How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off

Researchers have yet to develop an effective diet pill that can help you on how to lose weight and keep it off without having to incorporate exercise and healthy eating.  However, you should rest assured! Knowing how to lose weight and keep it off for good is not as hard as you may think.  You can lose weight for good, but the results are completely up to you.

Nix the Short-Term Fix

Fad diets, trendy exercise gadgets, and special weight loss pills all have one thing in common: they rarely, if ever, continue to work in the long-run. Perhaps the biggest problem with quick fixes is not their long-term ineffectiveness, but rather, the fact that fad diets and other quick fixes work to perpetuate a mindset that can be detrimental to a dieter’s long-term goal to lose weight.

If you are relying on an extreme diet or workout regimen that will help you lose more than 5 pounds per week, stop now.  Want to shed ten pounds before a wedding? A cabbage soup diet will definitely work – for a little while.  But, starvation and extreme exercise are not sustainable, and that type of behavior will only frustrate you in the long run.

The Single Solution

If you have ever picked up a health magazine, you’ve probably read about hundreds of different weight-loss tips, which can seem like nothing more than petty details when you are trying to make big changes to your diet.  The single best move you can make for your long-term weight loss goal is to simultaneously change the way you eat and the amount that you exercise.

• You Are What You Eat – If you take in more calories than necessary, you will gain weight.  Not everyone is born with a fast metabolism.  In order to figure out the best diet for you, you should first research what your healthy weight should be for your height and body type. Then, you should find an online calorie counter and figure out how many calories you need to take in every day in order to maintain your body weight.  When you have this number, reduce the amount of calories you take in by 300 at first, then work up to 500.  Don’t reduce too far, though, otherwise, your metabolism will slow down, and your weight will come back with a vengeance when you go back to old habits.

• Get Moving! – If you do not exercise regularly, you can kiss your weight-loss goals good-bye.  You must incorporate regular physical activity into your daily routine. But worry not! Exercise does not necessarily mean running marathons. Moderate activity is best.  Try going for a daily walk (30-60 minutes). Go out dancing, bike to work, or invest in a gym pass or a health club.  Many gyms are open 24-hours, so go to the gym at odd times (later in the evening, or early morning) if you start out feeling self-conscious about working out.  Also, scheduling a time with a personal trainer can get you motivated to show up at the gym.

Remember, long-term results are completely dependent on you. Knowing how to lose weight and keep it off for good is important.  You can and will be successful if you accept that the journey will take some time, but in the end, the results will be totally worth it.