How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off
Adopting Healthier Habits




Calorie restriction and exercise help many people lose weight, but only for as long as they keep up the effort. And the same environmental and psychological factors that accounted for the weight gain in the first place can play a role in causing someone to stop exercising or start consuming too many calories. The difficulty in sustaining a diet and exercise routine is one of the main reasons that people who lose weight fail to keep it off. But the difference between long-term success and failure is the resolve to make the changes in your diet and activity level permanent.

Certain strategies are useful for everyone who wants to lose weight, regardless of the main causes or severity of their obesity. Many of these strategies seem like common sense, but they are easily overlooked. You’re most likely to follow them if you plan for them in advance. They are:
Eat slowly. Chewing and swallowing your food at a leisurely pace can help you keep from overeating. Here’s why: It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to "tell" you when you feel full. Until then, you continue to feel hungry and want to eat. If you eat quickly, you’ll end up consuming more than you need to feel full. But eating slowly gives your brain the time it needs to signal that you’ve had enough.


Make changes gradually. Don’t expect to change your diet and activity level overnight. Instead of switching all at once to a low-calorie eating plan, try gradually decreasing the calories of your meals and snacks. For example, start by cutting out snacking or limiting yourself to certain snacks at certain times of day (such as a mid-morning banana or a late-afternoon apple). Also, gradually reduce the calorie content of particular foods. For example, if you’re used to drinking whole milk, first switch to milk with 2% fat; then, as you get used to the taste of less fat, go on to milk with 1% fat and finally to skim milk.

Another strategy is to lower the calorie content of one meal at a time. In the first week, you might want to eat a low-calorie breakfast, but keep lunch and dinner the same as before. During the second week, you might reduce the calorie content of your lunch. Finally, you can begin eating low-calorie dinners.


Keep a record. Keeping a daily log of what you eat and what physical activities you engage in can help keep you motivated to stay with your diet and exercise plan. Looking over a week’s worth of entries can tell you how successful you’ve been and can help you identify areas where you need to improve.


Seek social support.You’ll find it easier to maintain behavioral changes if you have the support and encouragement of others. Social support can come in many forms and from various people. For starters, ask your family members to keep high-calorie foods out of the house, or at least to refrain from eating them in front of you. You might even try to enlist your family to eat the same meals you do. Exercise with someone else or join a support group. The camaraderie can help keep your spirits up during the inevitable periods when you become discouraged with your progress.


Use a list when buying food. Stick to your grocery list, and steer clear of those aisles or areas with the kinds of calorie-dense foods that you need to avoid.


Eat a low-calorie snack before going out. You’re less likely to go off your diet if you’re feeling full when you get to the party or restaurant.


Find physical activities that you enjoy. For example, if you don’t like exercising outdoors on cold days, join a fitness club, or get an exercise bicycle and hand weights to use at home. If the problem is a time crunch, exercise in increments of 10 minutes whenever you have the time — before work, after work, or during your lunch hour.


Reduce stress. If you overeat when you are under stress, find a stress-reduction method that works for you: meditation, relaxation techniques, listening to music, exercising, or talking to a friend.

THANKS BIZI !!! You always find and share the best articles. I want you to know that they are very much appreciated.

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Nancy