Even if you are comfortable with your appearance, living life overweight can have serious health implications, and when it reaches a certain point, you must be able to hit the brakes. Finding the best way to reverse the weight gain is difficult, but possible. Watch the weight go down by using the following drhealthylife tips.

When you are trying to lose weight, you should eat more frequent, smaller meals. When you do this, rather than eating a couple of big meals, you will find yourself less hungry and more in control of cravings. When you are in control, you will be a lot less likely to over-eat.

A great weight loss tip is to pack your lunch. No matter how carefully you make your selections, food choices at restaurants are always going to be higher in fat, calories, carbs and sodium than what you can make yourself. You can still treat yourself to a lunch out on occasion, but make a habit of taking your lunch with you most days.

A good way to lose weight is to reward yourself now and then when you’re dieting. One of the biggest mistakes people make when they diet is denying themselves foods that they love. If you reward yourself every now and then, you’ll keep your spirits high, and it won’t sabotage your diet.

Lose weight by taking the long way every time. Assuming you have no mobility issues, taking the stairs will help keep your metabolism moving throughout the day. If you live within walking distance of the market, you can also try walking during your errands. This burns calories and helps the environment at the same time!

Surely everyone loves french fries! Unfortunately, these foods can be the downfall in a weight loss program. However, you can have your french fries and still not sabotage your diet by baking instead of frying. Cut up some potatoes into half-inch fries. Then, toss them in a big bowl with one tablespoon of oil, sprinkle a little salt, pepper, and rosemary to add flavor, and then bake them in one layer at a temperature of 400 degrees for half an hour. Turn it with a spatula and then bake 10 minutes more. They have far less calories and still taste great with ketchup. You’ll never notice the difference between baked and deep-fried. These great baking ideas come from Laurel’s Kitchen Cookbook.

When considering a diet that provides an adequate nutrition level, be aware of items that you may commonly add to your food that will either nullify its health benefits or add unnecessary fat or calories. Some items to watch out for are ranch dressing, coffee creamer and sour cream.

If you are going out to eat at a restaurant, avoid the complimentary starters. A lot of restaurants provide baskets of bread or chips and salsa to start off your meal. These are empty calories that you usually won’t even notice you are having. When you sit down, ask your waiter to just leave the basket of bread off your table.

Use red pepper flakes to suppress your hunger. Red pepper is inexpensive and can be found at most grocery stores and supermarkets. Experts have found that it is capable of suppressing hunger. Put red pepper flakes in your own meals, once or twice a day, to kill your own cravings.

When you are trying to lose weight, treat yourself every once and a while to your favorite indulgence. When you do treat yourself, just make sure you eat a small portion, or try a healthy alternative that tastes just as good. Do not restrict your diet to the point where your cravings become an obsession. If you restrict cravings too much, you are more likely to binge, which leads to weight gain.

Losing weight can be a real chore. Done right, the rewards are just amazing, and living healthily is very important. Keep eating right and working out regularly to keep your health weight down.