How to Lose Weight the Healthy Way

I, like so many others, have had the displeasure of carrying around unwanted pounds. Since giving birth to my first child 9 years ago, my weight has been on a constant roller coaster of ups and downs (mostly ups). Dieting has become the ultimate of dirty words to me, mainly because it seems to do more harm than good. I've come to realize that dieting is just a way to set yourself up for failure because, let's face it, depriving ourselves of every food that we love is just not possible. Ask anyone who has ever been on a strict diet before how it went and I'll guarantee they all say that they cheated and felt guilty about it more often than not, and have probably even gained more weight than they lost in the end. I've made a decision to completely erase the word 'diet' from my vocabulary.

Instead, I'm vowing to just eat healthier without depriving myself of some of the good stuff. In other words, I will limit my calorie intake everyday, eat more salads, fruits and vegetables, and drink more water than I have been, but I will also allow myself that bowl of ice cream when I crave it or that piece of cake at the next birthday party. And I'll vow not to feel guilty about it. Treating ourselves to a slice of pizza or a glass of soda now and then should not make us feel guilty. If we work out like crazy, reduce portion sizes and control the amount of calories we consume, shouldn't we get to award ourselves for all of that hard work? I say yes. Allow yourself to have a "freebie" day where you can eat whatever you want and not feel guilty about it. Or, when you have a craving for those "bad" snacks, go ahead and give in and have that cookie you've been eyeing. I've realized that allowing myself to eat something that isn't on the diet menu isn't going to do the damage I was thinking it would. So get rid of that evil word that starts with a D and make eating healthier and exercising regularly your goal to losing weight. This will put you on the right path to getting down to the size you want without taking away all of the good things too.

Want some other healthy tips to lose weight? Read on: