How many times have you resolved to lose weight, only to put it off because it seems like too difficult of a goal? You’re not alone. Weight loss, if done in a healthy manner, is far easier and long-lasting than many people realize. Interested in finding out more? Read on!

To help you lose weight, add walking into your day. Do you have children you pick up from school? Simply park a few blocks away instead of picking them up at the front door of the school. Do you commute to work by car? Park as far away as possible from your work and walk the rest of the way. Do you catch the bus to work? Pick a bus stop that is a block or two farther away from your home. Invest a little time and a few dollars for good walking shoes and walk those pounds away by adding additional walking time into your day.

Every successful diet should allow for an occasional reward for the effort you put into your diet. Go shopping, see a movie or get a massage to relax. You could even purchase a new outfit in a size that you couldn’t fit into before, and makes you feel great.

Switch to ground turkey in place of ground hamburger when losing weight. Ground turkey can be seasoned to taste and substituted for hamburger in tacos, patties, casseroles, meatballs, chili and many more dishes. Ground turkey has less fat, great taste and is a perfect substitution for ground hamburger.

To get to your optimal weight, you need to get on a workout schedule. In order to do this, you must plan what muscle groups you will be working out each day. You should target maybe two or three muscle groups, tops and allow about three days rest before working those groups again.

If you are trying to lose weight you need to distinguish between eating when you are hungry and eating when you are tired and emotional. If you feel hungry, even though lunch was an hour ago, consider if there might be another cause. Did your boss just yell at you, or did someone hurt your feelings? If it turns out you are not actually hungry you should write down why you are feeling the way you do and how food won’t help. Then try to relax and do something pleasurable besides eating.

When getting advice from anyone on the topic of weight loss and exercise, you should take a good look at them. If they are overweight, then maybe you should consider getting advice from someone else. You should consult someone you know has experience in losing weight to get the best tips.

Before you eat all of your meals you should drink a glass or two of water. This will help you to meet your daily requirement of eight glasses of water per day, and it will also make you feel fuller so you will eat a much smaller food portion.

Here’s a famous celebrity tip: if you start getting snack cravings, brush your teeth. The mint flavor of toothpaste reminds your brain (and your stomach!) that it is not time to eat yet, which will cut back impulse snacking. Plus, there are extra benefits: you will have minty-fresh breath and will be less likely to get cavities.

While you are trying to lose weight you should get into the habit of chewing your food well. Food should be in a liquid or near liquid state when you swallow it. Not only will this help you feel satisfied, but it allows your body to digest the food easily.

If you are trying to lose weight, avoid food with MSG. MSG is most common in Asian food and canned soup. Look for restaurants that say “No MSG” on the menu or for soups that have “No MSG” on their label. This ingredient deters your brain from sending a “full” signal to your stomach and can cause you to eat more than you originally intended to.

Many people drink a glass of juice each day with breakfast, You see this on almost every television commercial, and it seems like a healthy choice. If you switch your juice for a tall glass of skim milk, you will find that you will eat fewer calories throughout the day.

To reduce the temptation of eating junk food from a vending machine, try packing yourself a snack the night before. Take an apple, banana or other piece of fruit with you to work. Yogurt also makes a convenient and portable snack. If you have food on hand, you’re less likely to waste money on junk.

Don’t take our word for it, though – try some of these tips out for yourself! Many people are unaware that weight loss can be achieved with far less work than one might think. So give it a try. And before you know it, you could be coming up with some tips of your own!