The Best Way to Lose Weight

Everyone wants to know the best way to lose weight. And just as many people swear they have the answer, if you’ll only pay them for the secret. But the best way to lose weight may not be so hard to find, if you pay attention.

The best way to lose weight is to eat consciously

The first requirement to losing weight is to be aware of what you put in your mouth. The Buddhists talk of a realm called “Hungry Ghosts”, who have huge stomachs and small, tiny, throats, so they must keep eating and eating to fill up. Many of us eat like hungry ghosts. Picture yourself with a bag of salted chips. One after another after another goes in your mouth, and before you know it, the bag is empty. What happened? You basically went unconscious as you were eating. The moment you become aware of what you are doing, it is much easier to restrain the eating habits. Being conscious is not just about eating snacks, but also about how you eat your meals.

Know when you are full

Once you are conscious about eating, you can then move to the next step, which is to know when you are full. We often eat and eat, but the truth is that the signal that we are full doesn’t come if you don’t pause for a few minutes. Before finishing everything that is in front of you, or before taking a second helping, stop eating for three to five minutes. You will be amazed that you discover you’ve had enough to eat. We can easily eat past that signal, and as a result, eat more than our body needs.

Drink more water

There is not a shred of doubt that if you drank eight glasses of water a day, especially one prior to (not with) meals, you would lose some weight. We actually need water, and often we are eating food just to get the hydrating water out of it. Did you know that sometimes when you think you are hungry, you are actually thirsty? Try drinking a glass of water when the mind says “I’m hungry”. You discover that with the glass of water, the hunger pangs subside.

Use a smaller plate

This is a well-known dieting trick that actually works. If you take a smaller plate, and fill it up, you feel more satisfied than if you take a large plate and skimp on the portions. Somehow our mind feels deprived when we see a plate that is not totally full. But in reality we don’t need as much food as we often pile on our large plate. We pile it on because it makes us think we are being nourished. Use a small plate and watch your waistline shrink.

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise

The best way to lose weight is to increase the rate at which you burn off calories. The form of exercise is not as important as the fact that you do it. Walking is great exercise. A brisk 20 minute walk each day will help you lose weight, and feel fit.

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