Moderate Your Way to Weight Loss - and Keep It Off!
by: FeliciaPlantain |
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Losing weight is universally thought to be a daunting, potentially painful, unwanted thing to have to do. Most people think that weight loss necessarily involves self-denial, feeling drained and tired and exercising to the point of exhaustion. Starvation and excessive exercise will indeed lead to weight loss, but neither are sustainable; if you want to lose weight and keep it off you need to make gradual change - lifestyle change.
I know - you've heard that before. A "change in lifestyle" doesn't sound much more pleasant than "losing weight" but it can be. In the past you've probably been told that "moderation is key", and it is usually said in a negative context: "stop drinking so much", or "stop eating so much junk food". In this way moderation is usually meant to say that you should stop doing the things you enjoy so much.
When applied in a positive way moderation can hold the key to a lifestyle transformation that you find easy to commit to, and one which will comfortably bring about the weight loss that you are searching for.
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 level of physical activity. We've all heard this before, right? What you're not told is to start very, very, VERY slowly - so slowly you hardly notice. If you set a goal for yourself that is too aggressive and difficult to attain, you will almost certainly fail. Set a goal that is easy to attain and hit it, and you'll be ready to build on that success. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Go for a walk before you leave for work. When you get home from work - go for a walk! Walking is one of the most relaxing and beneficial weight loss habits that you can learn. Turn on the television or go for a walk? Get a snack or go for a walk? These are easy choices, and you can make the healthy one several times a day instead of that other one and begin to feel the difference. Remember: small goals, small steps, implemented consistently.
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. Don't panic! You don't have to do this all alone, or all at once! You're drinking more water now, so this should slow your appetite a bit. Find a safe over-the-counter appetite suppressant and take this during the day - it can help you reduce the calories that you eat in between meals. Adjust your diet to include healthier, more natural foods - nutritionists agree that natural foods are more easily digested by your body and lead to a healthier, leaner you. Whatever you do, don't try to change your diet all at once. Baby steps - gradually moderate your intake to match your level of physical activity.
The four steps described above will put you on the right track to weight loss that is attainable and sustainable. The keys in all areas are moderation in the modification of your diet and activity levels to bring them into alignment. You can do this slowly, over the course of months, and establish new habits that will not only help you melt unwanted pounds away, but will improve your quality of life for years to come.
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About the Author
Felicia has been researching and using health care products for over twenty years and is an expert in natural and healthy weight loss. Visit our site to purchase the finest products available in natural health care and natural weight control products.
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