Health and Weight Loss Articles
6 Essential Guidelines for Losing Weight and Eating Healthy
20/04/2013

Many people believe that the secret to losing weight is to simply reduce fat in their diet. The logic is that eating too much fat is what makes you put on weight. While there is some truth to this line of thought, the most efficient methods of losing weight involve much more than this. Here are 6 highly important guidelines that you can follow to make your weight loss goals come true in no time at all.

Focus on Calories

Instead of focusing on fat intake, you should be looking at the number of calories you are consuming. The amount of calories/energy provided by a food product should be displayed in the nutritional values section. Determine the amount of calories you consume on an average day. To lose weight, you will need to be consuming at least 500 calories less than this.

Eat a Balanced Diet

You should always eat a diet that is varied and contains a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. This will help keep your body healthy and allow you to lose weight faster. A balanced diet also helps prevent you from getting bored with the food you are eating and becoming tempted by the more unhealthy choices.

Cut Out Soft Drink/Soda

Soft drinks contain a significant amount of calories and provide no nutritional value. They are often referred to as "empty calories". In fact, a single 355ml can often contains around 150 calories. When you're drinking 2-3 cans a day this adds up fast. If you're drinking 3+ cans a day then you'll be able to lose weight just by removing soft drink from your diet.

Avoid Fast Food

Fast food almost always contains huge amounts of calories and fat. As an alternative, try learning to make healthy meals for yourself. This can be done rather cheaply, although if you are willing to spend a little extra you'll be able to make restaurant quality meals in no time. Cooking is something anyone can learn and it really isn't that difficult.

Make Sure You're Not Eating Too Many Carbs

Carbohydrates are essential to your body, just like fat and protein. However, consuming too many of them is never a good thing and will make you put on extra fat. Try and balance the amount of carbs, protein and fat in your diet. A good ratio is 30% carbs, 30% fat and 40% protein.

Keep Track of Your Progress

Try to weigh yourself every week and record the results. Taking a picture of yourself regularly can also help you notice progress. Doing this will keep you motivated and focused on your weight loss goals. We recommend you use our Body Fat Percentage Calculator to assist you with this.