“Quick Fix” diet plans and pills may seem like the way to go when it comes to losing weight, but they all too often set you up for failure in the long run. 

Success doesn’t come from strictly following a diet.  It comes from making changes to the way you eat.

Here are more ways to work on losing weight without following a strict diet.

 

Losing Weight and Keeping It Off

Diets that restrict different foods and rely on frozen or pre-packaged foods make it difficult to maintain the weight loss over the long run.

If meals do not consist of more whole, unprocessed foods, it can be difficult to keep the weight off for good.

 

Calorie Restrictions

If you drastically restrict your food intake, it will cause your metabolism to slow down.

When your body perceives starvation, it will also store fat to survive so when you start to eat normal again, you will actually gain weight until your metabolism comes back to normal.

 

Too Expensive

All those special meals and shakes that may be shipped to your door can be expensive and not practical for learning to eat more whole, unprocessed foods especially for long-term weight loss.

 

Unrealistic Goals

There are many diet food and supplement companies out there touting that weight loss is a breeze, however this is not true.   It takes commitment to a healthier lifestyle, food choices and exercise every single day.

Making it sound so easy does more of a disservice and serves up empty promises.

 

Learning to Handle Special Occasions

When dining out or attending special events or parties, it may seem overwhelming at times.  One of the best things you can do is eat some protein before going out to dinner or to a party.

 

De-stress the Body

Many times we turn to food for stress relief or simply comfort and that habit can pack on the pounds faster than you can shake a stick.

Journaling comes in handy to recognize any emotional triggers that lead to overeating.  It can also help you figure our healthier choices when stressful situations strike.

Find other ways to soothe yourself.

• Enjoy a cup of green or herbal tea
• Take a warm bath
• Head to your nearest yoga or Pilates studio

It will make all the difference when it comes to keeping the weight off.

 

Avoid Distractions While Eating

Take a break from working on the computer, watching television or even driving when it is time to eat.  It makes it too easy to engage in mindless eating and consuming too many calories.

 

Stock Up On Emergency Foods

Healthy foods that you always have available when hunger strikes can help keep you on track.  Keep them in your purse, briefcase, car, office and home.

Good emergency foods include:

• Fresh vegetables like fresh peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, etc. and pair them with hummus.  Hummus is made with chick peas, a great protein source and is available in a variety of flavors including lemon, roasted red pepper or garlic to name a few.
• Organic apple with almond butter is another good choice.  Fresh ground almond butter is always best as long as you portion out no more than 2 tablespoons. You can find individual packets of almond butter in the health food section where nut butters are sold in most grocery stores.
• Greek Yogurt with blueberries

 

Schedule Times to Indulge in Your Favorite Food

Use this trick strategically and you can still lose weight.

For example, if you absolutely love chocolate, then indulge in a small square of dark chocolate after lunch.  It will help you not obsess about your favorite foods all the time while staying on track with your weight loss goals.

Staying motivated during your weight loss and fitness program can be a tough task unless you have that inner zeal and a well thought out strategy in place.

Staying fit is very essential for a healthy and happy life and it demands a long term commitment from you.  A good plan will make it much easier for you to stay motivated until you reach your goals.

Set Realistic Goals

Before you start your program, make sure that your plan is both smart and achievable.

Your goals should be something that you can realistically expect to achieve, but they should be a bit of a stretch to keep you motivated.  Setting unrealistic goals do nothing except get in your way.  Those unrealistic weight loss goals can even make you depressed because you will likely fail to meet them.

Break Down Your Goals

It is better to break your goals down into short term plans to work on them.

Those who have not been introduced to any type of fitness plan can start their routine with small walks, convert them into longer walks, and subsequently go a step further by jogging over much longer distances.

If you’re talking about a diet plan, don’t plan on making dramatic changes to your typical diet overnight.  Instead, make one change per week.

It’s difficult to find motivation for weight loss if your goal is to run 5 miles a day and lose 20 pounds.  Goals like that will make you unhappy because it’s difficult to do.  However, if your goal is to run 1 mile a day or lose 2 pounds in the next two weeks, it’s much easier to stay motivated about reaching those goals.

By having smaller goals, you will maintain your motivation for weight loss because you will see the progress that you are making and you will feel good about reaching those small goals you set.

Make Your Fitness Plan Fun

After setting up your goals, the next step is to make your fitness routine fun.  The best way to do this is to incorporate activities that you really enjoy.

Your routine can include the following:

• Join a sports team like volleyball or basketball
• Join a health club where you will find many people who have the same interest in weight loss as you
• Find a workout buddy

There are many things you can do even if you don’t have the time to hit the fitness center every day.  Don’t let your busy schedule work as your excuse, just find ways to get exercise incorporated throughout your day.

Some things you can do are:

• Walk during your lunch hour, when you get home from work or after dinner
• Walk your children to school
• Take the stairs
• Park your car farther away from the door

If your motivation for weight loss is strong enough, you will see that there are dozens of opportunities every day to increase the amount of exercise you get.

Another great idea is to combine exercise with your tv watching time.  You can put an exercise bike in front of the living room, or you can just start a routine of doing ab exercises or lifting hand weights during each commercial.

If you can stay motivated to make all of these little activities a part of your regular day, they will add up.

Motivation For Weight Loss

The key to successfully sustaining your motivation for weight loss is to make it a regular part of your day.  You don’t think about brushing your teeth each morning, you just do it.  You need to make getting enough exercise part of your routine.

• Go through different diet reviews and recipes and eat healthy food that will complement your exercises
• Keep sight of your goal and reward yourself when you meet it
• Make your fitness programs more of a social activity by including your family and friends
• Involving other people is a great way to keep up your motivation for exercise

Plan for your overall health and fitness and stick to it all through the year to attain a newer and fitter you.

Here’ wishing you best of luck!

---