| Let's face it - losing weight has not historically been a | | | | make daily plans, and resolve issues that are causing |
| fun-packed activity. There have been an abundance | | | | you to panic and worry. |
| of fad diets, where we have all ended up suffering | | | | Exercise Regularly |
| with terrible headaches, diarrhea, bad tummy cramps, | | | | Exercise has been known to be the Waterloo for |
| and lethargy. There have been the cutting-out-calorie | | | | many people who are trying to diet. It can be hard |
| diets where we have ended up feeling like we | | | | to find time in the day to hit the gym, but what is |
| wanted to gnaw on anything we came into contact | | | | good to remember is that any exercise is better than |
| with. Liberally sprinkled in-between were the cabbage | | | | no exercise. That means walking instead of taking |
| soup diet, the healthy cookie diet, and the perfectly | | | | the elevator, parking a little further from the mall, or |
| planned meal diet. And where has all the agony got | | | | changing the television channels manually instead of |
| us? The statistics say probably nowhere; most of us | | | | using the remote. All of these little calorie |
| lifelong dieters are still overweight. | | | | expenditures can add up to a serious decrease in |
| The only healthy way to lose weight and keep it off | | | | bodyweight. |
| is to eat nutritionally balanced meals and exercise | | | | Set Your Goals |
| moderately and often. If you are at the end of your | | | | Most weight loss experts believe that it is safe to |
| rope with yo-yo dieting, here are some doable and | | | | lose between 1-3lbs in any given week. Therefore, |
| healthy solutions: | | | | when you set your goals, you should strongly |
| Eat More Often | | | | consider this. If you wanted to lose 60lbs for |
| Yes, you read this correctly! One of the main | | | | example, you might set short, medium, and long term |
| reasons people fail to lose weight on diets is that | | | | goals using an average weight loss of 2lbs per week. |
| their metabolisms are always in a tailspin. If your | | | | You will reach your target in a healthy time and look |
| body functions without food for large periods of | | | | and feel fantastic. Unrealistic goal setting is the |
| time, it goes into a kind of starvation mode. This | | | | downfall of many dieters, so make sure you do your |
| means that any food you later consume will be | | | | research! |
| stored around your midsection in case of future | | | | Eat Whole Foods |
| famine. This feast/famine cycle can add pounds to | | | | Whole foods are natural foods which generally come |
| your scale reading, even though you might not think | | | | from the ground. Whole foods contain no nasty |
| you are eating a substantial amount. Divide the | | | | additives, no man-made trans fats, and no |
| traditional three meals in half, and space the six meals | | | | preservatives. Whole food is synonymous with |
| 2-3 hours apart. Your metabolism will be working at a | | | | healthy food. Whole foods are generally lower in |
| constant rate, and you will see those pounds | | | | cholesterol, lower in sugar, and don't impact your |
| evaporate. | | | | waistline in the same way as processed alternatives. |
| Reduce Your Stress | | | | If you are able to find an organic option, this is |
| When your body is under stress, it produces a | | | | better still, as it means that your food is officially |
| hormone called cortisol. Cortisol accelerates fat build | | | | free from pesticides, steroids, and hormones. |
| up and propagates the storage of fat deeper into | | | | Weight loss can be an enjoyable and exciting journey. |
| the cells and around the organs. Of course, less fat | | | | Remember to take before and after pictures to give |
| around your belly, thighs, and hips might be | | | | you some added motivation when faced with that |
| preferable to you, but the type of fat cortisol | | | | extra slice of dessert! |
| creates is infinitely harder to shift. Try to journal, | | | | |