How To Keep The Weight Off

"Look at you."

"You look absolutely amazing."

"How did you finally lose the weight?"

If any of this sounds familiar, you have at some point in life achieved your weight loss goal. The days of calorie counting, exercising, and venturing into unchartered territory every morning as you stand on the great equalizer - your bathroom scale, have finally paid off. You're perfect and you deserve to be praised for this tremendous accomplishment. But the true test has just begun.

Thousands of us lose weight each and every year. The downside to this is that many of us gain the weight back after less than a year.

And thus the vicious yo-yo is born. The yo-yo dieter is easy to spot. They are the ones who are a different size every time you see them. There sizes range from tiny, 5lbs. heavier, really gaining weight to the ultimate insult, "She's huge!".

Your closet consist of about four different dress sizes. To your absolute horror, you probably can't fit any of them.

You and only you can bring this cycle to an end. The first step is realizing that dieting is an absolute no-no! Changing your lifestyle by modifying your behavior is key.

As humans, we are instinctively creatures of habit. We usually have a difficult time adapting to change. Nevertheless, it can be done.

Start Simple

Meal planning is an excellent first line of defense. Abandon the fast food restaurants and start doing a little grocery shopping. Purchase fresh fruit, vegetable and low calorie, low fat snacks. When purchasing meats keep in mind that fresh is best. If the meat can be eaten without cooking, you don't need it. Luncheon meats are generally higher in sodium and other harmful additives to help preserve the meat's shelf-life.

Meal Preparation

Through out the deep fryer! Baking, broiling or boiling cuts calories, fat and cholesterol. Once you've made the appropriate food selections make sure your preparation is on the same sheet of music.

Make Exercising Fun

Make exercise a family affair. Take brisk walks in the morning after dropping the kids off at school or an evening stroll with the hubby and kids before or after dinner. Aerobic tapes and DVDs are great. But who wants to jump around in a house all alone? Even working in the yard can be a great source of exercise. Just remember - some sort of physical activity for at least 30 minutes 3 to 4 times a week can do wonders.

Hydration

Get back to the basics! Drinking plenty of water is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. Water is a great way of flushing toxins from the body. Most of us cringe at the thought of drinking 6 to 8 - eight ounce glasses daily. Once I realized that an eight ounce glass was the same size as a standard white styrofoam paper cup I was hooked for life. Avoiding sodas and other beverages which are loaded with empty calories can be replaced easily with a refreshing glass of water.

Take A Break

One of the worst mistakes is never moving past your mistake. Okay, you've been doing great and one day out of nowhere you find yourself wrist deep in one of the biggest burgers you've tasted in a long time. After devouring it, you're riddled with guilt and decide to just give up. Wait just one minute! You've come to far. Get back up and forge ahead. We learn from our mistakes, right? Why should this be any different. I suggest having an off day. Choose one day out of the week to have a reward meal. Now, don't go over board. However, one of your favorite meals is a good way of keeping things exciting and not completely throwing your body into healthy eating SHOCK!

Living The Life

Once you've started eating and living healthier the weight will begin to disappear. Again, there will be a multitude of compliments. Who knows. You may even turn a few heads! Now ask yourself this, was losing the weight really that difficult? The answer is no. So, keep it up. Resorting back to the old you will transform you into the "old you". Isn't that the person you intentionally left behind?

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