Have you been waiting for the right time in your life to really buckle down and lose those extra pounds? Well that time is right now! Read on to discover the tips the pros use when they need to lose weight. It’s never been easier- just read and follow these tips to a healthier life!

When eating on a diet, focus on the conscious enjoyment of your food. When you eat mindlessly, it’s easy to lose track of how much you’ve eaten and to quickly forget what you ate. By focusing on what you eat, you are aware of everything that goes into your mouth, you get full faster, and you feel full longer.

To enhance weight loss, chew your food carefully and really savor every bite. This helps your digestion and allows more time for the “fullness” to kick in. Mindful eating gives more satisfaction with less food, and helps eliminate eating due to boredom. A single bite of “forbidden” food does not have many calories, so if you can truly enjoy that one bite without needing to eat the whole thing you will not feel so deprived and you will be able to learn more self-control.

Set realistic goals on your way to your big goal. Slow and steady always wins the race. Set small goals that are easily obtainable. Losing 10 lbs in two weeks isn’t possible without some serious risks to your health. The smaller the goal, the healthier is usually is, and having small successes more frequently is great motivation.

Your phone can be an important tool in your weight loss journey. When you are tempted to eat an unhealthy food, call a friend or family member and chat about anything other than eating. Your desire to snack only lasts a few minutes, so this simple distraction may be all you need to remain on track.

To continue to make your weight loss plan a reality, closely monitor the amount of alcohol that you consume. Alcoholic beverages like apple martinis are extremely high in calories. Save these drinks for special occasions, and if you feel you have to indulge, consider picking up a glass of wine or a can of light beer.

A simple way to stay on task when it comes to weight loss is to have someone promise to do these things with you. Having a friend that is also eating healthier and exercising along with you can motivate you to keep going, even if its under the obligation of your promise. Also, this way, not everyone around you is eating the fatty foods you can barely resist.

Doing aerobic exercises are a great way to burn calories and lose weight. Not only do aerobic exercises such as cycling, running, and stair stepping help you lose weight while you are performing them, they can help burn calories for hours afterwards. Pick an exercise that you enjoy and get started!

When you are aiming to lose weight, put some yogurt into the shopping cart. Pick either plain or low fat yogurts. Plain yogurt works great in a cucumber salad with some salt and pepper. Add some fruits to your yogurt as an alternative to yogurts filled with hidden sugars. Yogurt is delicious and high in calcium. It’s also great for your bones.

In order to achieve a healthy body it is important to eat a balanced diet. This means having the right amount of protein (from 15 to 20 percent), fat (about 30%) and carbohydrates (50 to 55 percent). Another thing to remember is that starving yourself to lose weight is not good as well.

If you are a really big fan of salads that require mayonnaise in them, you should try substituting nonfat or low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt. The salads will taste nearly the same and you will avoid a lot of calories and fat that traditional mayonnaise is full of.

Chew gum to suppress your appetite. The next time you want a snack, just grab a piece of gum. While gum is not filling, the taste and movement of your jaw can trick your body into feeling like it is eating. Make sure the gum you are chewing is sugarless.

Before stepping out to an event or party, always eat your own nice, healthy meal at home so you will not feel hungry and tempted to eat foods that are not on your meal plan. This way you won’t eat too many party foods, which are probably unhealthy. You can also try sipping wine rather than drinking beer or other mixed-drinks.

So, now is the time! Buckle down! These weight loss tips that you just read will work, if you give them a chance! Don’t hesitate- set up a weight loss schedule for yourself now, and start losing weight and feeling great! Shed those pounds and reveal a slimmer, happier you!