The Biggest Loser Club Tip: Getting Online Weight Loss Support

One big weight loss challenge for many individuals is having social support. If you aren’t getting the support you need from family and friends, look online. An online weight loss plan has social support in the form of nutrition and fitness experts, chat sites, message boards or forums. Online you will find support by meeting people who are also trying to get healthy and lose weight. Even if you are getting support at home, more is better. The support gained online can be particularly helpful. You can pose questions to a message board and get advice from others who have been in your shoes. You can obtain support from online members who share a common interest and experience, such as members over the age of 50 or those aspiring to lose 50 or more pounds. Also, there are support groups for those with health conditions related to their weight, such as a high blood pressure support group or a diabetes group. Take full advantage of social support because it is extremely important for weight loss success.

The Biggest Loser Club Tip: Using Online Meal Plans: A Recipe for Success

Meal planning is one feature frequently offered by popular online weight loss programs. Daily menus provide online weight loss help for dieters who want to take the guesswork out of healthy eating. Some programs will customize meal plans by having you answer questions about food preferences. The program will also use your personal information to estimate daily calorie needs for weight loss. Menus are then designed to meet this target calorie level as well as provide you with adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals. To ensure that the menus are safe and effective, find out if the menus are written by a registered dietitian (RD). An RD is a food expert and the only licensed professional that is legally able to write menus. Using your daily menu is easy. You have access to your foods and recipes well in advance. This allows you time to review and print them out if necessary. Some programs will even put together grocery store shopping lists. Using meal plans is a fun, easy way to watch what you eat while also learning how to prepare healthy foods.

The Biggest Loser Club Tip: Travel Fitness

Exercise is a key ingredient to weight loss success. All too often, travel is used as an excuse to skip workouts. To get your workouts in while on the road, create a travel diet plan that works with your busy lifestyle. Most hotels and conference centers have workout facilities on site, and there are always healthier eating choices when you travel so you can stick to your diet. You just need to know where to look! Here are some tips to ensuring you stay healthy on your next trip:

• Be sure to pack all of the exercise gear you intend to use on your trip. It could be as simple as packing workout clothes and a pair of walking shoes. However, there is nothing wrong with packing workout bands, jump ropes, exercise balls, video tapes or whatever else you need for a good workout.
  
• Only make reservations at hotels that have a gym or exercise room. When making accommodations, you probably should call the specific hotel you plan to stay at because exercise equipment can vary even within the same chain. When making reservations also ask what type and brand of fitness equipment the hotel offers. Some hotels may even subscribe to a fitness channel so that you can workout in the privacy of your own room.
  
• Perform strength exercises using your body weight such as push-ups, crunches, and wall squats in your room.
  
• Ask hotel staff for local gyms and fitness facilities nearby. Or, get a map of the area you're in staying in. You never know - there could be a nice park or walking trail a short distance from your hotel.

The Biggest Loser Club Tip: Eating Fast Food on the Road

Healthy travel nutrition can be extremely difficult. Just as you have a healthy eating plan at home, you must also have a well devised travel diet plan. Fast foods notoriously have large amounts of total calories, fat calories, and salt. Pressure placed on the fast food industry has led to more healthy alternatives than ever before. Items such as roasted or grilled chicken sandwiches, baked potatoes, skim milk and salad bars can be found at many fast food chains. Below are a few tips for making healthy travel nutrition choices while you're traveling:

• Select roasted or charbroiled sandwiches
• Eat a hamburger instead of cheeseburger
• Choose mustard instead of mayonnaise
• Add plenty of veggies (lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion)
• Stay away from the jumbo or biggie size food items
• Limit or avoid cheese and high fat/calorie dressing to salad
• Substitute skim milk, water or diet soda as a beverage instead of regular sodas and milk shakes
• When eating pizza, make it thin crust with cheese or added vegetables such as mushrooms, peppers and onions. When adding meat, choose Canadian bacon over pepperoni, hamburger or sausage.
• Use low-fat sour cream and/or salsa on baked potatoes
• Select low-fat frozen yogurt instead of ice cream