5 Ways to start losing weight today
Carry a notebook and pen
Make sure you write in that notebook. Every single thing that you swallow should be written down, preferably as soon as you swallow it. If you finish your daughter's leftover cereal at breakfast , write it down. Sample some chocolate at the office? Write it down. Just a 'tested' of the casserole you're making for dinner - yep write it down.
Writing down what we eat and drink focuses us to be aware of what we're putting in our mouth. It gives us an easy way to track our intake and decide what changes we want to make.
Ask 'Why?'
Every time you start to eat or drink, ask yourself one word: Why? Way am I eating this? Am I hungry, tired, bored, stressed, lonely? The correct answer is simple: hunger. If you're not hungry, don't eat it!!! Work out what you need to do to satisfy that emotion: Take a nap, read a book, call a friend - call me!! Don't just eat if you're not hungry.
Eat to lose
That's right, if you skip meals you won't lose weight. Why? Because then you'll get so hungry that you snack, or eat more than you want to, or end up feeling miserable and give-up straight away. Everybody needs to eat and deserves to eat three meals per day. Snacks too(if of course you can answer question 2 correctly first). Forget those skimpy little diet meals. They just leave you feeling hungry and unsatisfied. A meal should include whole grains, fruit and vegetables, protein and even a small amount of fat.
Remember your favorite things
If you've ever tried to completely avoid your favorite food, then completely lost control and devoured the entire packet of biscuits, you know what i'm talking about. Hooked on chocolate? Eat one delicious, exquisite piece of high-quality chocolate every evening. Savour that chocolate and look forward to it. Sit down, relax and do nothing but enjoy the flavour, texture and experience of eating chocolate. Eat slowly, enjoying every bite.
This process can apply to whatever your favorite thing is. Whatever you do, don't feel guilty. A small portion of your favorite food will keep you satisfied and happy and losing weight.
Find a part of your body that moves (not your mouth) and move it!
Everyone can move something. If you have bad knees you can still exercise your arms or even do water exercises in a pool. Take up line dancing or karate. Walk the dog in the morning before work, take the kids for a bike ride after school, or listen to your favorite music while using the treadmill. Even housework can become exercise if you move vigorously enough. Turn vacuuming into a race, wash windows with plenty of elbow grease, or scrub floors until you work up a sweat.
There are simply no excuses for not moving. Every day. Start with five minutes and add 1-5 additional minutes every week until your moving for at least 60 minutes every day. You don't have to do it all at once. You can spread the activity times apart of you want: vacuum for 10 minutes in the morning, take a brisk 15 minute walk at lunch, go for a bike ride after dinner for 30 minutes and carry out the rubbish, at a fast pace for 5 minutes. Or take things upstairs one at a time - don't save them up and carry ten things at a time. There you've done it.
Now you have 5 easy ways to start losing weight - so get started now and lose a stone for summer.
