Contributed by Lora Vance, LMT
Losing weight is so hard, because the body tries to hold onto it. If you cut down too many calories, your body will go into "starvation mode" and turn everything you eat into fat.
I've lost 27 pounds over the past year. I've cut my portions down- it took a while to get used to eating smaller portions. When you go out to eat, get a "to go" box right away and cut everything in half, to take home for lunch the next day.
I also have had a lot of success on a low fat diet. Stick between 20-30% fat in your diet. The weight does not fall off like it's "melting" but it does come off. You want to lose around 4 or 5 pounds a month. Come on! It didn't get there overnight, it shouldn't come off that fast. This creates the "yo-yo" diet effect and your body will gain the weight back AND THEN SOME, when you go off it.
I was on the Eat More/Weigh Less diet for a while, but it's based on a 10% fat diet. That is really low. It can end up raising your triglycerides and the Doc told me THAT low is not good. We do need fats in our diet to have our body working properly.
Sweets- arrgghh... Limit yourself in how much you eat. Eat with awareness. Pay attention when you are eating. Chew food thoroughly. It takes 7 seconds for food to travel to your stomach. Count to 7 between bites. If you want a piece of chocolate, get a good, rich chocolate in a bite size portion. Take one piece, smell it, place it in your mouth and let it melt. Really pay attention to it. Meditate on the flavor and tell yourself one piece is enough. Amazingly, it is. This works for any "sweet" or "salty" cravings.Another great tip- take a few drops of Oil of Oregano (available at any health food store) every day for ten days with a big glass of water to help curb your sweet tooth.
Stop buying anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup. It's evil! It turns to fat faster than table sugar and it's in EVERYTHING!!! Even bread. READ THE LABELS! You'll be doing this anyway to watch for your fat content. Fruit is always the best. Carrots are also high in natural sugars and provide a great "crunch factor". It helps the munchies.
Also, the more "whole" the food is, the longer it will last in your system. Dense, whole grain breads take much longer to digest than white bread. Go for whole wheat bread and take it even further by getting 9 or 12 grain breads. It does take a little getting used to, if you are not already doing this. Carbs are not the enemy! Carbs in excess are, but then, anything in excess is going to be! It's choosing the right kind of carbs that will help you. Look for information on Low Glycemic Index. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates.html This will help you start.
Lots of water!!! It helps to make you feel full. Many times we feel hungry when our body is actually becoming dehydrated. Drink some water first if you think you shouldn't be hungry so soon. The guide for how much water to drink is to take your weight, divide it in half. That is how many ounces you should be drinking per day- minimum. Herbal tea will help too. Warm tea will soothe your stomach.
Eat a few healthy snacks between meals. Apples with peanut butter or cheese. Carrots. Celery. Low fat yogurt.
Cut back on any soda- even diet soda. The artificial sweeteners and caffeine can make you feel hungry. If you drink a lot of caffeine, cut back a little at a time to avoid any withdrawals. You don't have to stop completely, of course, just cut it back to one or two cups a day. Try to drink coffee black, rather than with sugar and milk, to save calories.
Exercise. You do not have to get out and run a marathon! However, walking at a "fat burn" pace of about 3 or 4 miles per hour is really good. The elliptical machine will help to tone legs, buns and abdomen. Cycling and hiking are great outdoor activities when the weather is nice. Yoga is amazing, too. My husband works with a guy that has lost 51 pounds over the past 2 years just watching his portions and doing yoga. It's also soooo good for stress!
Think positively. It's not always easy. You are doing something not only to help you look and feel better, but it will boost your health and help you live longer. Remember, the extra weight didn't get there overnight. If you lose the weight too quickly, your body will try to put the weight back on. You will need to work at keeping the weight off for a year before your body thinks this is your normal weight. At that point, you will find it easier and easier to keep if off.
I have found that it helps to tell myself "It feels so good to weigh 160!" (I'm currently at 164, but don't tell my body that. It is a 5 pound goal each time. This is much less intimidating than losing 30 pounds!) Five at a time, baby! Five at a time.
Watch your calories- you don't have to be a hawk about it. That is no fun, but you will learn fast by doing a little. Here is an excellent place to find out what's best for you and your age and your height. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates.html
Another wonderful site for counting calories and tracking calories burned through exercise: www.calorieconnect.com
In summary...
- Smaller portions
- Low-Fat Diet (20-30%)
- NO MORE High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Eat with Awareness
- Low Glycemic Index
- Plenty of Water
- Healthy snacks between meals
- Exercise
- Think Positively
You may know a lot of this already, but sometimes it's good to hear it again! Set a goal of implementing one tip per week. Then get ready to meet the healthier, slimmer you!
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