Weight loss does not have to be some lofty gold star only attainable with the correct ingredients found at the end of the rainbow. Most folks over analyze the whole idea. It becomes a convoluted fabric of science, math, emotion and drive that only seem to be ingrained in folks like Lance Armstrong. The idea of losing weight, then, turns into a very complicated system for many. Hence, exercise routines, a change in diet and a start to a weight reduction program never gets off the ground.
Here are some simple secrets, if you will, to demystify the whole process of getting healthier. After all, that is the bottom line.
1) Exercise - That's it, plain and simple. Start getting active. It can be as simple as finding an inexpensive aerobic or Pilates DVD at your local big box store and plunking it into to your DVD player at home. Get using it. Many of these, as an example, have simple start up programs. You don't like Pilates? Get on your bike. Better yet, get on your bike with the kids. It will help the both of you. You would rather do a gym? Fantastic! Tour a few in your area and get a feel of which one you feel you would be most comfortable with and join. There are countless programs and routines there to get you started. The bottom line is to get started with something. Take action!
2) Keep a log - Writing down what you eat has shown to have immense benefits when deciding where you can improve your eating habits. Before starting on any kind of eating program, take a week or two to write down exactly what you are eating all day. Review that to see where you feel you can add a healthy substitute or cut out something all together. You will be amazed at what is revealed on paper and what you thought you were eating.
3) Watch the portion size - You don't have to be a calorie counter with much of your program. Oh, it's probably not a bad idea to at least get a feel of the relationship between portions and calories. However, it won't take you long to come to grips with eyeballing something in front of you and deciding how much of it you are going to have. Get a lay of the land, so to speak, before starting your meal. If you take a short pause to see what exactly you will have you can make a commitment to sticking with both portion size and sticking to one helping.
4) Grab it Fresh - Use fresh food as much as possible in your daily diet. Try to avoid the packaged stuff and the drive through. It's amazing the calories you can cut by dropping the convenient foods and replacing them with more fresh fruits and vegetables.
5) Don't get crazy - In other words, don't cut out everything you like. Instead, just scale it down. Everyone has a favorite, but cut back both in frequency and size. Instead of a handful of chocolate chips cookies a day, how about one or two at the end of the week?
Weight loss doesn't have to be for the very few. It is a goal that many of us can achieve with some of these simple steps.