How To Really Lose Weight
For those of you that do not know, I used to be overweight. Even worse, I had high blood pressure and high cholesterol ever since I was 13 years old. I struggled with my weight for years and tried every diet, every shake, every wrap, every thing! I was desperate to lose weight.
When I finally lost all the weight 3 years ago, I posted a picture of myself in a bikini on Facebook (I was a bit more adventurous and daring in those day). The questions starting rolling in:
How did you lose all that weight?
What special kind of diet were you on?
What’s your secret?
Well, ladies, I’ve decided to reveal how I managed to lose weight and keep it off. Hold on to your hats because the method may surprise you. Are you ready? Here is my secret:
I ate healthier and exercised more.
WHAT?! That’s all?
Yes, it’s true. Not only that, it’s the best way to lose weight, maintain your weight, and be healthy. If you ask any reputable personal trainer or nutritionist, they will all say the exact same thing.
But what about those cleanses? My friend’s mom’s brother’s teacher’s second cousin twice removed said she lost a ton of weight by doing XYZ cleanse!
I’ve tried cleanses before and yes, they do help you lose weight (which is a no-brainer because all you’re consuming is a bunch of liquid with very low calories). BUT, what happens when you stop your cleanse and go back to eating regular food? Yep, you guessed it. You gain all of your weight back and maybe a few extra pounds. Plus, do you really want to go the rest of your life only consuming some sort of liquid for each meal?
What about those wrap things I keep seeing on my Facebook feed?
No matter what anyone tells you, wraps only do one thing: help you get rid of excess water in your body. That’s all. As a result, you drop a few pounds, but, keep in mind, that it’s only water weight. If you really want to burn fat, you have to increase your metabolism and lower your calorie intake. Slapping on a wrap and waiting an hour before you remove it will not increase your metabolism.
What about weight loss pills?
Same concept as above. You can’t expect to take a pill and watch your pounds melt away. You have to actively burn your pounds away.
My point is, it’s very easy for us to be attracted to those “lose weight FAST!” programs and products. I mean, who wouldn’t want to lose X amount of pounds in a week? But like anything else in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
The old-fashioned way of losing weight takes more time and effort than all of the “lose weight FAST!” methods. This is the main reason why so many people opt for faster and more extreme ways to lose weight, like wraps and cleanses. But what would you rather do: take longer to lose weight and maintain it for the rest of your life (and consequently, practice healthy fitness and eating habits) or lose weight in a very short amount of time and end up gaining it all back (and then some)?
So, if you want to lose a few pounds for whatever reason, it’s simple: decrease your daily caloric intake and increase your metabolism. You can easily do that by:
-Stop eating foods with high calories and replace them with foods with lower calories (aka quit eating junk food)
-Start (and stick to) an exercise regimen.
-Make sure you drink enough water.
-Stay active– take the stairs, park your car further, take stretching breaks every 30 minutes when you’re sitting at your desk, etc.
Remember, don’t fall into the trap of fast weight loss schemes. Do it the right and healthy way!
