Crazy concoctions, weight-loss pills and “lose-weight-fast” products are largely ineffective. In reality, a lot of these products can actually have negative consequences for your weight loss goals.

Try to drink anywhere from 64 to 96 ounces of water a day. It might sound like a lot and, of course, you want to spread the consumption of it out over the day. Drinking water does burn calories though and is a great way to speed up your metabolism.

An effective weight loss tip is to make sure you eat a significant portion of protein, upon waking each morning. Adding protein to your breakfast routine, can substantially boost your metabolism and keep you feeling full until lunchtime. Eggs and Greek yogurt are two easy, popular ways to incorporate protein in your diet, every single day.

Make realistic goals to avoid setting yourself up for failure. One of the things that can sabotage a diet is the thought that you are going to lose all the weight in a short amount of time. It probably took quite some time to put on the weight, and it’s going to take some time to work it off. When people don’t set a goal, they tend to give up and go back to old ways. By setting a achievable goal, you’ll keep yourself encouraged for the long haul.

Everyone gives in to temptation every now and then. One way to limit the amount of damage you can do to your diet when you give in to temptation is to limit the amount of fatty temptations around you. Filling your fridge and pantry with healthier alternatives such as crackers instead of chips, yogurt or fat free pudding instead of ice cream and flavored water instead of soda and you can easily pass on hundreds of calories.

A great way to lose some weight is to watch portion sizes. Typical portion sizes served at restaurants are much larger that most bodies need. We are used to the big sizes and therefore, tend to eat more. When eating out, try to be aware of how much food you really need and only eat that much.

Do not go grocery shopping while hungry to help you lose weight. Eat a quick and healthy snack before you go grocery shopping. It will help curb the temptations of buying fatty snacks or making unhealthy choices while shopping. Groceries often place temping items all around the store and if you are hungry you will be thinking with your stomach, not your brain.

A good way to help you lose weight is to keep a workout log. By recording the amount of sets, reps, and different exercises you do, you’ll be more focused in your fitness goals. Workout logs can also be a great source of motivation when you see you’re making progress.

A great way to help you lose weight is to switch the pasta you’re eating to whole wheat pasta. Pasta can sabotage your diet because it’s tasty and very easy to eat too much. Whole wheat pasta offers much more nutrition and is a great source of carbohydrates.

A practice that will help one lose weight is to replace time spent watching television or movies with time doing physical activities. By exercising in some way as opposed to sitting in a couch or chair will translate into more calories being burned and more healthy activity during time that would have been spent sitting.

Take your time when you sit down to eat. Not only will you eat less because you are eating deliberately, but you will also take in less air, resulting in less gas, overall. Eating slowly can also make eating a more enjoyable experience, since you have more time to taste your meal.

A great weight loss tip to follow is to clearly separate hunger and thirst. Sometimes, you may think you are hungry when you are really just thirsty. Therefore, if you feel hungry, drink a glass of water instead and wait a few minutes or so to see if that was the problem.

When the weather is nice outside, try taking a quick, brisk walk before you eat lunch or dinner. You will benefit by burning a few extra calories, and chances are after some exercise you will be less likely to eat foods that are unhealthy. You will also feel really good, and will have a lower chance of overeating.

Remember that everybody needs to eat! Many weight reduction plans today are drastic and far too limited to provide enough nutrition for health purposes. Avoid fad diets that have you eliminating one or another of the food groups. Be sure to eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats or other protein source and drink an abundance of fresh pure water for optimum nutrition.

To organize your weight loss program, go to the store and purchase a notebook to use as a log. This should include all of the food that you eat during the course of the day and the amount of exercises that you do. Organizing your regime is imperative to maintaining success.

For most dieters, briskly walking can actually be better for you than running, especially if you are more than 50 pounds overweight. When you run as a heavy person, you’re causing your joints damage and can damage your heart. By walking quickly, though, you’re still burning calories while protecting your body.

Non-fat or reduced-fat foods could work for you. When they were first introduced, they lacked the taste and texture of the full fat versions. There have been many advances and now, these foods can compete well with the unhealthy versions. Do not be afraid to try these things. You may end up liking the low-fat or reduced-fat versions better than the unhealthy version.

As you can see, it’s relatively easy to make changes that will benefit you in the long term. If you make your changes gradually, it will be easier to stick to your goals. Working with your body means you can celebrate many small successes and all it takes is a few key adjustments.