How to Lose 20 Pounds in Only 4 Weeks - And Keep it Off Forever

In order to lose weight it's important to understand your relationship with food and to develop measures to counteract the "negative" tendencies you have towards your eating habits.

3 reasons people eat even when they are not hungry:

Comfort: You might use food as a means of soothing yourself when you are feeling lonely, sad or stressed.

Guilt: The media or your friends or family may make you feel guilty about eating certain foods. Even if you avoid those foods in public, you might indulge in private.

Boredom: When faced with a boring task or long hours of empty time, you might feel tempted to break up the monotony by having a snack.

7 Tips for controlling your eating:

1. Shop Smart: Make a grocery list before you go shopping and don't buy anything that isn't on your list. Having a list will help you ignore the tempting goodies that will interfere with your weight loss plan. Never go shopping when you're hungry.

2. Decrease Portions: If you control the portion size of the foods you bring home, you're less likely to pig out. For instance, you could buy small containers of ice-cream rather than gallons, and single-serving bags of chips rather
than the family sized.

3. Plan: Plan your meals and snacks through the day rather than just eating when the mood strikes you. This will help you avoid unconscious eating.

4. Don't Skip: Don't skip meals. If you wait until you're famished to eat, you'll probably overeat. Instead, eat three reasonably sized meals and one or two snacks a day.

5. Add Variety: Eat several different foods at each meal and snack, rather than a lot of one food. Instead of a big bowl of cereal, for example, mix a smaller amount of cereal with fresh fruit. Variety will help keep you interested in
the food you're eating and also help you get all the nutrients you need.

6. Use A Plate: Don't eat directly from the bag, box or carton. Always put your food in a bowl or on a plate. This will keep you aware of the size of the portions you're eating.

7. Eat Slowly: It takes your body up to 20 minutes to realize that it's full. If you eat quickly, you may end up overeating, since you'll think that you're still hungry.

These tips will set you well on your way to losing the weight you have been wanting to for so long. For more information, visit Understanding Diets and begin your journey to losing 20 pounds in 4 weeks and keeping it off!