I've dieted a lot in my life. It seems I love the wrong foods and the couch potato lifestyle, both of which took a toll on my body as far as packing on the excess pounds. I've tried a lot of different diets trying to get rid of the weight, and then I decided that I was going to do it the old-fashioned way, and it works! It isn't easy, but it is worth the effort you put forth. So read on and give it a try. You'll be glad you did.
Everyone who is carrying a few extra pounds is looking for a fast, easy way to lose weight and fit into their clothes better. In the case of people who are severely overweight, the problem seems almost overwhelming and unconquerable. You may have tried every diet and diet pill, joined groups for support, or just tried to do it on your own. The sad fact is, though, that there is no easy, fast way to do it. Any diet runs on the amount of willpower and commitment you put into it.
The bottom line, as any weight-loss expert will tell you, is that if you want to lose weight, you need to eat less and exercise more. In the same way that you gained the weight by overeating and under-exercising, now the reverse is the only solution. Too bad it's so much more fun putting the weight on than it is taking it off again. However, it can be done if you really want it badly enough, and it isn't as hard as you might have come to believe.
There are a lot of diet programs out there that promise you will lose weight if you buy their foods and methods. However, these programs are nothing more than a crutch that some people willingly pay thousands of dollars to get support from. The fact of the matter is that these programs are nothing but that - support. A friend or relative can give you just as much support, and they aren't going to charge you for it. The foods they offer are all processed foods, when for optimum health you should be eating whole foods.
Whole foods are those that haven't been manufactured or changed in any way. These foods include fresh beef, pork, poultry, and fish, raw vegetables and fruits, and milk. Nature knows what it's doing when it comes to growing foods that are the most nutritious for us. Most of these whole foods also have fewer calories than processed foods do. All you have to do is read the package of any processed food to see how many things are added to the foods. Processed foods are full of fillers, such as high fructose corn syrup and added sugars, oils, and starches. Hence, added calories.
Therefore, when you're looking to cut calories and lose weight, a healthy, natural way to go about it is by eating as many whole foods as possible. Stick with the foods that you know exactly what you are eating with. For instance, a day's menu might be:
- Breakfast: ½ cup oatmeal prepared with skim milk, ½ banana, and a glass of water
- Morning snack: 5 raw almonds
- Lunch: 1 carton yogurt and a glass of water
- Afternoon snack: mixed fresh veggies with 1 tablespoon of fat free dressing for a dip
- Dinner: 4 oz. chicken, turkey, or fish, broiled; 1 ear sweet corn; ½ cup lowfat cottage cheese; and ½ cup fresh fruit (any kind you like), and a glass of water.
- Early evening snack: 1 cup melon or 1 slice whole wheat bread with a scraping of butter and peanut butter on it
You might think you'd get hungry on this kind of a diet, and you will for about the first two weeks, but after that your body will adjust itself to the new eating patterns, and you'll only feel a few hunger pangs such as everyone feels normally. If you're really hungry, add another snack, such as more fresh veggies, an apple, or a few more almonds.
You also need to include things in your diet that are going to satisfy cravings. For example, if you're a chocoholic like I am, you need to add a “dessert” to lunch or dinner of either a small square of dark chocolate or a very small piece of some other chocolate treat. I like the 100 calorie packs of Hostess cupcakes for my treats. Each pack has three tiny cupcakes in it. I eat one per day and keep the rest in a small container in the refrigerator for another day. That way, I'm getting a hit of chocolate, and it's only 33 calories.
