Whether it’s 5lbs or 150lbs, weight loss requires determination and lifestyle changes. We all know that eating too much can make you gain weight, but what about eating too little? The common mistake most people make when trying to lose weight is deprivation. Depriving your body by eating very little food will not cause weight loss. Initially, your body will respond in this manner and you will lose weight. Here’s the catch, the weight you’ve lost will be extremely difficult to maintain, and you won’t look as good as someone who lost the same amount of weight the right way, because you’re losing muscle and water weight. Must be, not fat. So what’s the “right way” to lose weight and keep it off?
The “right way” involves a long-term lifestyle change that includes a healthy, well-rounded diet and increased body movement. To lose weight and keep it off, you need to set realistic goals that can be incorporated into your life over the long term. Your plan should be specifically tailored to fit you. how do you do this?
Step One: Review your daily eating habits, write down what you eat on an average day. Check it out, and circle everything that’s high in fat and sugar: gourmet coffee, fast food, cookies, muffins, donuts, chips, pop/soda, pizza, etc. These are the foods you should work towards eliminating.
Once you evaluate your current eating habits, you can begin to see what changes are needed.
Step two: don’t count your calorie intake!! This is one of the easiest ways to see weight loss results. A 16-ounce bottle of Coke contains 200 calories, all of which are empty calories. If you drink more than one bottle a day, your body is consuming 400 or more calories just from the liquid. If you use lemon instead of ice cold water, you will already reduce your caloric intake by 400 calories without changing the amount of food you eat.
Step Three: Plan Ahead
Plan 2-3 different easy breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner menus that can be made in bulk at the beginning of the week, or made the night before. Ex: a pot of chili, whole grain pasta w/marinara sauce, turkey burger, oatmeal, granola cereal, fruit, yogurt, turkey bacon, sandwich on whole grain bread. These are some great breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack ideas that can be prepared in advance, or made the night before or early in the morning.
I do not believe in eating lightly to lose weight. If you like foods like hamburgers, pizza, cookies and muffins, find healthier alternatives to these foods. There are quick and easy muffin recipes using oat and barley flours (these flours can be found in the organic section of most grocery stores) that are low in calories and sugar. Make a juicy turkey burger instead of a hamburger, and make homemade pizza with vegetables and turkey pepperoni instead of ordering a grease-laden pizza chain pizza. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with one or two healthy snacks throughout the day. Drink plenty of water, and pay attention to portions (meat and pasta servings should be about the size of your closed fist).
Step 4: Increase your movement. If you already exercise and are in a rut, switch it up. If you jog, implement sprint intervals to increase your calorie burn. You can do sprint intervals ad in any cardio workout, elliptical, exercise bike, etc. To do this work at a moderate pace for 2 minutes and then increase to a very intense level for one minute, do this every 2 minutes for your complete cardio session.
If you don’t exercise, start adding more activity to your life. You can take a walk during your lunch break, go for a bike ride on the weekend, or go to the mall and walk at a slightly faster pace while you shop. Stretch while watching TV, do jumping jacks, squats, or sit-ups during commercial breaks. It doesn’t matter what you do, just increase your physical movement daily.
If you follow these four steps you will be well on your way to a slimmer healthier you! If you feel overwhelmed, start with step one and slowly work your way through all the steps. The key is to change the way you think about losing weight. Permanent weight loss isn’t about deprivation, but a healthy lifestyle change.
For more weight loss tips, healthy recipes and workout plans visit: http://weightlossdoneright.blogspot.com
Source by Timotha Reed
