Competition is tough enough whether you’re looking for a promotion or re-entering the job market. And if you are carrying an extra 15 or more pounds, you may or may not find yourself faced with weight discrimination. Some research from Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity reported that weight discrimination increased 66 percent from the mid-1990′s to the mid-2000s. Rebecca Puhl, who is the Rudd Center Director of Research and Weight Stigma Initiatives, says that “Our research shows that obese workers are less likely to be hired and less likely to be promoted.”

There is never an easy way to say this, but those who are overweight are also more likely to be seen as 10 or more years older than they actually are. But the good news is that it is a new year, and losing weight is often the most common New Year’s resolution. You are not alone after all! There are so many safe and effective ways to help you lose weight, improve your health and increase your energy. Here is a guideline to help you jump-start your drive to lose weight.

Make food with the best ingredients such as pesticide-free colorful veggies and fruits, hormone free meats, low-fat cheeses, and poultry, non-hydrogenated fats, and substituting low-glycemic sweeteners such as agave nectar, natural xylitol, or stevia for refined sugar.

Consume more fiber: A special type of fiber that is called PGX helps to promote weight loss by filling your stomach without ever adding any calories to your diet. When it is combined with a bottle of water, PGX will expand in your stomach to provide a feeling of fullness, so you eat less food. It is very effective if you want to reduce your appetite and enhances weight loss. You can find PGX at a local health food store near you.

Avoid diet sodas-they make you want MORE food. Instead you should drink herbal teas such peppermint, chamomile, green, earl grey, etc. Peppermint tea help to reduce gas and bloating so it’s an excellent choice if that is a challenge for you. The best cold drink for you to be drinking would be water with a few lemon slices thrown in, or if you want a little bit more of a kick then you can add in one tsp of fruit sweetened cranberry juice. That way you get something that tastes great, but is very few calories to consume.

Start each meal with a cup of green tea. Many studies have shown that green tea can be very thermogenic, which means that it is going to help you burn more fat. And if you don’t like the taste of green tea then you can consider taking all-natural herbal Thermo Green Tea Capsules with breakfast and lunch. But there is nothing to worry about when you take the capsules because they do not cause anxiety or jitteriness and they contain zero caffeine or ephedra. Green tea has also been known to relieve the symptoms of a cold, the flu and certain types of cancer.