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If you are serious about weight loss, I mean, healthy and permanent weight loss, it is important for you to set realistic goals. Most people have no set goals in mind except that of losing weight and losing it quickly. The quicker they can lose weight, the better. They have no idea of how much time it takes to lose weight the healthy way.
A lot of people get attracted to fad diets and weight loss pills that promise things like 30 pounds in 30 days and while you may end up losing a few pounds, it’s not fat loss. With most of the fad diets, you will lose more water weight and muscles than fat. I am sure you will agree that this is an unhealthy way of losing weight! Moreover, such weight loss is not permanent. Once you stop the fad diet and continue to eat the way you did before the diet, sooner or later you will regain all your 'lost' pounds.
Another mistake is too many of us strive to look like our favorite movie star or athlete. We want to have the body they have. You have to keep in mind that these people train day in and day out and don’t have to go to a 9-5 job like most of us do, and they have the money to pay for an expensive trainer. Moreover, you don't need to be like them.
To become healthy, all you need is to lose enough weight so that you can reach your ideal weight goal. To do that, you won't need to use any fad diets or starve for weeks. All you need to do is to eat right and include the right amount of exercises with it; with this combo, you are sure to lose all those tenacious pounds!
And forget about the word 'dieting' and focus on eating healthy instead! For starters, you can replace fizzy drinks and soda with water; this way, you will be able to quench your thirst without adding any calories. Some people think that soft drinks that come with the 'low-calorie' tag are okay. However, this is wrong! Low-calorie soft drinks not only taste bad, but being deprived of fructose, they make you crave sugar.
You should also look at replacing white flour with whole grain wheat. Whole grain wheat contains little fat. Being rich in protein and fiber, it will help you with weight loss!
Speaking of exercise, weight training is one of the best exercises for quick weight loss. Contrary to what some women think, weight training with just the right amount of weights will help tone and shape your body and not take away the femininity of a woman or give them big gaudy looking muscles like a body builder. Let’s face it, a woman who is toned and in shape is very sexy!
There are many other benefits of exercises than just weight loss. Exercise will make you more energetic by burning your fat deposits and help you build strong lean muscle. Exercise also helps improve your immune system and stamina, not to mention you will also be able to sleep more soundly and wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to go.
We all have our excuses for not starting that new diet and finally getting ourselves into shape. We have many reasons for wanting to be slimmer - more energy, better health, looking better, more self esteem - but we can come up with even more excuses for not losing weight. Some of these excuses are:
1. I have Kids - It seems to me that having a family would be incentive to stay healthier and be more active. You have to cook for your kids, so feed them healthier foods. In America alone, 16% - 33% of children aged 6 - 19 are obese. Do you want YOUR kids to face the same problems you have when they are adults?
2. I have to cook "normal" meals for the rest of the family. Set an example with the healthier foods you eat. Maybe they will gradually switch.
3. I don't have time to shop. Where does all the junky food you prepare for other family members come from? Buy your stuff at the same time.
4. It costs more money. If you cut out the high calorie, high fat foods, with no nutritional value, and replace them with fresh, nutritious foods, you can actually save money.
5. I don't really eat that much. Keep a Daily Food Log for two weeks. You can find a free one online at http://www.vertex42.com/exceltemplates/food-log.html. You will be amazed at the patterns that emerge.
6. I don't have time to exercise. You probably just don't like to exercise. I don't, either. But I love to line dance. So that's how I exercise. Find something physical you love to do, and do it.
7. When I go to lunch with my friends, they eat great stuff and I feel deprived. Their waistlines and arteries will suffer, not yours. There's an old saying, "Nothing tastes as good as being slim feels." Put it on your refrigerator and in your wallet.
8. I eat when I'm depressed. If you want to be REALLY be depressed, look in your mirror. If you're depressed, get help. Eating something will just make you more depressed because you gave up your control over yourself.
To successfully lose weight, you have to be in control. The first time you say "NO" to that cookie will be hard, but you're sense of accomplishment, after the urge has passed, will make you feel a lot better about yourself than eating that cookie would have.
There is no reason to struggle through a lengthy diet, lose all your weight, and then gain it all back. The best diet programs help you lose weight naturally, so you maintain your weight loss. Here are some tips to help you lose your weight and keep it off:
1. Reduce the amount of carbohydrates you eat. Be especially careful to select good carbs versus bad carbs. Good carbs come from whole grains, corn, carrots, beans, and other fresh vegetables. Bad carbs come from refined flour, sugar, pasta, and anything that contains these items. Some experts recommend that you keep your carbohydrate total to one-sixth of your total daily calories.
2. Reduce the amount of fat in your diet and switch to healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil. Don't eat trans-fats and hydrogenated fats, such as shortening. Check the labels of your foods to be sure they don't contain hydrogenated fats. Peanut butter is a good example. The ones that have oil at the top are not hydrogenated. Mix the oil in with the peanut butter and keep it in the refrigerator. Be careful not to reduce the fat in your diet to the point where you joints suffer. Your body needs some healthy fats to function efficiently.
3. Eat a lot of low density vegetables - those that have low calories - so you can eat a lot more. A good example is greens.
4. Don't eliminate fiber from your diet. Eat around 25 grams each day, which includes 10 grams of insoluble fiber.
5. Find an eating plan that you can adopt permanently so you can continue after you've lost your desired weight. Don't go on a strange diet that you will only be able to follow for a short time.
6. Include exercise in your weight loss regime. It will tone up your body and help you lose weight faster. Building your muscles also increases your metabolism, allowing your body to burn fat faster. Try to burn about 300 calories a day through exercise. Be advised, though, that muscles weigh more than fat, so as you increase muscle mass you may not show as quick a loss on the scales, even though you are losing fat.
7. Focus more on improving your health than just losing the pounds. Don't rush your weight loss. Allow your body to adjust gradually to weighing less and you will feel better.
