Healthy Weight Loss- 5 Tricks Which Work!
When walking to lose weight what is healthy is individual. In our abundant lives we most often have choices to make rather than have or not have, and so the question is…which is healthier for me? Don’t let other people tell you what the right choice for you is but be aware of the consequences of your choices and choose those which you want. Most often this is between what short term joy comes with a choice such as eating a bar of chocolate watching television late at night and cutting down the time required to reach the longer term joy of fitting in to a favorite dress.
1. Making It Easy.
Making it easy is the first way to trick yourself into losing weight with exercise and controlled eating. Whatever activity you are already doing, make it easy and fun to do more, and more, and more…
Make a list of the foods you like which are also going to give you the results you want. Be conscious of burning calories while you’re walking.
2. Be Creative-Loose Your Inner Athlete.
Use creativity to make this decision into something interesting and relevant to you. We put our creativity to use all the time. Now use it to make walking to lose weight successful. Let it be a ‘something wonderful’ in you life.
Use natural parts of your day to support this:
Do you like to party? Make a perfect evening out by combining fun, socializing and being seen with standing, dancing, moving-a lot, even all the time. Eat sparingly and small amounts. (Eat before going out, something lite.) Limit sugary drinks (which includes alcohol). Dilute drinks which otherwise would be high in calories with low energy soft drinks or water. Watch out for energy boosters with high sugar content. Have a cup of unsweetened coffee as an appetite suppressant. Drink lots of water.
In any way you normally enjoy yourself, integrate walking into it, in a way that shifts your approach from hardship to joy. Express yourself through this activity. Make it a part of you, an extension.
3. Use Walking Support Systems.
Be dedicated to attracting friends, tools, inspiration which are also focused on walking to lose weight. Take only those with you, on this particular journey, who support what is positive about walking and weight loss for you. Sometimes walkers like to do it on their own. It can be used as a time to listen to music, a book, a study tutorial, an uplifting lecture. It can be a social opportunity if this is what you prefer, by joining a walking group, gym or a friend. In addition there are many ‘support’ tools, different from devices such as pedometers and of a motivational nature, which are not necessarily social. These include magazines, online clubs, forums, blogs, corporate sites, etc. I like the About.com walking forum, and for example, have set a walking target for November, there. Also I’ve started a FriendFeed room for anyone interested in asking questions or making comments, posting interesting websites, etc.
4. Attitude to Walking is Everything!
Shift from a fear of losing out. Instead of seeing this choice as giving something up, see it as adding to your life. Healthy weight loss is a good feeling part of life. Allow evolution from fear to joyful appreciation of this additional focus. Everyone changes constantly. This is normal. Often we feel at the receiving end so this is an opportunity to be at the focal point. If a friendship seems threatened it is commonly the friend’s fear of losing something they enjoy from your relationship. Find another way of being in their life which also allows you to change and satisfies them. If a healthy life is incompatible with your friendship, end it.
5. Maintain balance.
Emotional balance is what will help you the most. It’s not so much a trick, as an awareness: Drastically changing by cutting down food will affect you emotionally; Increasing exercise vigorously beyond what is normal for you, continued to over tiredness, will affect your emotions. Aim for emotional balance and ask for support on forums etc. if a new approach isn’t working out. Allowing emotional over balance to get out of hand in an attempt to lose weight quickly may negate any positive changes which you have made and produce a defeatist attitude. Focus on fun. Reward yourself constantly, with something you like at the end of the day. Perhaps one small glass of white wine, diluted with ice. Don’t finish the glass until the ice has melted. If you are thirsty have a glass of water before the wine. Also find other ways of rewarding yourself which don’t involve food or drink. Time to relax with a good book, outside enjoying the sun, with nothing to do for an hour, might be your idea of a reward.
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