Stop fooling yourself: refreshing weight-loss tips

Forget the weird milkshakes, the syrup-only diets, the endless damp salads.

Stop panting around the gym wondering why you’re not losing any weight, and stop flicking through lifestyle magazines looking for the secret of quick-fix weight loss. The ultimate secret of weight loss is not in a monthly subscription to some exotic berry, the secret is that weight loss is not a secret at all.

There is only one very simple rule for dieters to remember, and that is this: make sure you burn more calories than you consume.

According to government statistics, around 60% of us are overweight or obese. Experts reckon it’s a mixture of increasingly desk-bound lifestyles and easy access to fattening, sugary food that’s making us more than a bit squidgy round the edges. When our cultural beauty ideal is rake-thin and willowy, it’s no surprise that we’re all feeling a bit blue about our bodies.

For many of us, every day is yet another vicious battle of wills against the biscuit tin and every evening either a reluctant slog at the gym or a guilty conscience as we slump in front of the telly.

However, you don’t have to go on a ‘diet’ to lose weight, and you don’t have to get a gym membership. It actually takes only slight changes to your life to get back on track.

According to Yahoo Lifestyle, all you need to achieve a healthy weight is your wits about you. Here are a few no-nonsense tips to help you lose weight healthily (while keeping your common sense):

1. Make time for exercise

We’ve all heard that one before, and it’s much easier said than done. Having a 9-5 office job, children, sedentary hobbies – all make it very difficult to find time to exercise. Not many of us have the will-power to get up at 6am for a few morning lunges. The trick is to incorporate small bursts of exercise throughout the day. You can do this by parking a little further from the office and walking the distance briskly, using a toilet on a different floor to your office and taking stairs two at a time. Stretch regularly at your desk and take a brisk 15 minute walk during lunch (even if it’s just around the building).

2. Don’t lie to yourself

Just because you ate that biscuit standing up waiting for the kettle to boil, doesn’t mean you didn’t eat that biscuit. Often we forget, ignore or deny those little snacks throughout the day because we feel they can’t possibly count. Of course, they do. In fact, snacks can easily mount up to a significant proportion of your daily calorie consumption. Whatever you have – whether a forkful of leftovers from the fridge or a handful of nuts before dinner, don’t discount it. Secret snacks could be the reason you’re finding it hard to lose weight. 

3. Set realistic goals

You may be going on that beach holiday next week, but you’re probably not going to achieve a bikini body in 7 days, despite what the magazines say. Crash dieting is incredibly unhealthy and never works in the long-run. Starving yourself for a week is only going to make you feel unhappy. Losing weight really does take time, so set yourself small goals to avoid disappointment.

Remember to enjoy life, get out in the open air, make time for looking after your body and mind. Eventually you will reap the rewards, even if it takes many years.

If you are looking to gain control over your weight, a life coach could help. By setting realistic goals and supporting you through your efforts, life coaching could provide that motivation and encouragement you need. Find out more in our Life Coaching Areas, or search for a life coach today.

For more tips, visit the original Yahoo News article.