Written by Allen Grey
One would never guess, by observing the eating habits of many families, that society is obsessed with being slim, fit and healthy. If you go to a mall, you will see people wolfing down hamburgers and fries, or at home they stuff themselves with donuts, crisps and cookies in front of the television set. A lot of people don’t exercise as they say they are too busy, or they are waiting for the right time. If this is how we think, then there is never going to be a right time to improve our diets and get exercising. The only right time is now! There is no doubt that emotional stress and pressure can cause a person to overeat and gain weight, and experts are addressing the emotional side of obesity in more depth. If you suddenly gain weight after being relatively slim, it can make you feel depressed, affect interaction with your peers and make you withdraw.
There is a huge amount of information available on websites, and in the media, on how to loose weight . You’ll also find personal experiences and success stories of people who have found out how to lose weight easily. Trading meals for shakes and diet pills is one way. Unfortunately, most of these are ‘fad’ diets, and seldom result in long term weight loss – in fact, you may even gain weight. If you want to feel physically better and lose weight, take some time to research your options. Losing weight is not so much about following a rigid diet; it is more about reassessing your eating habits. When embarking on a weight loss plan, remember to talk to your doctor first. This is especially vital for those that need to lose a large amount of weight, and those who have been overweight for a long time.
As mentioned, losing weight is about a lifestyle change and reassessing your eating habits. People, who lose weight by crash dieting, or other methods, usually gain back all the pounds they lost because they haven’t changed their eating and exercise habits. Small changes to your diet are a lot easier to stick to, as opposed to major ones. Make sure you work out your BMI (body mass index) to establish how many pounds you need to lose. Some points that will help you in adopting a healthier lifestyle and subsequently lose weight are: reduce the size of the portions you eat, and drink more water – diet sodas contain a lot of salt which make you bloated; stop eating when you feel satisfied; try not to eat when you are upset or bored – you will usually end up eating junk food; break up your meals into five or six smaller meals each day; keep healthy snacks in your home, like carrots and celery sticks, raisins, sunflower seeds and fruit. Try and have five servings of fruits and veggies a day. Because they contain roughage, they will keep you feeling full for longer while also helping you lose weight and keeping you healthy. Replace white bread with whole wheat, change full cream milk for low fat or skim milk, and make sure you eat a healthy breakfast every day. Muesli, whole-grain cereal and skim milk, with a piece of fruit, are great choices for a healthy, nourishing breakfast. A boiled egg and brown toast, and a glass of low-fat yogurt are also very sustaining. You don’t have to cut out everything you like; an occasional chocolate or muffin is quite acceptable. Putting your treats out of bounds will only make you want them more! You must have some fat in your diet to stay healthy, but make sure the foods are low fat. Get yourself a calorie counter. If you have overeaten, check the calorific values of the foods you have eaten that day, and eat less the next day.
When you have developed good eating habits, you must make an effort to fit activity into your day. Walk whenever you can, use the stairs instead of the elevator, and try to do at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Start by walking for 15 minutes, and gradually increase the time and distance every week. You could also join a walking club and walk with others each evening after work – a fun and sociable way to keep fit! If you join a gym, speak to the instructor about cross training. Cross training is a wonderful way to strengthen the body’s different muscle groups and reduces the boredom of doing the same exercises repeatedly. Cross training produces a higher level of all-round fitness and reduces the risk of injury while improving skill, agility and balance.
If you ‘cheat’ occasionally, don’t beat yourself up, but don’t give up! As long as you are eating the right foods and exercising 90% of the time, you will lose weight and stay healthy. Remember, you’re trying to change lifelong eating habits.
So take one day at a time and you will reap the rewards by reaching and maintaining your goal weight!