12 Weight loss Tips for 2012

With the start of 2012, it can feel like your diet is already a lost cause. With all the gatherings and family events over Christmas and new year, sometimes it becomes impossible to turn down food and drinks without feeling like you’re missing out on all the fun. Studies have even shown that the average person gains at least 4 pounds at this time of year! That might not appear to be much, but the less significant weight gain you experience has been shown to stick around until the next holiday season. Thankfully, it’s not very difficult to shed the extra Christmas weight gain with the right weight loss tips.

If your diet has already been part of a comprehensive lifestyle change it will be especially simple to add a few extra weight loss tips to your normal routine to keep yourself healthy and happy. If you don’t yet have a healthy lifestyle plan in place, the start of a new year can actually be a great opportunity to put one in place and get a head start on getting that bikini body for this year! Remember, the goal should be NOT be to starve yourself or deprive yourself of the food in order to get to a healthy weight. What 2012 should be about is taking on board weight loss tips and making small but effective changes to your life style to aid weight reduction and loss the unwanted fat!

It is definitely easier to prevent the pounds from making themselves at home on your body than to fight to stick to New Year’s resolutions and struggle to lose weight throughout the year. Simple usually equals effective when it comes to weight loss tips, so let’s take a look at some easy things you can do to keep the pounds from creeping up on you.

Weight loss Tips for 2012

1. Weight loss tip – Eat normally during the day. A common “trick” people use to minimize on calories consumed is to starve themselves during the day. If you’ve already been on a diet, you should know by now that this doesn’t work and usually actually leads to eating more later on. This is because your body feels the need to compensate for the lack of food earlier in the day, making you more likely to binge on all the foods and drinks that are extra bad for you all night.
2. Weight loss tip – Eat a small, healthy meal before attending a party or event. If you’re going to a more formal sit-down kind of event this might not be an option, but if the party is going to have buffet-style food this can help quell your appetite so you don’t eat too much when you’re there. Try to have something protein and vegetable-rich, and drink lots of water before arriving.
3. Weight loss tip – Don’t wear elastic or loose clothing. This might seen counter-intuitive, but if you wear those stretchy waist-band pants you’re not going to realize until the next day that your midsection has pushed out considerably during the night! Don’t wear something constrictive and uncomfortable, but make sure that your clothing will alert you if you start to overdo it.
4. Weight loss tip – Have a diet buddy. While you probably shouldn’t alert everyone at a restaurant that you’re watching what you eat, if you have a close friend who is also attending you can support each other in your healthy choices all night. Having a friend in the know about weight loss tips with you can help you feel less alone and keep you both accountable.
5. Weight loss tip – Take your time. When you rush food and eat to quickly, you carry on eating long after you are actually full. It can take upto 20 mins from the time you finish eating for your stomach to let your brain know that you aren’t hungary any more. Therefore in stead of scoffing like a hungary hippo you should try and nibble like a no-so hungary (slimmer) hippo! You probably already know this, but you shouldn’t feel guilty if you leave food on your plate.
6. Weight loss tip – Don’t eat it if you don’t love it. This could be one of the single biggest things to keep in mind during the holidays. There are so many delicious special options for you to eat, so stick to those and avoid the things that you are able to have access to all year round. This will make the experience that much more special, and you’ll avoid needless calories.
7. Weight loss tip – Smaller portions. If you can, try to choose smaller plates and glasses for yourself. You’ll actually feel like you have more food if you have a small plate filled with treats as opposed to a large plate. You’ll feel as though you’ve had more to eat and avoid over-eating
8. Weight loss tip – Chew gum. If you don’t trust your self-control, arrive at the party chewing gum and keep a pack on you for when the flavor runs out and the smell of the food is tempting you. This might seem like a silly tip, but you’d be surprised at how well it works
9. Weight loss tip – Cut down alcohol intake. More so than food, alcohol is usually the culprit when it comes to tracing the source of those extra pounds put on during holidays or parties. Most people don’t realize that just that one glass of wine can equal a plate full of food in terms of calories! A good way to cut down on your alcohol intake (as well as avoid any nasty hangovers) and food intake is to drink lots of water. Have a glassful before leaving for the party, and then once you’re there try to alternative your alcoholic drinks with water or at least non-alcoholic drinks. Just be mindful of the sugar content in a lot of other drink options that will be there.
10. Weight loss tip – Maintain your exercise program. Just like you should try to eat normally during the holiday season, despite how busy you feel this year try to keep up the exercise. Increase it if you can! Besides burning those calories and helping you stay trim, exercise will decrease your appetite and help you sleep better. Since we’re all getting another year older this year, regular exercise can be a great way to keep yourself feeling and looking younger.
11. Weight loss tip – Forgive yourself. Even if you end up overeating at paries, holidays or BBQs, then don’t give up on your attempts and just keep eating as though everything wasn’t destroyed the one night you ate one too many burgers. It’s been proven that people who are on a diet overeat way more if they think that they’ve already “messed up” and gone over their daily caloric intake goal. Go easy on yourself, let yourself indulge a little if that’s what ends up happening, and get right back on track the next day. It’s okay.
12. Weight loss tip - Have fun! At the end of the day, life is for living. While it’s important to take care of yourself, don’t let maintaining a diet ruin your chance to have a great time and make some new memories with friends and family. Life is not all about fitting into that little dress, so get out there and enjoy yourself!

Other Weight loss Tips for 2012

Even if you only apply one or two of the above weight loss tips, you should be giving yourself an advantage in keeping control of your diet on 2012. It’s the year of sport this year too, with the London 2012 Olympics and Euro 2012 football tournament this summer, so why not try taking up a new sport this year as weight loss and exercise compliment each other so incredibly well.