6 lifestyle changes I made to lose weight

As far as I can remember, I was never thin. Because I was in love with my curves, I never bothered to fight the fat. I did try some weight loss packages and diet plans to look good, but I failed miserably. Every time I set myself on the road to weight loss, my failed attempts convinced me not to bother about my weight. And I decided to live happily with my ‘fat.’

However, things changed. Now, I want to lose weight. Not so much to look thin, but to fit into my pre-pregnancy denims and feel comfortable in my own skin. Since setting goals and following strict diets don’t work for me, here are a few lifestyle changes I did to shed some kilos.

I stopped buying processed foods and sweets

This is not to say that I stopped eating them altogether. I can never say no to sweets. So my rule is not to buy them anymore. I don’t drop at Bikaner (Indian sweets shop) on my way back from work, I don’t buy a pack of Oreo (my favourite binge) and chocolates are a complete no-no. But I never refuse sweets and chocolates when offered. I shamelessly eat them. And since people are not so kind to give me sweets every day, it has become a once-a-while affair and I would like to keep it that way. Do you know about these 10 diet habits that guarantee weight loss?

I stopped eating leftovers

Since I cook in the morning, it hurts to throw leftovers at the end of the day. But a friend of mine advised, ‘If you can’t give it to the needy and the food has to rot, then let it rot in the dustbin, not your stomach.’ I never paid heed to this advice, but now it started making sense. I don’t eat extra food anymore. I try to cook sensibly these days so there are no leftovers because wasting food is a crime. Here are 3 more reasons you should not eat leftover food.

I stopped giving excuses to avoid gym

There is no way I can lose weight if I don’t exercise, right? I have a membership with a reputed gym where I hardly go. In fact, before I became serious with my weight loss plans, I realised that in the past six months, I went to the gym only 24 times. Oh I can see you laughing at me. But that’s the past. Now, instead of finding an excuse to miss the gym, I try to be there for 30 minutes at least. My pep  talk starts right after my lunch hour till I convince myself to get inside the gym after a long day at work. Can’t afford to go to the gym? Go for a walk. Here’s how to do it the right way to lose weight.

I stopped buying in bulk

My rule while grocery shopping is to buy small packets of dals and beans. Carefully understanding my family’s eating habits made me realise that cooking huge portions doesn’t make everyone eat more (especially, when I am still a novice at it). Instead of buying 1 kg packets, I buy 250 gm packets. This helps me cook the right amount of food for our family of three for a day.

I started waking up fifteen minutes early

I don’t consider ‘gym-time’ as ‘me-time.’ I haven’t established that kind of connect with the treadmill and the dumbbells. Exercise for me is more work. My favourite excuse to miss exercise at the end of the day is ‘I need some time alone.’ I try to spend 15 minutes alone early in the morning with my morning cuppa before my baby wakes up. This sets a positive tone for the day and gives me no room to miss ‘gym-time’ for ‘me-time.’ Read about how to become a morning person — tips to wake up early.

I started counting calories

There are various health apps one can download these days. I have chosen ‘My Fitness Pal.’ I make an entry of all the foods that I eat throughout the day and it helps me know how many calories I am consuming. Though I usually miss an entry or so, it is still helping me to stay within the 2500 calorie mark.

Well, with all these small changes I haven’t lost huge amount of weight yet. But it has helped me feel lighter and more energetic. Probably now I am on the right track. I don’t have a target weight to achieve, but I am happy with my slow and steady progress.

You may also like to read about why I stopped loving myself after I became a mother.

Disclaimer text TheHealthSite.com does not guarantee any weight loss through this method as the results may vary from person to person. We recommend you consult your nutritionist and physician before following any of the tips suggested here.

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