Tips for Losing Weight and Keeping it Off

Why is it, that as soon as you start dieting, food suddenly becomes all the more tempting? Food mysteriously becomes all you can think about and everyone around you always seems to be eating fast food, sweets and loads of carbs, all of the things that you swore you would never ingest again. How can anyone lose weight and keep it off when they are constantly faced with temptation?

My advice: have patience. Many people try to make too many lifestyle changes too quickly. If you try to go from living on McDonald's to living on carrot sticks, you're almost doomed to fail. Instead, take it one step at a time. Slowly start to limit the amount of calories that you consume and make small changes that won't completely rock your world, such as switching from 2% milk to skim or from regular soda to diet. As you continue to slowly make more and more changes, you will eventually find that few traces of your former eating habits remain.

The same rules apply when it comes to exercise. If walking from the couch to the fridge is the most exercise you've gotten over the past few years, don't expect to be able to run a marathon your first day! Even a little exercise can go a long way. Go for a brisk walk with a friend several days a week and slowly increase your speed and distance. Once your body has adjusted to the exercise, you can try more strenuous activities. Starting out too strong might result in an injury, so take it one step at a time. It is always a good idea to talk to your doctor before starting any exercise routine. They can give you an idea of how much your body can handle.