Losing weight the conventional way - getting exercise and staying away from your favorite high calorie desserts - can seem anything but painless. Fortunately, if you go about it the right way, the effort needed doesn't have to be superhuman. A few simple changes to your lifestyle can bring big results for your weight loss plan.
The following tips should help you lose those pounds without being driven crazy by too much self-deprivation.
Eat More, Not Less
Diets don't have to be about starving yourself. They don't have to be about bland food, either. There are plenty of healthy foods that can be as great as any dessert. Think juicy cherries and grapes. Throw a handful of these into your breakfast cereal. Not only will your breakfast look luxuriously colorful, the fruit will make it sweet, tasty and healthy. Keep shelled snow peas around at all times. You can add fistfuls to every soup or sauce. They're crunchy and sweet too.
These days diet experts write that losing weight shouldn't be about anything as depressing as self-denial. It should be about giving yourself more of other things. Whether you're thinking of exercise or food, more of everything is a good idea - just as long as what you bring in is helpful.
You don't even need to stick to salads. If you only like pizza, you can still eat it - only, you can get the low-fat version. You won't feel as bad if you allow yourself a low-fat pizza with less cheese as you would, getting no pizza at all. You could also try getting smaller portions when it's really rich food. If you hate diet soda, you don't have to drink diet soda exclusively. You can mix in half a glass of regular soda.
Fill The Void
Denying yourself extra-large portions of all your favorite rich foods can leave you feeling empty inside. Often, though, that's a void that can be filled with things other than food - like new interests. The more activities you have that you genuinely care about, the less need you will have for food.
Cut Out Exercise
In the movie, Back to the Future III, a 20th century Doc Brown regales bar drunks in the 19th century with tales of how, in the future, people will run for entertainment. Truth be told, running and lifting weights aimlessly - the way gyms encourage us to work out - is a depressing way to go about being active.
Instead, you just have to tell yourself to go play. Tell yourself instead that should get up and go splash about in the sea. Pull your dog's tail and run for your life as he chases you - be imaginative. Anything you do that gets you to move can help you lose weight. It is painless exercise. Why should anyone sign up for regular "exercise" when they can do this?
Find Every Excuse To Walk In A Fun Way
There are many ways to get a little more walking done. You should try whatever you seem to like best. Do you have a powered lawnmower? How about getting a manual push mower instead?
Do you enjoy doing charity work? Try volunteering for something that involves much walking - a charity drive, helping the housebound elderly in your neighborhood with chores, volunteering at an orphanage - whatever inspires you.
Being a mall rat is a great way to get some walking done. You don't need to consider it wasted time, walking up and down every level at the mall and drooling over the merchandise. You're actually getting exercise done for free.
Losing Weight Is A Way Of Life
It takes time to learn. It isn't something you can do in time for the party next week when you need to wear that new outfit. Stop setting yourself up with such impossible targets. Instead, give yourself all the time in the world.
It doesn't matter how slowly you move towards a healthier lifestyle. As long as you move in the right direction, it should be okay.
All you'll lose is weight.
