You want to lose weight, but can’t? Here’s 10 ‘commandments’ of weight loss that will help!
1) Thou shalt not starve yourself. Most people think that in order to lose weight, they have to eat as little as possible. Not true – and you’re actually hurting your weight loss goals when you do this! Your body will assume you’re starving, and actually lower your metabolism to help you survive! So DON’T starve yourself.
2) Thou shalt eat balanced, healthy meals. Sure, you can lose a lot of weight with certain fad diets – but when you go back to regular eating habits, the weight comes roaring back. Strive for moderation in all things – healthy moderation. That means protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Lean white meat, fish, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables – these are the stuff that a great diet is built from.
3) Thou shalt eat six small meals instead of three large ones. When your digestive system works continually, it burns more calories. And when you eat good foods more often, you’re less likely to cheat. And no, a candy bar does not qualify as a ‘small meal.’
4) Thou shalt exercise. But that doesn’t mean you have to go to a gym or sweat yourself to death. Actually, a brisk stroll around the neighborhood every day will help you burn a lot of calories – and you’ll probably be a lot more likely to do that than go to the gym every day.
5) Thou shalt be accountable. Keep an online diaries, get on a forum and post, or get a diet buddy to keep you honest and on track. But make sure your diet buddy is serious. A bad influence as a diet buddy means broken diets!
6) Thou shalt drink water. Get rid of the diet colas. Even if they are just 1 calorie or less, they’re a witches brew of chemicals. Your body needs clean water both to flush out impurities and to burn fat. The chemical breakdown of fat actually requires water, so you’ll need to drink more. If you must have something with taste, pour a splash of 100% cranberry juice into the water for a little extra zing.
7) Thou shalt cut down on salt. Everybody needs a certain amount of salt to live, but that amount is actually VERY small in comparison to what the average American normally consumes. Excess salt is not only unhealthy and leads to problems with blood pressure, it also causes your body to retain water. And you don’t want bloating and water retention to interfere with your amazing weight losses, do you?
8) Thou shalt not drink alcohol. A glass of wine or a beer once or twice a week is allowable, but remember: alcohol is a LOT of calories in liquid form. And don’t tell yourself that drinking vodka is permissible because it doesn’t have any carbs: any form of alcohol partially mimics the effects of estrogen, one of which is to build up fat (women’s curves are there for a reason, folks).
9) Thou shalt be nice to yourself. Don’t try to motivate yourself by calling yourself names or beating yourself up. That can just lead to unhappiness that you might try to fix with food. If you fall off the wagon, don’t be mean to yourself; just promise to do better, and go back to eating healthy.
10) Thou shalt practice moderation. If you’ve been living on Twinkies and Pepsi for years, you’re not going to make the transition to whole wheat bread and fresh vegetables overnight. That’s just setting yourself up for failure. GRADUALLY work your way into the diet – out of six small meals, eat one very healthy meal every day for a week. Then eat two very healthy meals a day, and work your way up. The ultimate goal is not just to lose weight, but to adopt a healthier lifestyle that will help you stay thin once you reach your goal.