Whatever anyone tells you about the latest "sausage only diet", or "cheese diet", or even just the old "starvation diet", none of these fads and phases will either help you lose weight or become healthier. I managed to lose about 2 stone painlessly in the space of 3 months, and I'll explain here how this can be done.
Firstly, it is important to remember that you have to start eating and exercising as you mean to go on. There is no point starving yourself and exercising heavily for a month, losing some weight, and then just going back to your old ways. Because that's a sure path back to your old weighs!
It is possible to still eat the foods you enjoy (although of course in some moderation), if you take enough exercise. Here are some tips:
Choose a form of exercise you enjoy
There's no point going for a jog every day if you hate running, because in no time you'll find yourself giving up. If pounding the pavement doesn't do it for you, then try swimming, for example, or walking…. Walk!
It's that simple really. Instead of taking that 15 minute bus ride into town, enjoy a 40 minute stroll instead. If you do about 40 minutes of walking a day at a moderate pace, you'll soon find the pounds amble away themselves. This is not only a much less strenuous although equally useful form of exercise than running etc, but you'll find it easier to keep up because there's always a goal to aspire to (i.e to reach your destination!). The gentle workout
If you find you really enjoy exercising, try doing this brief workout every morning when you get up. It need only take 10 minutes, but it stretches your muscles and will provide with someone of the necessary exercise to lose weight.
- Firstly, undertake various stretches to your arms and legs. Try windmilling your arms for a bit, and do a few squats.
- Now try jogging on the spot for a few minutes, with your arms stretched out on a level with your eyes, to either side of your body. This is a great way to tone up your arms!
- Round it off with a few pressups and crunches (if you're short of time or energy, just do 10 or 15 of each).
- Finally, do a few more stretches, and shake out your arms and legs, to cool down!
Be regular but varied
In order for all this activity to have an effect, you need to repeat it every other day. Try varying the type of exercise you take, to make it more interesting so you're less likely to get bored and give up. For example, try running on Monday, swimming on Wednesday, and cycling on Friday.
Food
We've already established above that you don't need to starve yourself to lose weight. Follow these guidelines to still enjoy eating, and love dieting:
Ditch the fast food and ready meals, and pick up the saucepan.
It's not difficult to cook proper meals, and if you cook large amounts you'll have enough to put several portions away in the freezer that you'll simply need to heat up for another dinner. Ready meals are fattening, and also expensive. Buy a cookery book or two
Or even search the net for healthy recipes you can try. You'll be surprised at how delicious losing weight can be! Reduce the portion size a little
This will help a lot, and you can prevent yourself from getting hungry by bulking out your meal with nutritious but non fatty foods such as rice. Don't deny yourself a treat
It's fine to have some chocolate every so often if you're following all the guidelines and tips above! So go on, have fun!
