There are a lot of reasons why people fail to lose weight, but one of them stands out among the others: failure to make lasting lifestyle changes.
Have you gotten burned by this mistake in the past? Did you go looking for a “magic pill” that would make you drop the pounds without any work? Did you jump on and off dozens of fad diets because they promised rapid results?
Those things may occasionally work – but the results are always temporary. And temporary weight loss is not what you want, right?
If permanent weight loss is what you want, then you’ll need to change your mind-set about your lifestyle. Rather than seeking a quick fix, you’ve got to start seeing your body as a living, breathing billboard advertising your habits. If you eat too many calories, it shows. If you don’t exercise, it shows. If you eat or drink a lot of sugar, it shows.
The good news is that it works the other way too. If you eat a lot of whole, natural foods, it shows. If you drink plenty of water and work out each day, it shows!
Changing your lifestyle permanently is the only way to lose weight permanently. Find out your ideal weight.
Here are three basic things to look at when changing your lifestyle:
Your Eating Habits
Do you eat much larger portions than your body really needs? Do you mindlessly munch while watching television or surfing the internet? Do you stop at fast food restaurant drive-thru lanes for lunch every day? Do you eat too many fried foods and “junk” food?
Change these habits by transitioning to a wholesome, natural diet. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a treat now and then, but the bulk of your daily diet should be fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy products. Those are the foods that your body truly thrives on, and weight loss becomes virtually effortless.
Your Drinking Habits
Do you drink a lot of soda and other sweetened beverages? Do you drink a lot of alcoholic beverages? Do you drink very little water? Trying to lose weight while you are taking in hundreds of calories a day from sweetened beverages is extremely difficult. If you replace those beverages with water, not only would you be ingesting fewer calories, you would also have an easier time losing weight just by being fully hydrated. When you are fully hydrated, your liver can more efficiently burn fat so you lose weight.
Your Fitness Habits
Consider your typical fitness habits day to day. Do you avoid exercise whenever possible? Are you slightly active but not much? Do you spend most of your day sitting? Begin incorporating more physical activity into your daily life by walking up and down stairs, taking brisk walks, riding a bicycle, and even taking a fun dance class. You don’t necessarily have to work out like a fiend to lose weight – you just need to be a little more active than you already are. And keep increasing your level of activity as time goes on. By doing so you’ll boost your metabolism, burn more calories, and have a much easier time losing weight and keeping it off.
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