Weight Loss Strategies that Really Work

Weight loss isn’t just about fitting into your favorite jeans. Weight loss over one’s lifetime can make a person live longer and healthier over their life. It is something that should be part of your life and not just a fad you go through every year. Obesity is something that can lead to diabetes, stroke, heart disease and certain cancers.

By following several different strategies, you can lose weight and keep the weight off as part of your regular eating habits.

You should recognize when you’re eating because of your emotions. Eating because you are bored or depressed can lead to excess pounds, sleep apnea, joint and knee problems, metabolic syndrome and fertility problems. The results of eating too much are stressful in and of themselves and lead you to eat even more. Take note of your emotions when you’re eating and don’t eat out of depression, lack of sleep, anxiety or anger. Accept the self image you have and don’t go about ragging on how negative you look.

Self love and body image are important. Use words to describe your body and your weight loss process that are positive and self affirming. Don’t make weight loss a battle and it won’t be. Try to stay in harmony with your body and work with what you’ve got to work with, even if it isn’t a model’s body.

Don’t expect to lose weight if you are not exercising to some degree. You should get out there and do some activity you like every day—even if it is just walking the dog or running around the block. Your exercise tolerance should increase over time and you should be able to do more as time goes on. Think about alternative exercises like swimming, biking or weight training. If it is an activity you like, think of it as an activity you can choose from to help you lose weight. Get your heart rate up while you exercise and this will be good for your heart, too.

Think about those things that add to the fat in your diet. Is it ice cream, fried foods or processed foods high in fat? These are things you must absolutely avoid in an effort to lower the calorie count and the fat grams of the food you eat. This will cause you to lose weight and, after awhile, you won’t miss these foods. Try instead to eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains and non-meat protein sources so your diet is as healthy as possible.

Weight loss is not a quick fix. It is about making permanent changes in your diet and lifestyle that become a part of you. It all depends on making healthy habits part of you. You can certainly cheat every once in a while but items you cheat on as part of your diet should be a rare occurrence and not an everyday thing. Be what you eat and be what you want your body to be.