Let’s face it. Diet’s suck. If they were easy, then nearly 78 percent of adults in the United States wouldn’t’ be overweight or obese. In comparison, 60 percent of Americans use a streaming service like Netflix. So, there are plenty of people that want to loose weight. Here’s how to loose weight in a healthy way.
The problem with most diets, especially extreme ones, is that even if they produce short term results, they may not work for the long term, and may also be unhealthy for you
as well. When that happens, you may even put on more weight post-diet than you originally lost, which can kill your motivation. But, here are a few ways to overcome that, diet healthy, and have long term success.
Set Realistic and Intelligent Goals – There’s a saying, “Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail”, that also holds true for diets. So putting together a plan, with realistic goals that you want to target, can help you achieve consistent success in your quest to loose weight.
Don’t set your goals directly to weight loss. Instead, set goals that are tied to habits, like working out so many times per week, for a specific amount of time. Food goals like a certain mix of healthy protein, fat, and carbohydrate sources, so many times per day, that won’t exceed a certain number of calories per day. You’re much more likely to achieve success if you can set a plan, and measure your progress against that plan.
Don’t Focus Too Much On Calorie Counts – It’s much better to focus on the quality of your food, rather than the quantity of calories your eating. Educate yourself on proper foods combined with proper exercise.
Keep Your Diet Rules Flexible – When you cut out foods, you’ll find your willpower to stay on your diet will fail. We all have a tendency to “crave what we can’t have” – which causes you to focus on that one thing you are trying to avoid. Instead, if you put in your plan, that “one thing” as a reward for hitting a goal, it becomes a source of motivation for you. Just make sure that you factor that “reward” into your overall plan in a way that doesn’t counter your overall goals. For example, if you crave a Cinnabon, don’t make that your reward for every workout. Make it a reward for loosing 10 lbs.
Cut Out Sugar – But Be Patient – We’re addicted to sugar. Cutting sugar out cold-turkey won’t kill the cravings for sweet things. But those cravings will go away. And, you can substitute adding sugar to your coffee, for example, with agave syrup or stevia.
When You Do Have a Craving – Go Exercise! – Get up. Go for a walk. Hit the gym. It keeps your mind distracted from what’s in your kitchen. Walking out your door helps you to reduce the stress you may be feeling from that craving, it shifts your mindset onto other things, and that additional movement burns calories, helping you get that much closer to your goal.
Eat More Greens – Leafy greens are good for you!. They are a healthy source of vitamins and minerals – and a couple of great sources are broccoli, kale, lettuce, and spinach. So do bok choy and Swiss chard. And, research is showing that not only do we not eat enough healthy greens, but that upping the amount that you eat can result in substantial weight loss as well.
There’s plenty of information out there on what foods are, and aren’t, healthy. Take a little time to plan a week’s menu. Use that information to create a shopping list and food plan for a week. Add on top of that an exercise plan that you feel you can start out with. Then, each week, refine it. And, if you’re looking for quality home exercise equipment, stop by any of Fitness 4 Home Superstore’s three Phoenix area locations. With a little bit of work creating your plan, setting achievable goals, eating healthy, and regular exercise, you’ll find those pounds coming off, while building a healthier lifestyle as well!
