Americans spend billions of dollars every year to loose weight, but we are still getting fatter. Diet and exercise is advertised everywhere, and the perfect body can be bought for a price.
Actually, weight loss is very simple. If you burn more calories than you eat every day, you will loose weight. Many people loose weight on some of these programs only to gain it right back. The primary reason is that they follow the steps of the program, but they do not learn how to make lifestyle changes to maintain a healthy weight.
Permanent weight loss does require you to learn how many calories are in the foods and drinks you consume. It is important to take note of all the calories you take in. Many people don’t calculate calories in juice, cough drops and other things they just pop in their mouth.
Start by setting a reasonable daily calorie allowance. Take into account how physically active you are. Next, determine how you can get the best possible nutrition out of that number of calories. You don’t have to preset what you will eat every day – once you have a basic knowledge of the calories in different foods you can make those decisions day by day.
This method of weight loss is very forgiving when you need to cheat. During the holidays, at birthday parties, when dining out just adjust the rest of your day’s meals accordingly. If you really blow it, you can even make it up by cutting back over the next several days, so long as it comes out right in the long run.
The only thing harder than taking in fewer calories is exercising more. Even small lifestyle changes can increase the amount of exercise you get. Parking further away from the door in shopping malls, taking the stairs rather than the elevator… it all adds up. Your body won’t know whether you’re burning the calories in a gym in one stretch or over the course of your day doing chores and errands.
And once you begin to lose the weight and see results in lowered stress, clothes fitting better, more energy, etc; then give yourself more than just a pat on the back. Reward yourself! Go online and buy yourself some jewelry from JRDunn.com. Go to the mall and buy yourself a new outfit. Go out to for a healthy dinner and movie. You deserve it!