A guaranteed way to drop weight

Take the dog for a walk.

Dog is man's best friend, especially when you need a walking companion. Unlike people, there's little chance that your dog will ever stand you up come workout time.

A study conducted by the University of Missouri-Columbia discovered that taking the dog for a 20-minute walk, 5 days a week yielded an average loss of 14 pounds over a one-year period.

Both you and your dog will benefit from this enjoyable exercise regimen.

Don't eat from the bag

Don't eat from a bowl or bag.

It's one of the fastest ways to deviate from your plan. Sitting down with a bag of chips or box of cookies encourages mindless eating.

You're more likely to keep going and going. Before you realize it, you've consumed four servings and far too many calories.

Set aside one serving size and seal your snack of choice until next time.

Chew on this slowly

Savor every bite and eat slowly.

Digestion takes time. You may keep on eating because you still feel hungry. By taking it slow and steady, the body has time to realize it's full. This usually takes about 20 minutes -- so pace yourself.

Never eat while standing. Make the meal your main focus. Instead of eating at record-setting speed, take it slow.

You'll be less likely to go back for seconds when you already feel full.

Fast Facts: Time-Saving Diet Tips

Pre-package your foods.

Make your healthy eating regimen convenient. Set aside some time during the week to cut up fresh vegetables and fruits. Cut up celery, carrots, apples, strawberries, grapes and other diet-friendly snacks and place them in individual bags.

When you're pressed for time, all you need to do is reach in the refrigerator and grab one of the ready-made portions.

Eat more, lose more

Fill up on soups and other high energy-density foods.

Research shows that foods with high water content fill you up faster and for a longer period of times. Fruits, vegetables and broth-based soups all fit the bill.

By starting a meal off with a bowl of soup or a healthy salad, dieters reduce their overall calorie consumption for each meal.

In addition, it's possible to eat larger volumes of these foods for a smaller amount of calories.

Benefits of green tea: especially for weight loss

Green tea is a type of tea made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures in Asia from Japan to the Middle East.

Recently, it has become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally consumed. Many varieties of green tea have been created in countries where it is grown. These varieties can differ substantially due to variable growing conditions, processing and harvesting time.

Major benefits of drinking green tea:

• Reduce high blood pressure
• Reduce blood sugar
• Contain Antioxidants to remove free radicals in human body
• Reduce the risk of heart diseases
• Reduce the risk of stroke
• Reduce the risk of blood clot
• Reduce bad cholesterol in the blood
• Reduce harmful effects from cigarettes smoking
• Reduce arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Prevent osteoporosis
• Prevent allergy, cold and flu
• Keeping fluid balance
• Relieve fatigue
• Awakening thought (also includes concentration)
• Boost your immune system
• Aiding in cancer prevention and reducing tumor growth
• Help with oral hygiene
• Supporting liver protection
• Helps with stress relief
• Aid in Weight Loss by increasing the metabolism and burning calories
  

Drinking only a few cups of green tea can do your body very good.

Learn to say NO

Learn to just say no.

Regardless of their motives, people love to push food onto others. Overcoming this obstacle can be difficult.

When Aunt Ida or Cousin Betty plead with you to try their creamy, dreamy potato casserole, you don't have the heart to refuse their offerings, especially at the risk of offending them.

There are a couple of ways to approach the situation. You can gently turn your loved one down by explaining you just had a big meal and couldn't eat another bite. Or you can sample a small bite and discreetly push the plate aside when somebody else comes along.

The most important rule of thumb is to be tactful so that you can walk away from the situation with your dignity and your waistline still intact.

Soy can save your life

Reap the benefits of soy.

Soy beans contain protein and are chock full of calcium, iron, zinc, fiber, omega 3 fatty acids and other health-enhancing components. In addition to improving heart health, preventing cancer and strengthening bones, soy also lowers cholesterol.

Soy milk, soybeans, textured soy protein and tofu are all great sources of this food.