by Tara Zimliki

Dying to lose those last 10 pounds and cardio is no longer doing the job? Well start pumping some iron already. Lifting just 5-10 pound weights can make all the difference in helping you to shed those last pounds.

As a certified trainer for over a decade, I have learned the dos and don’ts of weight loss. There are certain guidelines you must follow to see results, and if you do not follow them, you will fail to see results. If you follow the dos, you will be amazed at how these simple choices can yield such tremendous results. Easy choices like eating a healthy breakfast, getting more sleep and staying positive can make all the difference between failure and success. So here are the dos and don’ts of weight loss so that you can achieve amazing results:

1. DON’T EAT LATE

Craving a late night snack? Believe me, I totally can relate, but late night grazing is nothing but trouble. Cravings often set in at night, and unless you are eating pure veggies, any other meal will be too high in calories and fat to burn off before bedtime. Instead of eating late at night, do eat a healthy snack after dinner, like veggie sticks. These are two of the most important dos and don’ts of weight loss to help you achieve success!

2. DON’T SKIP WORKOUTS

Just because you had a long day at work does not mean you are exempt from your evening workout. In fact, you should use your stress to fuel your workout. Do not skip your workout or you will regret it. Do push yourself to get your workout in and as a result, you will be glad you made the ambitious choice!

3. DON’T MISS BREAKFAST

There have been numerous studies showing that breakfast eaters weigh less and make healthier choices throughout the day. This makes sense because if you are famished by 10am, you are more likely to make poor food choices. So start your metabolism the right way and do eat a healthy breakfast like egg whites, oatmeal or a green shake!

4. DON’T DROWN YOUR SALAD

You made the choice to have a healthy salad for lunch, so why in the world would you drown it with dressing? Salad dressing is usually high in calories, fat and sodium, so make the better choice. Do make your own salad dressing so you can control the ingredients and put very little dressing on your salad.

5. DON’T SKIMP ON SLEEP

Don’t get to bed late and awake early, because you are missing out on a vital part of weight loss – getting enough sleep. Get 7-9 hours of sleep per night so you avoid your body secreting cortisol, a hormone than can cause you to gain weight. Plenty of sleep will also help to fuel your workouts with more energy!

6. DON’T AVOID LIFTING WEIGHTS

Dying to lose those last 10 pounds and cardio is no longer doing the job? Well start pumping some iron already. Lifting just 5-10 pound weights can make all the difference in helping you to shed those last pounds. Do not avoid lifting weight, start pumping some light iron to achieve even more results!

7. DON’T BE HARD ON YOURSELF

Pick up your head and do not be so hard on yourself. Whether you had a bad workout or made a poor food choice, it is time to move on and get over it! Do not be so hard on yourself. An important do of weight loss is choosing to be positive and believe in yourself. So get up, get going and push yourself to achieve a whole new set of goals!

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