Several years ago I was looking for a “non diet” solution to take off the extra weight I invariably gain over the holidays.   Then I read this tip – by cutting the sugar by half in my morning tea I could lose 5 plus pounds in a year.   It was simple, effortless and it worked.   Since then I’ve looked for stress free weight loss tips when I need to take off a few extra pounds.   Below are a few of my favorites:

 

 

8 Quick Tips to Jump Start Your Weight Loss: (1) Drink a glass of water when you feel hungry.   Wait 10 minutes.   Your body may be signaling thirst – not hunger.   (2) Eliminate all sodas and alcohol for a month.   (3) Get in the habit of eating meals on dessert plates for portion control.   (4) Eat most of your calories at breakfast and lunch when you are most active. (5) Don’t eat anything after 8:00 pm, or at least two hours before bedtime.   (6) Brush and floss your teeth after eating to discourage nibbling. (7) Eat sweets late in the day.   Sugar is an appetite stimulate so save the sweet treats for later in the day.   (8) Can’t fit the daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables into your day? Juice them.

 

Control Your Appetiteby including at least one low Glycemic Index (GI) food with each meal or snack.   Eat a salad at the start of every meal and fruit at the end. Watch the weight come off.   Among its other benefits, low GI foods curb the appetite and reduce cravings.   And there is a wide variety of delicious and nutritious foods to choose from. Even ice cream and chocolate!

 

Boost Your Metabolism with interval training. Alternating high intensity with low intensity exercises throughout a twenty minute workout will boost your metabolism long after the training session is completed.   Don’t go to the gym? Take a walk thirty minutes after eating. Get a pedometer to track your progress.   One hour of walking equals 150-200 calories burned.   Make exercise fun.   Dance, bike, jump rope, learn martial arts, try belly dancing. (Zumba anyone?) You get the picture.

 

 

Reduce Your Stress:   Stress and weight gain seem to go together. Learn relaxation, visualization, deep breathing or self-hypnosis techniques to get through the tough times.   Try this two minute stress relief technique: Choose a relaxing color, word or phrase.   Touch thumb to first finger to form a circle (“I’m okay” sign). Softly close your eyes and focus your attention inside. Inhale slowly, exhale twice as long.   Say, see or hear your favorite color, word or phrase.   Repeat four times beginning with the slow inhalation. Allow yourself to let go now.   Enjoy the sense of calm.

 

 

One Final Tip: Use simple techniques that you can incorporate into your every day schedule. Make those you can live with a part of your life.   After all, maintaining your ideal weight should be “stress free”.