Fit and healthy for a
lot of Americans starts with losing weight. Losing weight is not just about
looking good but it is also about feeling good. Heart disease is a big problem
in the United States causing 25% of all deaths in the US. The CDC predicts that
one-third of the adult population in the US will develop Type 2 Diabetes. Both
of these diseases are totally preventable. In fact, both are directly
correlated with being over weight. Meaning, if you are overweight, you are more
likely to suffer from heart disease and type 2 diabetes than someone who is
not. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The problem is, losing
weight is not easy for most people who are at risk. In fact, it may seem down
right impossible.
The fact is, there is
no easy way to lose weight. Losing weight requires simple changes in lifestyle
that are not easy because they need a shift in mindset. To lose weight, we have
to adjust our eating habits and level of activity. Diet and exercise. Simple.
The difficulty with that is, our eating habits form during childhood, passed
down from generation to generation. As children, we do not have control over
what we eat and where we go. We may or may not learn poor eating habits that we
then pass on to our kids. Eating healthy does not just mean fewer calories and
more salad. It means eating whole foods, foods that have not been processed.
Simple concept. Not always easy to execute.
The same thing goes
for exercise. If exercise and physical activity were not a part of your
upbringing, the odds are high that exercising is not even on your radar. Which
probably means you'll have to change your entire schedule to include exercise
into your daily routine as an adult. Simple concept. Difficult to execute.
Here are some tips
that may make it easier to make simple changes to your diet and exercise to meet weight and health goals:
Figure out your
relationship with food. Are you eating to survive? Do you eat when you're
bored? Do you eat to celebrate? Do you eat when you're sad? You can recognize
what triggers you to eat when don't need to.
Start phasing
processed foods out of your diet. Anything packaged in a box or bag and stored
at room temperature probably has ingredients your body can't process. This also
includes fast food. Eating them will not help you lose weight. Simple concept.
Not easy to execute.
Don't wait to get to
the gym to exercise. Find ways to merge exercise into your daily routine. Take
the stairs instead of the elevator. Park in a far parking space. Hand deliver
notes and documents.
Exercise BEFORE you
start your day. Getting a brisk walk or run in early in the day jump starts
your metabolism and gets those endorphins flowing. Working out in the evening
may seem better in theory but sometimes after a long day, you just do not feel
like it. Other times, things come up. Life happens and you may find yourself
missing your work outs.
Losing weight might
prove difficult. There is no easy way to do it. Simple lifestyle changes help
are not easy but make a huge difference in weight loss progress. Simple is
effective but hardly ever easy.
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