Bodybuilding Fat Loss

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Weight Loss Through Lifestyle Changes

Healthy weight loss is about lifestyle changes, not fad diets or programs. Long term weight control should be realistic goals, healthy eating and regular exercise.

Believe it or not, implementing certain lifestyle changes allows you to lose weight naturally without obsessing about your weight. The steps necessary to successful weight loss are quite simple.

1) Establish a realistic goal. If you are relatively healthy you can probably do this yourself. If however, your have health problems or are obese it's wise to consult your physician.

2) Change your diet. This is not the same as dieting. This is a lifestyle change that you should, with intelligent modifications, continue for the rest of your life.

Such changes as eliminating processed food, artificial sweeteners and soft drinks would be a great start. Eating whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruit are healthful and beneficial in more than one way. The first is you'll lose weight effortlessly. The second and just as important, is improved health.

3) Don't eat before bed. Eating before bed is a terrible habit and make weight loss practically impossible. The gain to not eating before bed is increased energy and clarity of mind.

4) Walk! You can accomplish more through an implemented walking program than just about anything else. It's not limited to age and it's low impact.

5) Change your environment. Get the junk food out of your house. When you want to have a treat, go out and have a good time.

6) Many of these lists that provide tips advocate watch your portions. What nonsense. That's how you become hungry. My thought is eat as much good quality food as you wish but chew extremely well. By chewing well (until your food becomes liquid) you'll become satisfied much sooner and improve your digestion at the same time.

7) Another tip that I see all the time is to drink plenty of water. I don't buy it. Contrary to what many believe we are not plumbing systems that have to be flushed with lots of water. While it's true that too little water is dangerous it's also true that too much water is harmful.

The single most important step is to make up your mind, to focus and take action. While it may seem a little odd, you're goal is not to lose weight. Your goal is to establish your ideal weight and to implement these lifestyle changes. If you do that the weight loss will happen all by itself, when you're not looking and effortlessly.

Kathryn Soloff is the mother of 8 children and a natural foods cook for over 30 years. She is co-publisher of http://www.natural-remedy-dot-com.com/losing_weight/ where she provides additional advice, tips and hard to find information on Weight Loss.