The Big Step
Now that you've taken inventory and taken action by deciding to get that diet on track by reducing your intake by ten percent or less you're ready to take the next step. Literally. Exercise is the key to any long term weight loss plan. If you don't exercise, you will eventually find yourself slipping back into old habits, simply because they are easier. So, go buy a good pair of shoes and go for a walk. You don't need to walk fast and you don't need to walk forever, but you should find a time that works for you and stick to it. Try to walk at least four times a week for thirty to forty minutes. Take a stroll; you'll be stunned by the results.
Maintaining
Okay, here we are together. We've gone to the doctor, taken inventory, action and the big step. Now what? Set yourself a rational weight loss goal. So many people that I know say they are going to lose twenty pounds in four months. Now, that can be done, but generally it isn't sustainable. A better choice is two pounds a month. Buy a scale and keep a chart. Don't be surprised or disheartened if your weight fluctuates. It will. It will go up and down quite a bit, but if you stick to the steps you'll notice a downward trend. You'll also notice some other neat things. Remember how you used to pant going up the stairs at work? Not anymore. Not after a couple of months of walking. Remember how tight those pants were that you bought just last fall? Not anymore. Remember how bad you felt after pounding down that double cheeseburger and fry? Not anymore, you don't eat that stuff much.
Conclusion
I call this a diet, but it isn't really. It is a change of lifestyle that has the chance to make you healthier. There aren't any menu plans or charts or graphs or neat little boxes in the mail. You don't have to join a gym or spend hundreds of dollars. You don't have to spend hours in front of the TV working out to the tapes that you bought for only three easy payments of $14.99. I spend about an hour a day on my diet and I have lost almost 25 pounds in five months. That isn't a sustainable weight loss, but most of that came off in the first two months, simply by reducing my bad carb intake and increasing my physical activity. My fasting glucose is now normal and I feel great.
This isn't rocket science. We all know what to do and we can do it.
