In this fast-paced, eat-and-run, massive-portion-sized-culture, maintaining a healthy weight can be very difficult, much so with losing weight. If you have tried dieting before, you may find that they are very ineffective in losing weight. However, do not be disheartened as there are small but powerful ways to avoid diet pitfalls, and at the same time, allow you to develop a healthier relationship with food.


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The key to successful, healthy weight loss is by shifting to healthy cooking and doing regular exercises. These two must go hand-in-hand if you want your weight loss program to succeed. Extreme diets, as well as unhealthy lifestyle choices can leave you cranky and starving. You can develop good eating habits and win your battle with the bulge.

Major steps for a healthy weight loss include foregoing eating out and instead, cooking and eating healthy meals at home. Foods sold at diners and restaurants are full of calories and fats that can be very harmful to your body, and gives you more weight. The same goes for sodas and other snack foods. Preparing a healthy meal by broiling, steaming, blanching or eating raw fruits and vegetables, and drinking lots of water are better alternatives.

Aside from introducing healthy foods to your diet, you also need to combine this with weight loss exercises such as aerobic or strength training for your weight loss program to be effective and successful.

Those who want to have a healthy lifestyle should not only exercise regularly, eat nutritious foods, and avoid excessive alcohol and tobacco, but must also include healthy cooking. Healthy cooking involves lots of things including planning and preparing meals that use wholesome ingredients and cooking dishes that do not have excessive sodium, sugar or unhealthy fats.

Healthy cooking also incorporates cooking techniques that reduce fat like grilling, placing meat on rack over a baking pan, removing fat from broths, blanching, roasting, and steaming foods. Steaming can preserve the nutritional value of foods like vegetables, instead of frying or boiling. It also encourages the use of healthy alternative ingredients like lentils or beans in place of animal-based proteins.

Going off to college, first time living on your own, or starting a family can be a thrilling experience or a scary one. Part of the growing up process is leaving the comforts of home such as home-cooked meals and having someone, your mom particularly, to do all things for you. While you may not be able to replicate yet all the good stuff that your mom cooks, you need some basic things to survive if you do not want to waste all your money on take-outs.

Cooking would be easy if you have the necessary pots and pans to cook your dishes with. You might want to have a stockpot to cook pasta and a large saucepan if you are cooking spaghetti for a number of people. You also need a smaller saucepan to reheat leftovers, and a skillet or two. Some prefer a smaller skillet to fry eggs, while you need a larger one to brown meat and sauté stuff.