How to Make the Lifestyle Change
When it comes to losing weight, chances are if you're trying fad diets and special detox programs, you're pretty fed up that the results never seem to last. Why is this? Well, most of us can only keep up with an extreme diet for so long. Once we've reached our goal weight, we can't wait to start eating "normally" again.
The problem is, that "normal" eating is what caused all that weight gain in the first place. As soon as you go back to eating the same way you used to, those pounds come marching back on. In order to successfully lose weight and keep it off, you're going to have to address your entire lifestyle. This means looking at what you eat, why you eat it and how much you exercise. Let's look at what you eat first. While there is nothing wrong with the occasional treat or cheat, most of us get into the habit of overindulging in the food we like, and making bad choices when it comes to picking foods. We're naturally wired towards wanting foods that taste good and too often this means fast food, pizza and things that can be really bad for our health and our waist lines.
In order to start making lifestyle changes, you've got to identity what you're eating and how you could be eating differently. The best way to do this is to keep a food diary for an entire week. Add up all of your calories when you're done and you'll probably be amazed at just how bad your diet really is. Next, you'll need to address why you eat these things. Is it simply because they taste good? Healthy food can taste good too, but you'll need to find the recipes that appeal to you. Is it because you need comfort? It's best to find comfort in things that don't cause your weight to go up. For example, instead of indulging in an entire pizza because you've had a bad day, go do an activity that you get a lot of enjoyment out of, go shopping or go get a massage. By targeting the reasons behind your eating problem, you can start to make changes that will redirect all of that energy into a more healthy direction.
Lastly, you need to address how much exercise you actually get. Most of us really don't get enough and let's face it, few find exercise to be truly enjoyable. You need to rewire your thinking process and find exercises that you actually do enjoy. If you hate aerobics, don't torture yourself! Find exercises like walking or swimming that actually appeal to you. Set aside time every day and really apply yourself. The results that you get will get you hooked and once you get past that initial stage of the agony and the inconvenience, chances are you're going to find that exercise really isn't that bad. With these kinds of changes, you can make a new life for yourself that you can enjoy for years to come.
