Top 7 Effective Tips for Weight Loss

Losing weight is not easy. I know because I used to be overweight. It takes some time for me to shed the excess pounds. Without the motivation and encouragement from family and friends, I'd probably still be overweight by now.

I'd like to give back by sharing these tips that helped me lose weight. But I must warn you that weight loss doesn't happen overnight. It took me almost a year to achieve a healthy weight. So if you don't feel any progress for weeks, just keep going. Your effort will soon pay off.
Here they are:

1.       Don’t skip meals
One of the reasons why people are having a hard time in losing weight is because they have this habit of skipping meals, thinking that they could eventually lose excess pounds with this strategy. If you’re one of those with this kind of mindset then listen up. Skipping meals especially breakfast won’t help. It would only contribute to weight gain as you tend to eat more and crave for unhealthy food.

If you want to lose weight, you must make sure that you do not skip the most important meal of the day – your breakfast. Studies reveal that people who tend to skip their breakfast are most likely to reach out to unhealthy, sugar-laden food all throughout the day. So start your day right with a healthy meal.

2.       Bring along a bag of healthy snacks
What happened to people when they go hungry is that they tend to eat whatever food they could grab. And because unhealthy foods are the most accessible, these are usually what they consume.

Learn to break this habit by bringing along a bag of healthy snacks wherever you go – be it in your workplace or even when meeting your friends. Pack a bag of healthy nuts like almonds, some pretzels, and a medium-sized apple. Do it and you’ll find yourself in lesser chances of craving for fat-laden foods.

4.       Keep moving
Physical activity is undoubtedly one of the important aspects of losing weight. You don’t necessarily have to sign up for gym membership. There are many ways on how you could keep moving.

You may take the stairs instead the elevator, park your car a little way further from the place you used to, or doing your favorite sport. The important thing here is you move. For best results, make sure you spend at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day.

5.       Get rid of white stuff
These include processed carbohydrates, sugar, and salt. High intake of these products are among the major reasons why people are overweight and now suffering from lifestyle diseases including heart attack. While you totally cannot eliminate them but at least, make a conscious effort in keeping your intake of these products in moderation or better yet, opt for their healthier version (e.g. honey for sweetening food instead of the usual table sugar).

6.       Increase your water intake
Water is vital to life and to weight loss. Increasing your water intake keeps you hydrated and will keep you full, decreasing your chances for grabbing a bottle of soda or a bowl of chips. Studies have it that by drinking a glass of water before any meal could help you control your appetite and portions. What’s more, water has a role to play in your metabolism. So, if you want to be successful with weight loss, you better start increasing your water intake.

7.       Get enough sleep

Sleep isn’t just beneficial in your concentration or in your creativity; it also helps in weight loss. People who tend to sleep for less than 6 hours each day gain weight because lack of sleep often result to cravings of high carbohydrate and sugary food. This is the body’s way of keeping your energy up.  

Do you have more weight loss tips to share?
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Tips for Buying Your First DSLR


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Buying your first DSLR can be quite overwhelming especially that there are several options to choose from. The tips below can help you out:

1. Ask yourself why you want a DSLR
Some people buy DSLR for wrong reasons so you have to be clear why you want an upgrade. I opted to shift my gear from a point and shoot to a DSLR because I wanted more flexibility, control over my photos, and I wanted to shoot better quality photos.

2. Familiarize yourself with common DSLR terminologies
When you shop around for a DSLR, you'll be confronted with technical terms. It'll be easier for you to make a choice if you have familiarize yourself with the basic DSLR terminologies. 

3. Narrow down your choices
There are several makers of DSLR cameras. Save yourself from confusion by narrowing down your choices to 2-3 makers and list down their entry-level cameras. 

4. Try it out
The best way to find out if the camera suits your needs is to try it out. So, visit a camera shop and try the top cameras in your list. 

5. Ask for experts' opinion
Save time by asking for experts' opinion. This can be done through reading forums, reading product reviews, or asking family or friends who have years of experience in using DSLR cameras. I've used this strategy before and it really helped me in choosing the right camera. 

Do you have more tips to share? 
Drop them in the comment box below! 
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Cute Cat Furniture

When I'm not on a shoot, I spend my time either in the kitchen or in my computer looking for some goodies for my cat. I found the following in Pinterest. What do you think of them? 

This is the ultimate pampering furniture for any cat (and they deserve it, right?).

This will make a good addition to my cat's 'bed' collection. 

A hammock just for cats :)

Have you found any interesting cat furniture these days? Feel free to share! 

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10-Minute Workout for 'Busy' People

I wonder why people keep on coming up with 'being busy' excuses for them to skip working out and neglect their health overall (ditching healthier food for fastfood meals). I don't think anyone doesn't have enough time for this 10-minute workout.

Check this out!


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Healthy Snack Alternatives

People look surprised when I tell them that I love to eat. In fact, I eat more than five times in a day. What probably sets me apart from frequent eaters out there is that I choose my food well. I just don't munch any stuff. I see to it that the food I eat has good nutritive value and has no (as possible) added sugar. Below are some of my favorite healthy snack alternatives:

Almonds

The secret for healthy snacking is to get rid of unhealthy stuff in the pantry. So that includes removing the savory BUT unhealthy potato chips. When craving for something crunchy and/or salty, I reach out for almonds. It's heart-healthy and a good source of protein (just limit yourself though to a handful of this). 




Olives


This is another healthy go-to snack whenever I'm craving for something salty.





Hummus

If I'll go back to my eating habits a few years ago, I could have probably shook my head in disbelief. I'm one unhealthy eater. I can go for hours watching a movie while munching my favorite potato chips with its salty/sugary dip.  

When I decided to make a change in my lifestyle, I found a healthier alternative to fat-laden dips - hummus. It may take a while to get used to the taste but once you do, you'll find yourself craving for it than mayo or salsa (weird but true!). 





Strawberries


Forget the chocolate dip. They taste better without it (trust me). This is a perfect alternative whenever you crave for something sweet. A small bowl (around 3-5 pieces) of these berries is enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. 



Yogurt


When it's warm outside and my taste buds are craving for something cold and tangy, I go and grab a yogurt. I usually opt for a plain one and just top it off with fruits. 





How about you? What are your favorite healthy snack alternatives?  

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