The second component of losing weight is increasing the number of calories burned each day. This means increasing your level of exercise. No, you do not have to go from couch potato to intense athlete overnight. What you do need to do is go from couch potato to physically aware and from physically aware to physically active. Take realistic steps in the right direction, rather than planning a grand leap that is far too difficult. Here are some ideas to increase your level of physical activity everyday.
Buy a pedometer. Find out how many steps you are taking each day. You need to know where you are starting off to plan where you need to go. Increase the number of steps you take every day until you reach at least 10,000. Sound like an impossible number? It's not and you'd be surprised how quickly you can reach it.
Take the stairs. The elevator is busy, smelly and you waste time waiting for it. Take the stairs as often as possible. You have been avoiding them, I know, but they won't kill you and it is something small you can do every day to improve your health and chances of weight loss success. It burns more calories than walking and will help your butt look great!
Park in the furthest parking space instead of the closest. There is no need to park in that front space or to drive around waiting for it to become free. Park as far away as possible and take a few extra steps to the store.
Create a habit of walking. Go for a walk at the same time everyday, right after dinner, in the morning, after work. Once you create the habit, it will be easy to maintain. You can start out with a short walk but gradually increase it over time. You may get to see parts of your neighbourhood you never knew existed!
Find a buddy. Ask a friend or family member to be your exercise buddy. You can compare pedometers, have a date for your walk or a date for the gym. It is easy to skip out on exercise when you are only disappointing yourself, but it is a lot harder to miss a date with a friend.
Find a gym you like and go. Notice I didn't say join. It's said that joining a gym is the best way to ensure you will never go. Instead, while you are creating the habit of going, just pay as you go. That way, you can be sure it is a gym you like, with the equipment, atmosphere and classes you like. Once you have created the habit of going (21 times!) and have decided you like the gym, then you can decide if you go often enough to make the membership worthwhile.
Now go, get started! This should keep you occupied for a while and you should see the weight coming off. Don't forget that to really lose weight quickly, you need to both increase your calorie burning and decrease your calorie intake. Good luck!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Quickest Way To Lose Weight - Diet
One of the components of losing weight is reducing the number of calories taken in. This means change in your diet. No, it does not necessarily mean you have to go on a specific diet, although you are welcome to do so if you need that type of guidance. What it really means is that you have to change your eating habits. You have to take control of when and what you are putting in your body. Here are some ideas to help you do it.
Replace juice/coffee/soda/tea with water. There are over 100 calories in each of those options and there are zero calories in water. Now imagine how many times a day you will do that replacing. Two, three, five? You have possibly removed over 500 calories from your diet by just changing what you drink. Quick and easy.
Pack a healthy snack. Do not leave any food choices to chance. Pack a healthy afternoon snack for work like an apple, carrots or butter free popcorn and avoid the temptation of the vending machine, cafeteria and office candy box. Put a granola bar in your purse when you leave the house and eat that instead of stopping in at Starbucks or Tim Horton's for a muffin or a doughnut.
Eat 5 or 6 small meals per day instead of three large meals. This will help you to feel full all day and help you avoid the temptation to snack on unhealthy options. It will also keep your blood sugar level even, helping to maintain your mood and control fatigue. No more nodding off after a big lunch or fading before your afternoon sugar rush.
Read labels. When you are at the grocery store, read the nutritional information on items you are buying. You might be surprised at what you see. Perhaps there is a better option sitting right beside what you usually buy. This will help you make informed choices at the grocery store, which means you will be making better choices every day at home.
Don't give up everything. Do you have an all time favourite snack? Don't plan to give it up forever. This will just create a craving for it which you may give in to. And once you give in once, it is oh so easy to keep on giving in. Instead, use it as a reward at the end of a good week. Or at the end of a tough day. Just be sure to keep the portion size small. Often, we would be satisfied with one bite, but instead eat a whole bowlful.
With these tips and tricks, you will be well on your way to losing weight quickly!
Replace juice/coffee/soda/tea with water. There are over 100 calories in each of those options and there are zero calories in water. Now imagine how many times a day you will do that replacing. Two, three, five? You have possibly removed over 500 calories from your diet by just changing what you drink. Quick and easy.
Pack a healthy snack. Do not leave any food choices to chance. Pack a healthy afternoon snack for work like an apple, carrots or butter free popcorn and avoid the temptation of the vending machine, cafeteria and office candy box. Put a granola bar in your purse when you leave the house and eat that instead of stopping in at Starbucks or Tim Horton's for a muffin or a doughnut.
Eat 5 or 6 small meals per day instead of three large meals. This will help you to feel full all day and help you avoid the temptation to snack on unhealthy options. It will also keep your blood sugar level even, helping to maintain your mood and control fatigue. No more nodding off after a big lunch or fading before your afternoon sugar rush.
Read labels. When you are at the grocery store, read the nutritional information on items you are buying. You might be surprised at what you see. Perhaps there is a better option sitting right beside what you usually buy. This will help you make informed choices at the grocery store, which means you will be making better choices every day at home.
Don't give up everything. Do you have an all time favourite snack? Don't plan to give it up forever. This will just create a craving for it which you may give in to. And once you give in once, it is oh so easy to keep on giving in. Instead, use it as a reward at the end of a good week. Or at the end of a tough day. Just be sure to keep the portion size small. Often, we would be satisfied with one bite, but instead eat a whole bowlful.
With these tips and tricks, you will be well on your way to losing weight quickly!
What is the quickest way to lose weight?
The absolute quickest way to lose weight is to expend more calories than you take in each and every day. The greater the difference, the greater the weight lost. It's a pretty easy concept but it isn't always that easy to do. There are two parts to this equation. The number of calories taken in and the number burned. What you need to do is decrease the first and increase the last. To do this, you need to change your diet and increase your exercise.
To be successful, it is often easier to take small steps in the right direction, rather than altering your lifestyle all at once. It is difficult to change ingrained habits. But not impossible. In fact, you can create a new habit by doing it 21 times. That's right, it only takes three weeks to create a habit. In three weeks, there could be a new you!
Read on to find steps that will help you on your weight loss journey!
To be successful, it is often easier to take small steps in the right direction, rather than altering your lifestyle all at once. It is difficult to change ingrained habits. But not impossible. In fact, you can create a new habit by doing it 21 times. That's right, it only takes three weeks to create a habit. In three weeks, there could be a new you!
Read on to find steps that will help you on your weight loss journey!
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