I know you all know a lot more about weight loss than I do, but I wanted to post up a motivational article that I wrote for people who are afraid to try new things. We often make new things seem so much more monumental than they really are and that leads to never trying or giving up faster than we should!
Let me just make something very clear before we move on: NO! There are no secrets! There are no magical foods you can eat or pills you can take to make you skinny while you sit on the couch eating what you want. If it WERE that easy, everyone would be thin! But don't be disappointed! There is good news! Real weight loss is NOT hard to achieve. In fact, it's so simple, you'll find that the following two tips can really help you out!
Weight loss is roughly estimated to be 70% diet and 30% exercise. That can be both good and bad. On the one hand, it's bad because some of my favorite foods like potato chips, cheeseburgers, frozen dinners, etc. are impacting my weight more than watching TV is. But it's good that I don't have to spend a bunch of my time in agonizing pain to look better.
If you want to kick the habit of eating unhealthy foods, you have to realize that you're more likely to fail if you completely cut them out than if you just lower your intake. You don't have to adhere to some boring, rigid diet that consists of fruits, egg whites and an occasional salad. What you should do instead is reduce how much of it you're eating. Let's say for example that, after a long and hard day at work, you don't really feel like cooking something healthy. So you pick up the phone and order a pizza. That's totally fine! Instead of eating two or three pieces with breadsticks that you follow up with a dessert, try eating just one or two and cutting out the extras. Try not to order the soda that goes with it. Instead, try carbonated water or any other alternative. As you continue to make better decisions like this, you'll actually find that it gets easier. It's having the willpower to START that's the problem. Once you've improved your eating habits, you'll feel so good about it that you'll want to keep it up!
When it comes to exercising, people often think they have to be Arnold Schwarzenegger to go to the gym or a track star to go for a walk or jog. You don't have to be! Exercise plays a really important part in your weight loss endeavors, but as I said above, it's not the MOST important. You only need to be active for about an hour a day but even just 30 minutes can help to improve your overall health. You don't even have to do it all at once. Make small changes throughout the day that get you more active. For example, take a parking spot that's further from your destination than normal. If you're at the grocery store, park in the middle area instead of right in front. This will force you to walk a greater distance for a longer amount of time. It doesn't really impact you that much - you won't be out of breath or wheezing, but you're still burning more calories and boosting your metabolism more than you normally would be.
At the end of the day when it isn't too hot (or too cold) outside, go for a walk. You don't have to walk far. You don't have to walk long. Spend just 15 minutes walking continuously. It's said that walking is better for you than jogging is. You won't be entirely worn out and can still go back home to prepare whatever you need for the following day.
So as you can see, weight loss isn't hard. There's nothing magical that will allow you to drop a bunch of weight without making any changes on your end. But you can use supplements to help you. Whether it be pre-workout mixes before going for a walk or run, Proactol for reduced cravings or vitamins to help to build your body up. Anything can help, the goal is to start making changes TODAY to make for a better you TOMORROW!
This article isn't meant for anyone into big time fitness or weight training. I know that living a healthy lifestyle goes deeper. But I really want to let people know that being healthy isn't something to be afraid of!
There are no weight loss secrets!
Let me just make something very clear before we move on: NO! There are no secrets! There are no magical foods you can eat or pills you can take to make you skinny while you sit on the couch eating what you want. If it WERE that easy, everyone would be thin! But don't be disappointed! There is good news! Real weight loss is NOT hard to achieve. In fact, it's so simple, you'll find that the following two tips can really help you out!
Lower your food consumption
Weight loss is roughly estimated to be 70% diet and 30% exercise. That can be both good and bad. On the one hand, it's bad because some of my favorite foods like potato chips, cheeseburgers, frozen dinners, etc. are impacting my weight more than watching TV is. But it's good that I don't have to spend a bunch of my time in agonizing pain to look better.
If you want to kick the habit of eating unhealthy foods, you have to realize that you're more likely to fail if you completely cut them out than if you just lower your intake. You don't have to adhere to some boring, rigid diet that consists of fruits, egg whites and an occasional salad. What you should do instead is reduce how much of it you're eating. Let's say for example that, after a long and hard day at work, you don't really feel like cooking something healthy. So you pick up the phone and order a pizza. That's totally fine! Instead of eating two or three pieces with breadsticks that you follow up with a dessert, try eating just one or two and cutting out the extras. Try not to order the soda that goes with it. Instead, try carbonated water or any other alternative. As you continue to make better decisions like this, you'll actually find that it gets easier. It's having the willpower to START that's the problem. Once you've improved your eating habits, you'll feel so good about it that you'll want to keep it up!
Get active for just a few minutes a day!
When it comes to exercising, people often think they have to be Arnold Schwarzenegger to go to the gym or a track star to go for a walk or jog. You don't have to be! Exercise plays a really important part in your weight loss endeavors, but as I said above, it's not the MOST important. You only need to be active for about an hour a day but even just 30 minutes can help to improve your overall health. You don't even have to do it all at once. Make small changes throughout the day that get you more active. For example, take a parking spot that's further from your destination than normal. If you're at the grocery store, park in the middle area instead of right in front. This will force you to walk a greater distance for a longer amount of time. It doesn't really impact you that much - you won't be out of breath or wheezing, but you're still burning more calories and boosting your metabolism more than you normally would be.
At the end of the day when it isn't too hot (or too cold) outside, go for a walk. You don't have to walk far. You don't have to walk long. Spend just 15 minutes walking continuously. It's said that walking is better for you than jogging is. You won't be entirely worn out and can still go back home to prepare whatever you need for the following day.
So as you can see, weight loss isn't hard. There's nothing magical that will allow you to drop a bunch of weight without making any changes on your end. But you can use supplements to help you. Whether it be pre-workout mixes before going for a walk or run, Proactol for reduced cravings or vitamins to help to build your body up. Anything can help, the goal is to start making changes TODAY to make for a better you TOMORROW!
This article isn't meant for anyone into big time fitness or weight training. I know that living a healthy lifestyle goes deeper. But I really want to let people know that being healthy isn't something to be afraid of!
