Top 10 Tips for Simple, Painless Ways to Lose Body Fat By Martin J Roch

Losing weight and body fat may at times seem like a daunting task but it doesn't have to be that difficult, especially if you follow these simple tips.

Tip 1: Chew all your food very thoroughly.

When you first start to adopt this method I would recommend that you actually count the number of times you chew each mouthful and aim for at least 20 chews each time. The food should be nearly pureed in your mouth before swallowing. This might seem weird at first but after a while it will become a habit and you won't need to focus on it any more. Just think about not swallowing large chunks of food. Most people are creatures of habit so use this technique to get into the habit of chewing your food well.

Tip 2: Eat smaller meals more often.

Usually people eat three meals a day and sometimes snack on junk food in-between. I recommend eating 5 or 6 smaller meals so that your total calorie intake is spread out more evenly throughout the day.

Tip 3: Drink plenty of water.

Drink a glass of water before every meal or before eating anything at all. This will make you feel more satisfied with your meal and will also ensure you don't get dehydrated. It's also a good way of making sure that drinking enough water becomes a habit.

Tip 4: Retrain your taste buds.

The typical modern diet is full of sugars, saturated fats and salt. Even seemingly healthy foods often have lots of these hidden ingredients that stop you losing body fat. Whole foods that haven't been heavily processed have far more flavour and are way better for your health and your waistline. If you like strong flavours try adding things like chill, lime juice, lemon juice and cracked black pepper to your meals. This will give you plenty of taste without the negative effects of unhealthy fats, sugar and added salt.

Tip 5: Retrain your brain and the way you think about weight loss.

In fact don't think about weight loss at all. No one likes to think about losing anything or giving things up. Psychologically we prefer to gain, so why not retrain our brain to focus on what we stand to gain rather than what we are missing out on. Think of gaining a tight, flat stomach rather than losing belly fat. Look forward to enjoying newly acquired tastes of healthy foods not missing the junk food.

Tip 6: Do the little things to get you burning more calories.

It's so simple but it needs to become a habit. Park the car further away than you used to, so you walk a little further. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Leave the shopping trolley at the supermarket door and carry your shopping a bit further. Leave the car behind on short journeys and walk or ride a bike. On their own these may seem like silly little things that won't make a difference, but when they become a habit and you calculate the additional calories burnt over six months or a year, and then they really do add up.

Tip 7: Don't spend too much time on long exercise sessions.

If you want to optimise your fat reduction you will need to exercise but don't exercise for long periods of time, it becomes very boring and is harder to stick to. Not only that but it's also nowhere near as effective as doing short bursts of higher intensity exercise.

Tip 8: Get out of breath every day.

Do something at least once a day that makes you out of breath or breathing very heavily. This is nice and simple, it doesn't matter what it is. You might do something different every day but whatever it is it will reap great rewards. Use your imagination; if it's something fun then you're more likely to do it.

Tip 9: Set yourself the right sort of goals.

Avoid setting goals based around your weight. So often people start eating healthily and doing exercise, only to step on the scales and be disappointed. They look great, feel better but because they have set goals based on weight loss they get very disheartened and often give up altogether. The reason for no apparent weight loss might just be that they're better hydrated and have gained a little more muscle. It is far better to set your goals around fat reduction. This might be in the form of getting into those trousers that were previously too tight, or dropping a dress size. Whatever the goals you set, I strongly recommend not focusing on actual weight - scales do lie.

Tip 10: Treat yourself... but not with unhealthy food or drinks.

When you achieve a goal why not treat yourself. If you've gone down a dress size then treat yourself to a new dress. Maybe you've taken up a sport that you used to play, why not treat yourself with some new equipment? Maybe you could buy yourself a new tennis racquet or golf club. Whatever it is, avoid treats such as donuts or beer. Those things will not help you gain that sexy flat tummy or those ripped six pack abdominals.

I haven't gone into very much detail about how these things work but from personal experience and feedback from clients I know they are very effective. They are also simple to employ and easy to stick to. I will be following up with articles that explain, in far more detail, how and why these techniques work.