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A Better You
by Jo Ann
Fore
Four
Steps to Lose Weight in 30 Days
I’m hungry. My clock, illuminating
my bedroom, reminds me it’s11:15 p.m. On cue,
my television suddenly bellows, “If you’re
over 40 and have struggled with losing excess weight,
it’s not your fault!”
I knew it.
What
a relief. This extra 15 pounds I’ve picked
up in the past couple years really isn’t my fault.
The commercial says so. And if I’ll just send
$39.95 for my first month’s supply, they’ll
show me how to lose this weight, once and for all.
Wait…what’s
that telephone number. And where did I put my credit
card? While
I’m up, I think I’ll just go see
what I can find to eat in the kitchen.
The Dynamics of Dieting
How many times have we fallen
into the ‘diet
trap?’ Obsessed with dropping extra weight, and
in search of a ‘quick fix’; we often fall
prey to the multi-billion dollar weight- loss industry.
An abundance of information, most of it contradictory
in nature, battles for our attention daily.
Yet, as the former owner of a successful
weight loss center, I have learned one thing. Losing
weight takes
time, effort and dedication. Quick fixes don’t
last!
I’ve seen firsthand the detriment
of fad diets. Clients, who became fast friends, shared
story after
story of losing the weight they desired, only to
regain it. They were devastated. Desperate. And often
looking
to me, as a weight loss consultant, for another quick
fix.
They usually didn’t like the first thing I shared: “Losing
weight is a lifestyle change. It isn’t about
what you’re going to eat for the next month.
It’s about how you’re going to eat for
the rest of your life.” You can lose weight without
taking pills, without eliminating carbohydrates, and
without starving yourself. But it will take time, and
effort.
With lifestyle changes, the pounds will melt away.
Slowly and consistently. At our weight loss center,
I focused on a safe and gradual weight loss of no more
than two pounds per week. A weight loss of this nature
is more apt to stay off. (Individuals in extreme health
situations could obtain approval from a physician for
a more immediate weight loss.)
Winning the ‘Battle of
the Bulge’
The battle with our metabolism as we age can’t
be denied. Our metabolism, which transforms our food
into energy, slows down with each passing year. If
we don’t adjust our eating habits and our exercise
to compensate, we slowly add additional pounds. We
may feel betrayed, but the reality is we’re going
to have to change some habits in order to maintain
our weight.
One step at a time, there are basic
steps that can be adopted. Stop telling yourself, “I just can’t
do it.” You can coax yourself into a new habit
of healthy eating.
As a weight loss coach, I used four steps that consistently
brought a weight loss within 30 days.
1. Drink water.
Most individuals don’t drink nearly enough water.
Colas and coffee don’t count! Yes, you really
should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.
And maybe more, depending on your weight.
Water
is a natural appetite suppressant. If you drink
a full glass of water before beginning your
meal, your
stomach simply doesn’t hold as much food.
No,
you will not gain weight from drinking a lot of
water.
It’s when you don’t drink enough
water throughout the day, your body gets dehydrated.
When it does finally get water, it holds onto it and
stores it for a future need. (That’s when we
feel swollen, and bloated with water weight.) However,
if you give your body enough water on a regular basis,
it releases it naturally. Drinking enough water gives
you the benefit of hydration and fullness.
2. Eat a balanced meal.
This might be the one thing
we learned in elementary school that we really can
use in our adult life – the
basic food groups. Proteins and carbohydrates are
essential to a healthy meal. Carbohydrates are the
main source
of energy in our diet, and proteins burn fat. At
a bare minimum, each meal should consist of a protein
and a carbohydrate.
3.
Don’t skip meals.
One of the worst things
we can do, in our attempt to lose weight, is to skip
a meal. I’ve seen
it countless times: Motivated to lose weight, an individual
decides to eat just twice a day. But your metabolism
needs the consistency of regular meals. With erratic
eating schedules, the body thinks it’s starving.
So, everything it takes in – it stores as fat
to be used for energy.
Eat
three balanced meals a day, and when you’re
hungry in between, eat healthy snacks.
4. Exercise.
People who exercise live longer and feel
better. And, they lose weight quicker. But, keep it
simple.
Thomas
Jefferson said, “The sovereign invigorator
of the body is exercise, and of all the exercises
walking is the best.”
It’s
never too late to get in shape.
Yes,
metabolisms change. But we don’t have to
buy into the commercials. There are things we can do
to combat it and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Jo
Ann Fore welcomes your comments about this article or suggestions
for material you would like to see in future articles. Email her at: [email protected]. A
Better You is published every Saturday.
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