1. Exercise
Exercise.
The word alone is enough to put most people off!
This is what discourages people who are trying to lose weight. They think that they have to do heavy workouts all the time until they reach the weight they are aiming for.
The truth is, exercising is a crucial part of losing weight. You can't lose much just by improving the way you eat and by drinking enough water. You really need to sweat to shed some pounds.
However, you don't have to schedule heavy workouts, hire a personal weight loss trainer or hit the gym 3 or 4 times a week.
Your exercising doesn't have to be heavy or time consuming to shed excess pounds.
Here are a few easy ways to get some exercise without much effort:
· Walk. Even a 5 minute walk will jumpstart your body's natural fat burners, so walk whenever you can. Perhaps you can start off from home earlier than usual so you can walk to the bus stop or all the way to work.
· Park your car at the very back of the parking lot, gives you the opportunity to walk.
· Take the stairs wherever you are; your office building, apartment, mall, etc.
· Are there exercise groups in your neighborhood? These groups usually exercise in parks in the early morning. Joining a group of people with the same interests or goals help make exercising more fun.
· Get a Tae Bo or exercise video and workout at home at your own time and pace.
· Learn to dance.
· Use a push mower to mow the lawn, sweep your drive, rake the leaves, do your chores manually instead of using machines.
· Sign up for charity runs or walks.
It's really easy to add some exercise into your daily routine. You just need to get out there and do it!
2. Keep Your Incentives In View
Come up with incentives to keep you driven, inspired and motivated and keep these incentives in view. Rewarding yourself after every accomplishment makes the work seem less hard.
Decide how much you want to lose, break it down to more achievable points and reward yourself for every achievement. For example, you want to lose 60 pounds. Break that down into 5 pound increments and for every 5 pounds you lose, give yourself a reward.
Your rewards will be up to you, and they should be reasonable rewards i.e. cash, new dress, movies, new book, new accessories, etc. These need not be expensive, just small things that you know you want and you deserve for staying on track with the weight loss program.
Aside from material rewards, there are also non-physical rewards you can tell yourself you could get if you persevere. These intangible rewards include feeling better about yourself, having more confidence and a better sense of self.
Healthwise, your rewards could include escape from chronic diseases like high blood pressure or high cholesterol, better sleep, better agility, among others.
Some Final Words: Keeping The Weight Away
Once you've reached your ideal weight, you should be careful not to regain the weight you lost. There are ways you can make sure that whatever weight is lost stays lost. Here are some helpful tips:
· Never skip your meals, especially breakfast. Your body goes into fasting mode when it's at rest at night, when you wake up in the morning, you need to break this fasting by eating. If you don't eat, you will feel the pangs of hunger and (a) eat more than necessary or (b) wait till it's lunchtime forcing your metabolism to slow down and store fat. So don't skip your meals.
· Keep a food journal. Write down what you eat everyday so that you know what foods make it easier for you to gain weight, and which foods help you maintain your weight.
· Monitor your weight every week. This lets you know if you've gained weight or lost weight or if there have been no changes at all. This goes hand in hand with monitoring your food.
· Stick to a realistic eating habit and exercise program. Your diet and exercise routine should be realistic enough for you to stick to even after you reach your ideal weight. This will help you maintain your healthy weight because eating well and exercising has become a habit.
So if you are struggling to lose weight, if you have tried various weight loss programs before to no avail, do not give up. Instead, change your attitude and perception. Look at losing weight as nothing you cannot accomplish. Once you have attained the right frame of mind, adopt the various methods discussed in this article to start a smoother journey towards a healthier and fitter you.
Sophie James is a blogger, an author, columnist and expert in the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been extensively published.
Her often ground breaking articles can be found in publications such as Lets Live, and popular weight loss blogs
Find out More at her weight loss blog http://www.weightlossdiet121.blogspot.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sophie_James/2279612
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