Nowadays, people tend to gain weight faster than it used to be. You can gain 5 pounds in just a snap of a finger. Thanks to all this fast food restaurants, TV dinners, junk foods, media and commercial advertisement that promote a lazy life syndrome. Well, it won't be fair to finger point at anyone because people thrive along with the high demands of society therefore finding an easy way out to budget their time due to their hectic and stressful schedule. The only way to combat this inevitable lifestyle change is to educate people about effective dieting and weight loss. In this article, I compiled 12 highly effective ways to lose weight.

1. Avoid crash dieting or yo-yo dieting

Many men and women notice that they lose five pounds or even more during the first few days of their crash diet. However, this weight loss isn't true weight loss, instead, it can be attributed to the loss of water weight that happens during crash diets. This is because low-calorie diets cause the body to burn up excess glycogen, a type of glucose that absorbs excess fluid inside the body. Crash diets are recognized by health care professionals and dietitians as being a very dangerous way of trying to lose the excess pounds. It can cause vital organ damage, mental problems and severe nutritional deficiency. Crash dieting make you lose weight fast but will eventually lead to gaining your weight back resulting in a yo-yo diet effect.

2. Do not skip breakfast

Many people don't realize to eat breakfast either because they are in a rush, or just want to reduce weight. Considerable number of people finish a cup of coffee as their morning meal. Chances are this is going to have an opposite effect on you because skipping meals almost always leads to overeating at lunchtime. This is especially true with breakfast, because you've just been asleep for 7 or 8 hours and your body needs to recover from this brief period of starvation. Studies show that people who regularly eat breakfast, particularly cereal with low fat or fat-free milk, tend to be leaner compared to those who skip the morning meal or eat other options. Also, breakfast eaters are more likely to have long-term success in maintaining a reasonable weight.

3. Drink the right amount of water

Guidelines are constantly changing. In 2004, the Institute of Medicine effectively overruled the 8 glass a day rule - with a new report. They stated a general daily recommendation of 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of total water for women and 3.7 liters (125 ounces) for men. This includes water from all sources (foods and drinks). Water also helps to suppress the appetite. Drinking water causes us to feel less hungry and more satisfied.

4. Boost your metabolism by eating small meals frequently

Contrary to popular belief, our bodies are not designed to eat three "square meals" each day. Our bodies are designed to eat small meals frequently throughout the day. By eating small meals often, you don't get hungry and your body's metabolism is kept high, which is necessary for meaningful and long-term fat loss.

5. Use safe supplements and an appetite suppressant to maximize your potential weight loss goal.

Studies have shown that taking the right supplements will enable you to reach your weight-loss goals more quickly. Supplements like multi-vitamins, Hoodia, whey protein, and flax seed oil can help you reach maximize your potential. Consult with your doctor before taking a new supplement.

6. Eat slowly and chew your food longer

By eating slowly and chewing your food longer, you give your body time to process. It will also helps prevent stomach upset or indigestion.

7. Eat fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables has lots of fiber. Fiber makes us feel full. Most fiber has no calories and passes through our digestive system while removing undigested fat. Fiber also slows the absorption of sugar, which helps to regulate blood-sugar levels and decrease cravings.

8. Increase muscle mass by eating more protein and less carbohydrates

Protein builds muscle and promotes an increase in muscle mass. It helps burn fat and calories. Carbohydrates turn into sugar if not used. Protein digests and absorbs in your body slower making you stay full longer. Studies have proven that muscle burns fat and body fat does not. The amount of fat that muscle burns is inconclusive. Some studies report that a pound of muscle burns up to 10 calories while other studies report that a pound of muscle burns up to 50 calories per day. Although the amount of calories that muscle burns is questionable, muscles indeed burn fat around the clock, even while you sleep.

9. Exercise 20-30 min. several times weekly

Our bodies still crave activity. Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your body. Do cardiovascular exercises first and lift light weights with lots of repetitions to enhance toning of your body. Try to exercise at least 20-30 min. a day three times a week. If you can do more, that's even better. Consult your physician first prior to engaging in exercise regimen.

10. Stress Reduces Fat

When you are stressed, a hormone called Cortisol is released. Cortisol enable our bodies to extract glucose from the foods we eat more efficiently. Excess Glucose are stored in our liver and if not utilized by our body, Glucose turn into fat. Our busy and hectic lifestyle put many of us in a constant state of stress. In doing so, our bodies are literally becoming a fat storage machine. Reducing stress takes our bodies out of panic mode and back into a normal state, the way nature intended.

11. Eat a complete meal 3-4 hours before going to bed. Eat light snack if you get hungry.

Eating too much before bedtime is not healthy. Have a light snack 2 hours before sleep time the latest. This advice has simple explanation. Your organism stays awake digesting the food, so even if you fall asleep part of your body is not "sleeping" and overall you still have less effective sleep which is not restful. You will need more sleep which in turn will not let you wake up easily. Same applies to drinking lots of water, cola or any other beverages - you will feel discomfort and will have to get up to urinate during the night. If you feel thirsty put a glass of water near the bed and take a little sip from it from time to time before you fall asleep or when you wake up during the night. Please note that going to bed hungry or thirsty is not good either and can be just as disruptive to sleep as going to bed too full. Having very light snack or glass of milk will help you ease the hunger.

12. Change your lifestyle

To keep the progress you make, you must make change a part of your daily life. If you start changing your diet, begin taking Hoodia or any other supplement, or start an exercise plan, it must become part of your life. You must embrace it no different than your activities of daily living such as doing your personal grooming or going to work or school.

Try to remember that your priority of losing weight is to promote and maintain a healthy mind and a healthy body which will lead to a different outlook in your lifestyle, being beautiful and sexy follows thereafter.