10 Fast Diet Tips

Looking for 10 fast diet tips that will not only help you to loose weight, but will also help you to be healthier and have more energy? When you begin a fast diet, the first few pounds you shed will be water weight. Don't let anyone make you feel like that's not real weight loss, though. Even though it's water and not fat, it's still a loss that you can see on a scale and feel in your body. Most importantly, it will give you the incentive to go on with your fast diet. These 10 fast diet tips are all good tips; however, it's always a good idea to have a check up and get your doctor's permission before starting any new eating habits.

1. Eat less and move more. The more you move, the more calories you burn, and when you eat less you will take in fewer calories. Together, these steps make for one of the most important fast diet tips.
2. Drink a glass of water twenty minutes before a meal. It takes about twenty minutes before the signal gets to our brains telling us we're feeling full when we eat. By drinking a glass of water, we're letting ourselves feel full before we even start eating.
3. Eat slowly. By eating slower we are allowing ourselves to get full on less food, assuming that you can stop eating when you get that full feeling. Eating slowly will help you make the most of your diet.
4. Use a smaller dessert plate for meals. Portion control is a big part of losing weight with a fast diet, and by using a smaller plate you fool yourself into thinking you're taking the same amount of food when you're actually taking less.
5. Put food away before you sit down to eat. It's more of a bother to have to go to the fridge and unwrap food for seconds. Leaving the serving dishes or pots in front of you on the table makes it too easy and tempting to break your diet and have second helpings.
6. Observe portion control using the plate method. Divide your dinner plate into four quarters. One should have your meat or protein, one should have your main carbohydrate, such as rice or potatoes, and the last two should be for your greens or vegetables.
7. Use substitutions. For example, you can substitute a non-calorie spray butter for real butter or margarine. Instead of pasta, have shavings of zucchini or spaghetti squash. Use grated cauliflower for rice and mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes.
8. Use water and steam to cook your foods. You can cook a great piece of meat by spraying your frying pan with a non-stick cooking spray to brown the meat and then adding a little water for cooking instead of using butter or oil. You can even then wrap the meat in foil and bake it until it is tender. Steam your vegetables instead of cooking them in fat when trying to diet.
9. Avoid salt. Salt is not good for most people as it tends to raise blood pressure. It also can cause excess water weight and bloating. You can increase the flavor of your food by adding lime juice or a low sodium hot sauce or pepper. Other spices will work too.
10. Eat half of what you would normally.  Try not to finish everything on your plate. You don't have to throw the food away, just wrap it back up and have it as another meal or snack. Spread your daily food into six smaller meals rather than three large ones.