The number of people who “resolved” to lose weight this year is uncountable. Clubs, gyms, authors of dieting books, manufacturers of diet pills and others must be salivating at the prospect of all the new customers.
If you have vowed to slim down, congratulations on you decision. You will feel better, live longer and, according to a mountain of studies, you may avoid the degenerative diseases that might plague you in later life.
You are faced with the daunting task . . . deciding how to go about it. Fad diets, excessive exercise and skipping meals will not work for long-term weight management. You will either get tired of the grind, the boring food, the constant hunger, the sore muscles, the inconvenience, the time away from home or work and you will give up.
Make this motto your motto: weight loss is a journey.
You didn’t gain your weight over night nor will you lose it overnight so, set reasonable objectives.
Trying to lose weight in the dead of winter is a fool’s mission.
Here’s something you need to consider: people are mammals – mammals hibernate, or slow down their metabolism considerably during the winter months to assure their survival during the cold, least abundant time of the year. They pack away fat for insulation and protection from starvation. In the spring, they “wake up” with higher metabolism and energy. Even though we live and work in buildings with central heating and shop at supermarkets with plenty of food – people are mammals – it is unlikely you will change wintertime mammalian metabolism.
Here’s what you can do until your body is released from winter’s grip:
- You do need to eat three balanced meals everyday to lose weight so, don’t skip any meals – especially eat a perfect breakfast. And, if you need “a little something” to eat, sprinkle a little cinnamon on an apple or pear for a tasty treat.
- Break the fast food lunch habit. Start a new habit – bring something from home.
- Break the comfort food habit. White flour products, like bread and pasta; starchy foods, like potatoes and rice; table sugar, sugary tropical juices and fruits, like mangos and pomegranates; milk and milk products provide too many calories and too little nutrition.
- Break the “What’s for diner habit.” Find different, more healthful recipes that will suit your pallet and start preparing them. By the time your metabolism rebounds, you will be ready to start burning away the winter fat with your new, but familiar, healthy meals.
- Make your plan of action for when winter releases its grip on your body. It should include moderate exercise – everyday. Walking after lunch, an evening stroll with your family or parking further away from your destination adds a good bit of opportunity to burn calories.
- Determine why you gained weight in the first place. It isn’t always what you think. Consider other possibilities for your weight gain before you assume you are suffering from gluttony.
- Choose a dietary supplement to support metabolism, appetite and cravings. Often, lingering mineral deficiencies can affect your success. The combination of a better diet and quality dietary supplements will pay dividends.
When winter has finally changed to spring, start your program. Be decisive, dedicated and disciplined.
Your motto should be: losing weight is a journey. It requires a commitment, dedication to your program and the discipline to maintain the choices you’ve made to achieve your objective. Healthy weight loss is in the range of 10 to 12 pounds each month. If you are particularly heavy, it might be more.
Finally, and most importantly, sustaining the changes that you have made to lose the weight will assure you a lifetime of living in your perfect body.
