Someone recently asked me what were the most important things
I learned about losing weight during the time I lost 48lbs (22kg).
In response I came up with 10 things that I felt were crucial
to my success and could help anyone, no matter which diet they
chose to follow...
1. Lose weight slowly (1 or 2 lbs per week). Any more than this
can cause you to have a "haggard" look when you have
reached your ideal weight (Because of the elastic nature of your
skin). Losing too much too quickly can also cause you serious
health problems.
2. Consistency. Your weight and general health will reflect what
you do and eat most of the time.
3. Exercise burns fat quickly and gives you energy. There seem
to be many different opinions about whether you need to exercise
to lose weight or just change your diet. I believe you need to
do both for many reasons and the main two for me are: Number one,
it makes you feel great! and number two, it allows to cheat more
than you would be able to if you didn't exercise (think chocolate
covered energy bars!)
4. Muscle building. I don't mean body building. Your muscles
use energy all day so the bigger they are the more energy they
need and the less energy gets stored as fat. Just doing small
amounts of weight training can make a big difference (especially
for women).
5. Metabolic rate. Raising your metabolic rate will use energy
which either burns fat or stops fat being stored. Exercise will
raise you metabolic rate and so will spicy foods. For instance,
I have found adding mustard to food helps me.
6. Planning. Plan what you are going to eat at least a week in
advance. This makes sure you stick to the diet and don't accidentally
eat the wrong thing. If you find it difficult to plan or just
don't have the time try using an online service. You can find
more information about these services from my website: www.fish4diets.com
