Wanting to drop a few pounds is one of the most common desires in this country. Luckily, it can be done simply. Losing weight is basically about one thing: burning more calories than you take in. When you do that, you lose weight. Here are a few ways to get you started.

A key element of weight loss is portion control. Modern portion sizes, especially when eating out, are nearly double the size they used to be. Choosing healthy food is a great start, but if you do not control how big your portions are, that healthy dish could have twice the calories that you would expect it to.

A great way to help you lose weight is to switch the pasta you’re eating to whole wheat pasta. Pasta can sabotage your diet because it’s tasty and very easy to eat too much. Whole wheat pasta offers much more nutrition and is a great source of carbohydrates.

If you tend to engage in mindless snacking every night in front of the TV, find something else to do with your hands instead. Learn to crochet or knit. Start doing crossword puzzles or Sudoku. You may begin to realize that you have actually just been eating out of boredom. Keeping your hands busy can help to curb that feeling that you need to reach for a snack.

If you are aiming to lose weight, a great tip to follow is to take a brief walk before you eat lunch or dinner. This gives you some exercise that burns some calories and because you got in some exercise, you will not be as likely to choose an unhealthy option when you eat your meal.

Stop the yo-yo dieting cycle. Crash diets are great for immediate weight loss, but they do nothing for you in the long run. Unfortunately, crash diets can lead to weigh gain. Going on crash diets cause your weight loss to “yo-yo”. This slows your metabolic rate and causes your body not to burn energy, but to store it, causing weight gain.

Some people find that once they lower their carbohydrate intake, they start to lose weight. Carbs really do nothing good for your body, are filled with a lot of processed ingredients, and can be addicting. The more carbs you eat, the more carbs your body needs, and the more weight you put on.

Losing weight is one of the most popular activities in our society because people aren’t sure quite sure how to accomplish it. But with these tips you have a roadmap to the ideal weight. Follow these tips and you’re on your way to the weight that you want.