Time for Exercise

I’m not a big dieting fan. Really, I’m just not. You look at the research, and not dieting makes more sense than dieting.

So how do I expect people to lose weight? Exercise alone won’t always cut it, after all.

As I see it, there’s dieting and there’s adopting a healthier lifestyle. If you want to lose weight, working on your lifestyle is far more likely to have a positive long term impact.

Start out just by eating a healthy breakfast every day. It doesn’t have to be the old, hearty, bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes, etc. kind of breakfast. That’s good for people who burn a lot (and I mean a lot) of calories during the day but is far more than most people need to start off with. But it has been proven that if you eat breakfast you are likely to consume fewer calories throughout the day.

You should also try to break free of the 3 meals a day habit. Cut back the size and eat 5 meals a day. If you have too much trouble with that concept, lighten up your meals a little and think more carefully about how you snack. A snack between breakfast and lunch, and another between lunch and dinner will help you keep going. Focus on healthy eating for your snacks, don’t just grab some candy.

Do not deny yourself your favorite foods completely. Don’t overindulge in them either, especially if they’re high in sugar and/or fat, but denying them completely makes it too easy to feel like you failed when you do give in. Go easy on yourself.

Keep a food diary. This can help keep you from lying to yourself about how much you eat, especially when it comes to treats. You may also be able to catch the times that you are weakest about eating and find a way to avoid it. Maybe bringing a healther alternative along.

Do exercise, of course. They combine very nicely with better eating habits to help you feel healthier, look better and be more fit.

Technorati Tags: eating habits, dieting, getting fit