinks (cola cola, fruit punch, etc) junk food (it is okay to reward yourself once in a while, but no PIGGING OUT) You can have a cheat food once in a while, as long you do not over do it. My cheat food is a small bag of cheetos or a bowl of popcorn with no salt no butter, just parmesan cheese and Tobasco.

What to do ALL day, drink water, if you do not like water, try green tea, that is what I drink everyday, make your own green tea, if you do not like the bland taste, get artificial sweeteners, they do the job than actual sugar which makes it taste weird. Green tea has plenty of antioxidants that help you flush things out of your system.

Chew gum all day that way you will not feel hungry and helps you increase your metabolism at the same time. If you feel like wanting a bite, drink a glass of water, you stomach is trying to trick you into thinking you are hungry when you are only thirsty. I recommend sugar free gum.

A lot of cardio, I recommend a hour a day, three to five times a week, it does not have to be hard, you can go for a brisk walk, about thirty minute to a hour, I recommend walking after breakfast and lunch for ten to fifteen minutes. If you want to make it intense, mix it up, stadium runs, sprints, if you go to a gym, find an aerobics class, if you have a swimming pool, go swim for ten to fifteen minutes a day, if you have a dog, take it out for a walk or a jog. If you take the elevator everyday at school, work, start taking the stairs! If you live near work/school, invest in a bike, it is an investment in your health. If you live near a nature trail, go hiking! There are plenty to do out there. Most importantly get yourself out of the house/apartment/dorm/whatever, you are not going to lose weight by sitting there, the more you are out, the less fat you get. Be PRODUCTIVE! Also, do not weight yourself everyday, it is a long term goal, if you weight everyday and be not satisfied with the results, it will cause you to go off your plan. Weight once a month, it is more ideal that way. Find friends/family that you can workout, run, bike, walk with etc. It is better when you have someone help you push yourself.

There are a lot of gimmicks (water pills, sweat suits, sauna, etc) those are awesome but those are for short term and you will gain the pounds back right away. Think of this as your long term goal with some small goals in between. i.e. I want to walk once a week for a month then twice a week for the next month, build it up. Rome was not built in a day. Do not do too much at once, you will burn yourself and become discouraged to continue.

Discipline yourself to eating right, enough sleep and exercise as well. That is the key to losing weight and maintaining it as well. You got your future to think about, being healthy, being there for your loved ones.

EDIT: Also big emphasis, eat at the table, not in front of TV, not on the road. Prepare the food yourself, not from cans etc. Take each bite and chew it slowly, savor each bite. Eat at the table and focus on only eating, do not watch TV, do not read books/magazine/etc, you'll lose focus of eating and your stomach/mind will not feel the full feeling and make you over eat. When you finish preparing food, load up what you think you can eat on a plate and put the rest away in the fridge. You are what you eat.