Have I got your attention?

Many people don’t believe that the above statement is true because they don’t understand the basics of weight loss.

Losing weight is not a sprint, it is a marathon. In other words don’t try to lose weight in 2 weeks that took 2 years to gain. Sure there are diets that promise that you will lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks but most of those diets are not sustainable. When you go on one of these diets you will lose weight, but it is mostly water, not the fat that you want to lose. Once you finish or go off this diet, and you will because most of them are boring and you go back to eating the foods that you like, you will gain the weight you lost and more because you did not change your eating behaviour while on the diet.

So how can losing weight be easy? First you need to set yourself reasonable and attainable goals. Use the SMART method of goal setting:

Specific – set a target goal for your weight loss, keep to a rather small number say 2 to 3 pounds

Measurable – keep a record of your progress in a Weight Loss Journal

Achievable – make the goal you set something that is possible to attain.

Realistic – don’t try to lose all of the weight all at once, remember this is a marathon

Timely – set a time limit to achieve your goal.

By using this method you will program your mind, for any effective program to lose weight has a mental portion as well as a physical portion to it, if you want to stick to a weight loss plan.

Next is to monitor the food you eat. Use your Weight Loss Journal to keep track of all the food you eat during the day. You may be surprised at how many high sugar/high calorie snacks and drinks you have during the day. When you know what you are eating, you can eliminate those foods that are not part of a healthy diet and substitute more healthy foods into your weight loss plan. Don’t eliminate fats, but get the right kind of fat, not the saturated fats that you get from fried foods but more unsaturated fats and fatty acids. Some fat is necessary for your body to fully absorb the nutrients contained in the many foods we eat.

You will need to do some exercise but this can be as simple as a brisk walk for 20 to 30 minutes. Going to the gym is not necessary unless you want to build muscle, which will also aid you in reducing fat, but when starting your weight loss plan it is best to stick with a simple exercise which you can do without the expense of a gym membership.

Finally, motivate yourself to stick with your plan. Post pictures on a vision board of how you want to look. Tell your friends about your plan. They will continue to ask about your progress which can be a part of your motivation. Also, reward yourself when you reach your intermediate goals. This could be a dinner out or a bowl of ice-cream or some chocolate, just eat in moderation when you eat these things.

These tips should make your weight loss easy. You will find that following these tips will mean a change in your lifestyle s well as a loss of weight that you can keep off.