Simple Steps to Lose Weight

The Australian Bureau of Statistics now estimates that a staggering 54 per cent of Australians are classified as overweight to obese. So why is it that a culture which consumes more diet related products than ever before is still collectively so fat?

Alarmingly a recent survey revealed that women on average will spend approximately 30 years of their lives on a diet. I am lead to one conclusion - diets just do not work.

So what is the answer I hear you ask? What can you do to lose weight?

I am about to share with you a simple solution that is fast taking the fitness industry by storm. It is not a diet, a fitness program or a magic potion. Those of you who have given up smoking will understand the philosophy behind this ground breaking plan I am about to share with you.

This plan outlined in simple steps below, is designed to help you to lose excess weight by making lifestyle changes that are not only permanent but also effective at making your body perform at its optimal best.

Below I have listed the simple changes you can make in your life to help you to not only lose weight but to make sure you never have to utter the word diet again.

1. Find time to exercise every day, make it your priority. You might have to wake up half an hour earlier every morning to go for a walk. Walk outside or consider hiring or buying a treadmill, x-trainer or bike. Anything that will get your heart rate going. Dancing round the house for 30 minutes like a crazy loon works too. Within a week I can guarantee you that you will start to feel the benefits.
2. Make the time to eat a healthy breakfast every day. Have cereal, yogurt and fruit. It is a well known fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It will not only increase your metabolism and provide your body with important nutrients, but it will help keep you energized until lunchtime.
3. Eat an apple every day. Apples contain five grams of fibre, which we know is required for our digestive health. Along with pectin which decreases the absorption of both fat and cholesterol. Keep your apples stored in your refrigerator to keep them crisp and fresh.
4. Give up the soft drinks. Even the diet sodas which have been found to have

Similar affects on our insulin levels as their sugared counterparts. Water is the best drink for anyone at any age.

1. Keep a journal. This may seem like a choir to some people. But a journal can be very liberating; it will also prevent you from digestive amnesia. At the very least you should record your weight, food intake and exercise output on a daily basis. Feel free to add other details, such as how you are feeling, and so on but at the very least you need to record the basics so that you can keep track of your progress.Remember that you are working on a new lifetime plan, this is not a short term deal. The kilos will never stop piling on unless you and you alone stop practicing the habits that put them there in the first place.
2. Throw away all your fat clothes. When you down a size make a commitment to yourself that you will never wear that larger size again. Donate everything to charity or sell it at the markets or on ebay and make a few dollars to buy yourself something smaller. Enjoy your changing body and learn how to dress it.
3. Do not be afraid to change your hairstyle and makeup. Consider professional help to ensure you get the right look.
4. Buy smaller plates for dinner times, and always order small serves if eating out and at take away restaurants never accept the upgrade!
5. On average we spend between three and fourteen waking hours in our homes everyday. We spend about 4 hours a week at the shops. So it makes sense not to keep junk food in the house. Don't do it! Not for your kids, your partner of even your dog. If it is not in the house you have already won one battle over temptation. There will of course be others. But this one you can easily win.
6. Plan your meals ahead of time and where ever you go have a healthy low calorie snack on hand, an apple for example
7. Team up with a friend or your partner for mutual support. Encourage each other and try not to be disappointed if their weightloss is happening quicker than yours. Remember this is a lifetime plan.
8. Learn - everything you can about diet, nutrition and exercise. The more knowledge you have the harder it will be to kid yourself that everything is fine when you fall off the wagon.
9. Take up a new hobby. That does not relate to food, unless it is growing your own fruit and vegetables.
10. Do something everyday that makes you feel good. Life is to be enjoyed. That does not mean to enjoy a family pizza, a bucket of KFC or a block of chocolate. These things do not add to the quality of your life nor do they replace what may be missing in your life. This one can take some time to figure out, but I can guarantee you that it is worth the effort.
11. Sleep. Sleep at least eight hours a night if you cannot get a straight eight hours then try to find time to nap. Even a twenty minute power nap can be rejuvenating. Our bodies need sleep to recover from all the stresses and strains of everyday life. Sleep is a very important and often underestimated part of a healthy living regime.
12. Eat food as close to its natural state as you can get it. Fresh and preferably organic fruit and vegetables are a must. Learn what it is in season and shop accordingly. If you must but use preserved vegetables buy frozen ones, as the canned variety can be full of salt, sugar and other preservatives. Choose wholegrain foods, and spend a little more money on quality low fat cuts of meat. It is the quality and not the quantity of your food that is important now. Eat as wide a variety of food as you can manage, a wider range means a greater supply of nutrients.

Finally never give up. If you are overweight life can seem like a constant struggle between good and bad choices. Keep at it, the more you try the better you will get and eventually you will succeed. I suggest you try to implement one new step at a time. Once it becomes a habit move onto another step and then continue until finally you are living your life in the body you have always wanted. A healthy vibrant new you is in your future, you could weigh 10 kilos less within a year just by making small changes to the way you live now. Think about it. What did you weigh this time last year? This may seem like a slow process but you did not gain those extra kilos overnight so you cannot possibly expect to lose them overnight and then to keep them off. This is a plan for life. Embrace it and enjoy everyday of your journey.

Good luck and remember you are never alone in your struggle.