Want to Lose Weight? Do So Slowly for Permanent Loss

Are you discouraged with dieting? Yes, you lose pounds rapidly, but at what cost? You deprive and sacrifice to reach your magic goal; but then put it all back on again (way too easily). Part of the problem is your style of dieting. Scientists now say that you can easily lose weight, and not gain it back, by simply following a few steps. The goal is to lose one pound per week (maybe two at the most, but not more). By slowly losing weight, you will adapt a new and healthier lifestyle that will be easy to maintain, once your goals have been achieved. True, it won’t happen over night: but then, you didn’t gain it over night. So let your loss of weight be like the turtle and not like the hare. Speed is not of the essence, or even desirable, when it comes to losing weight. Some experts in the field state that yo-yo dieting is actually unhealthy in the long run, as you lose muscles in the process, but regain fat.

Therefore, some simple steps are outlined below which may assist you in a lifestyle change which you are able to endure for a life time without feeling like the sacrificial lamb.

1. Eat Breakfast every day: Those people who do not eat breakfast usually eat more throughout the day, as they are hungry. Or eat ravenously at the next meal they do eat. Additionally, when you do not ‘break your fast’ with breakfast, your body feels it may be because you are starving, and automatically goes into ‘over-drive’ to conserve your body’s fats and stores sugar. Research has shown that people, who do eat breakfast every day, maintain a healthier weight than those who don’t. One little interesting tid-bit: If you don’t feel hungry at breakfast time, it usually means you have eaten too much the night before.

2. Minimize mindless eating: Mindless eating is eating while you are doing something else. Traditionally, we do this while watching TV. Being a couch potato has a high correlation with mindless eating. We are not hungry, we simply long to be physically active, and the only way we can incorporate that while sitting (or laying) on the couch, is to physically exercise our arm from the plate (or bag) to our mouth. If we must do this, then be sure healthy snacks (in small portions) are available. Or use weights, so you actually do exercise. Better still, stay out of the kitchen. Turn the lights off, brush your teeth, and leave the room (ok, ok, maybe brush your teeth, turn the lights off and leave the room).

3. Choose your liquids carefully: Remember (and paste this on your fridge, so you don’t forget), one third of any pop is sugar. Would you ever eat 24 teaspoons of sugar in less than an hour? If not, why drink it? Additionally, alcohol contains more calories than your normal sugar drink, so if you normally have one or two drinks a day, try to decrease this by one drink; or go without one or two days a week. It’s amazing how many calories this will save you. If you must drink, drink water. Most of us don’t have enough water. Drink flavored water, if you can’t stand the taste of plain ole’ water. Or have a 100% juice drink, or a liquid vegetable drink (these drinks will help you to get your daily quote of fruits and vegetables).

Many other actions steps, which are equally as simple as those already outlined, are available for your review and use. Don’t give up hope; remember at one pound per week, at the end of the year you will have lost 52 pounds. Not an insignificant loss!