Are you interested in losing weight? Whether your goal is to lose twenty pounds or two hundred pounds, you have come to the right place! Research shows that healthy, long-term weight loss simply cannot be achieved by fad diets, quick gimmicks, or unhealthy pills. So how CAN it be achieved?

When you are trying to lose weight, there is one simple fact to keep in mind: to lose weight, calories in must be less than calories out. This means reducing your caloric intake to less than the calories you burn in your daily activities or else, increasing your activity level to more than the calories you eat.

Carbohydrates are often seen as the bad guy of dieting. While too many carbs can pack on the pounds, they are essential in providing energy and stamina for long distance workouts. Try a bowl of your favorite pasta the day before a big run to give you the extra energy you need.

In any weight-loss scheme, the canny dieter will learn to do their own cooking. Turning healthy ingredients into healthy meals is a vital skill for losing weight – and for maintaining a healthy lifestyle after the weight is lost. Even pre-packaged foods that claim to be “healthy”, cannot be nearly as healthy as a well-planned meal made from fresh ingredients.

One helpful tip for weight loss and a healthy diet is to shop the perimeter of the grocery store. Typically, the sides of the grocery store have unprocessed produce and other basics, such as dairy products and meat. One exception might be, if you are shopping for bread, which often is located in the center of the store.

If you wish to lose weight, you should reduce your daily consumption of fates and sugars. A healthy amount of fats and sugars is required, but it is already contained in the food that you should eat. You should stay away from pop and energy drinks, sweets and fast food.

Pay attention to how much you are eating when you are trying to lose weight by never eating food directly from the bag or carton. It is easy to eat more than you planned when you eat directly out of the bag, so put a serving of the snack on a plate or in a bowl.

Those who are focused on achieving weight loss goals should take the time to plan meals and menus in advance whenever possible. This facilitates easier tracking of calories, and helps prevent impulse eating or unexpected splurges. Having an eating strategy in place for each day’s meals provides the stability and routine that many dieters find to be the keys to success.

Some people find that when trying to lose weight, their tape measure is a better ally than the scale. If you’re a woman, measure your waist and hips around the widest part once every week or two as you make progress toward your weight-loss goals. Seeing the inches go down will inspire you to reach your goals.

We hope that, through reading this article, you now have a much clearer idea of the ways in which lasting weight loss occurs. Learning about the basics of healthy, long-term weight loss is one of the most effective steps that you can take towards achieving your weight loss goals.