Sep 05
2008Weight Loss Tools: Losing Weight and Keeping It Off
Filed Under (Weight Loss) by Felicia Plantain on 05-09-2008
Tagged Under : Weight Loss
Are you one of the millions of people to whom the idea of weight loss is synonymous with starving yourself, learning to live without the foods you like the most or exercising until you collapse? Exercising and dieting can lean to weight loss, but if you want to lose weight and keep that weight off you need to find a sustainable way to do that. It could be time for a “lifestyle change” - but don’t panic! This can be pretty easy if done correctly.
You’ve probably heard that before, but “…a change in lifestyle” doesn’t sound any less daunting than “…losing weight” - but it doesn’t have to be. You’ve probably also heard it said that “…moderation is the key” but it is usually said in a negative context - that is, as another way of saying that you should cut back on those things that you enjoy but are perhaps overindulging in such as food or alcohol.
When you apply moderation as a positive influence in your life it can hold the key to lifestyle transformation that is comfortable to implement, and weight loss that is gradual and maintainable.
Moderation can be difficult when applied to those negative habits and patterns in your life, but it can often be easily applied to those positive habits that may be difficult or impossible to maintain if applied in excess. Cutting sweets our of your diet will lead to weight loss, but who wants to do that forever? If you take up running you will lose weight, but for many that is impractical - for some it is dangerous!
Despite all of the current marketing hype surrounding miracle diets, it’s a pretty well-established truth that your ability to lose weight depends upon balancing your caloric intake with expenditures - it boils down to diet and exercise. Dramatic changes in either can produce weight loss, but those changes are difficult or impossible to maintain.
The key is to implement positive change in your lifestyle and to do it very slowly - so slowly that it is easy. You can make little changes and then gradually increase them as you become more comfortable in a new routine. Here are a few changes that you can make that can be implemented gradually and that will help you lose weight and feel better:
1) Drink more water. Easy enough - most people can keep a bottle of water close at hand while at work or at home. Keep a sixteen or twenty ounce bottle of water with you during the day and count how many times you can empty it and refill it. Ideally you should consume about a half-ounce of water per day for every pound of body weight. That’s a lot of water, but you don’t have to start out with that much or get to that amount all at once. It’s a well-known axiom that those things that are monitored tend to improve all by themselves, and if you just notice how much water you drink in the course of a day that amount will increase. Water is a natural appetite suppressant, and your body needs water and proper hydration to function efficiently.
2) Increase your amount of physical activity. You’ve heard this one before, it’s one of the most important things you can do to lose weight, andit is the most important step to practice with moderation. Most people fail in raising their levels of activity because they get too aggressive - they try to make big changes too fast. If you set a goal that is too difficult to maintain you are certain to fail. Start by just taking the stairs when you can rather than the elevator - walking is very relaxing and one of the mos beneficial habits that you can build into your life and build upon to lose weight. When you’re at work - go for a walk. At home? Go for a walk! Start with short ones and grow them when time permits, and when you feel up to it. Walking can become one of the best parts of your day - and it will help you lose weight.
3) Get more rest. Clinical studies have shown that there is a close correlation to lack of sleep and weight gain. Those deprived of sleep tend to opt for high calorie foods, and the hormones that regulate appetite and that full feeling you get right after a meal get all out of whack if you haven’t had enough sleep. Shoot for eight hours of sleep per night. If you can’t find enough hours in the day, get as close as you can to that number. Your body needs rest in order to maintain a healthy balance, and sleep will help keep your appetite at bay.
4) Moderate your diet. Here moderation is everything, because most of us have tried to make unreasonable changes in our diets (the Cabbage diet?!) only to retreat in defeat. You don’t need to make changes all at once! Choose a mild appetite suppressant and use it to supplement the steps above. Over-the-counter appetite suppressants can help you to curb eating between meals as you adjust your diet to include healthier foods. When choosing foods to eat opt for the more natural fare - nutritionists agree that natural foods are easier for your system to break down and are less likely than sugary sweets to wind up around your waist. Whatever you do, don’t try to change your diet overnight, and gradually moderate your food intake to match your level of activity.
There you have it - if you slowly and consistently implement the steps outlined above you will begin to change your lifestyle for the better, you’ll feel better and you will begin to shed unwanted pounds. Best of all, since the change is gradual and progressive, you’ll keep that weight off. Go slowly! Remember: moderation is key.
