The Final Countdown: Stop Dieting and Learn How to Lose Weight for Good
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| How to Lose Weight |
With obesity being at its near-highest rates of all time, it seems everyone wants to know how to lose weight – and they’re willing to try just about anything. That’s why the weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar one. But, did you know there’s actually a very simple secret to achieving your “magic number” when it comes to your weight loss goals? There is, but of course, knowing the best plan of action and actually implementing your plan are two different things. That’s why it’s important to consider all aspects of both you, and your lifestyle, before embarking on the final weight loss voyage: the one that will ultimately change your life.
Learn How to Lose Weight the Right Way
It’s pretty easy to drop five pounds. Cut out that glass of wine, drink more water, drop your calories down to next to nothing for about a week, or just simply go on some sort of cleanse or fast for a few days. But, fasting and fad-diets aren’t a long-term solution, and can cause your metabolism to go into a tailspin. The results? They’re always the same: not only will you that five pounds back, but you’ll probably even gain more. Even if you’re happy with the weight you’ve lost, you won’t lose much more. Starvation and too low a calorie count will only put convince your body to find ways to stop burning calories the way that it should.
When you learn how to lose weight the right way, however, that’s when the excess weight really comes off. So what it the right way? You need to choose the method or plan which best suits your lifestyle, do it slowly, and ditch the latest fad diet that will only bring heartache and poor health in the end.
Choose Your Approach
There are a few methods to losing weight that work better for some than others. This has a lot to do with the activities you do during the day, your work or school schedule, whether you love or hate exercise, your ability to meal-plan effectively (and stick to it), and whether you prefer support groups or prefer to take on the challenge of losing weight independently. The following are five ways to approach weight loss, and who they may work best for:
- Pre-packaged meals – pre-packaged meals are great for those who are always on the go, and who just can’t seem to control their portions on their own. They are also good for people who really want to lose weight, but who don’t want to be constantly thinking about food. This is a real problem for many who need to lose twenty pounds or more: the more they focus on food, the more they tend to snack. This method allows the dieter to shift the focus toward other things.
- Points-based plans – points-based weight loss plans give you more options than those who focus on pre-packaged or pre-portioned food. This type of diet works on a points system, where every type of food is assigned a point value. For instance, if you wanted to splurge on a full-fat grilled cheese, you can, but you must keep track of your points and not exceed the allotted amount for the day. This plan is great for people who want flexibility in their food choices, but you also have to make a commitment to keeping track of everything you’re eating.
- “Container” Dieting – for this plan, color coded containers of varying sizes are used to help each person determine what they should be eating. There’s one for fats, proteins, veggies, fruit, etc. The key here is that if it fits into the container, you can eat it. No weighing the food, no points, no calculations or complications. This plan is one that is great for those who like variety in their foods, but it simplifies it enough to make it easy for just about anyone to use.
- Calorie Counting and Learning Your BMR – For anyone who doesn’t want to get involved in some corporate-based weight loss plan and who’d rather stick to the basics, this is really inexpensive way to take on your weight loss goals. Learning your BMR, or basal metabolic rate, is the first step. This is the rate at which your body burns calories while do absolutely nothing. From that point, you simply adjust your calorie intake to ensure that you are taking in less calories than you are burning each day. Most doctors recommend never eating under 1000 calories per day, and healthy, average weight men and women can usually eat between 1200-1800 calories per day and still lose up to 2 pounds per week, depending on their activity levels and BMR results.
- Increased Activity – for sedentary people, simply increasing activity can boost weight loss efforts substantially. Thirty minutes of moderate exercise will not only burn calories during your workout, but it will also help your body continue to burn calories throughout the day at a faster rate. Additionally, you will be building healthy muscle, which burns more calories per pound than fat. Tip: while walking alone can be a great workout, incorporating strength training and interval training will provide the maximum results.
The Mental Factor
The last component of successful weight loss has to do with perspective and mental strength. Virtually no diet will work unless you are mentally ready for the challenges that lie ahead of you. Success can be bolstered by having a support group to work through it together, or having friends or family commit to supporting you in your food choices. This also means foregoing the opportunity to tempt you with foods and unhealthy habits which aren’t in your best interest. Anyone can learn how to lose weight successfully, you just have to dedicate yourself to your chosen path.
