Weight
Loss Aids-Think Outside the Bottle
We all want to look our best, and
losing weight is in the forefront of our minds when we think about
looking our best. While weight loss is important to maintaining a
healthy lifestyle, we must consider what are the best options and
aids in achieving healthy weight loss and lifestyle.
If you are already engaged in a healthy weight loss or fitness
program and you are still finding it hard to lose weight, you may
want to ask your doctor about what weight loss aids could help you
in the process. But if you are not yet involved in a weight loss
program that includes proper diet and exercise, consider thinking
outside the weight loss pill bottle.
When I think of weight loss aids, I stay away from the pop-a-pill
solutions. The keys to my weight loss and maintenance are diet and
nutrition, exercise, adequate sleep, and appropriate release of
stress. My extra weight was making me tired, sucking all my energy
out, and making me a very unpleasant person to be around. By
applying these weight loss aids, I found a healthier, happier,
more well-balanced solution than I had found in any previous
attempts to lose the weight by taking a pill.
There are a lot of products on the market that guarantee rapid
weight loss. There are pills, diet, programs, and supplements that
tell us rapid weight loss can be ours without changing our diet,
increasing our exercise, or impacting our lifestyle. Of course
that is what we all want to hear.
Vitamin and herbal supplements that make claims to impact your
weight without you making a change to your lifestyle are
everywhere. The old adage, “if it sounds too good to be true, it
probably is” is a good rule of thumb here. However, as I began
to look at general nutrition and adding vitamins and supplements
to my diet, it did have an impact on my ability to stimulate
weight loss and keep my weight balanced once I lost it. The key is
to take vitamins and supplements, under the supervision of your
doctor, that promote overall health and nutrition. If overall
health is your goal, weight loss will be a result.
Another weight loss aid I employ is healthy exercise. That does
not mean I became an exercise guru. I simply made an effort to
take the stairs at work more often. I began by using the stairs
rather than the elevator when I first arrived in the morning. The
next week, I added the stairs at lunch time. A third week I added
the evening as I left the office.
On top of my stair climbing, I added a walk around the park near
my office at lunch hour 3 days a week. It required planning ahead
so I could remember my walking shoes, but it was worth it. Within
a week, not only did I see pounds fall off, I also had more
energy. I had not realized how lethargic I had become sitting
behind my desk all the time.
It doesn’t take a 20-hour-per-week commitment. It only takes a
commitment to change your lifestyle, a little at a time.
Another aid for my weight loss is diet. I found that all the fast
food and executive lunches were adding calories and vast amounts
of food my body did not need. I changed a couple things in my
thinking that made a huge impact on my eating habits. First, I
only allowed myself my favorite greasy dive food one meal per
week. Second, when we went to those fancy lunches, I chose the
grilled instead of fried foods, and I boxed half of my meal to eat
another time. Restaurant portions are twice what I should be
eating, and leftovers make a great meal, especially when I don’t
want to make a lunch to take to work. Third, I added more salad
and vegetables to my diet. I know they are not always popular
choices, but there are so many flavor varieties available. Find
one that you enjoy and go with it.
Making these simple, low-drama changes to my eating habits
contributed to the effectiveness of my subtle exercise changes and
the weight began to drop off. Once it started to fall and my
energy began to increase, my desire to better care for myself, and
my ability to hold myself accountable for my weight began to
increase.
A third key to my weight loss was proper sleep. It was hard at
first, but I began to force myself to bed at a reasonable time. I
discovered as I got seven hours of sleep regularly, my energy
level jumped, and exercise and eating right became easier. Not to
mention, my family began to like me better.
Finally, eating right, exercising, and sleeping well all lead to
an appropriate release of stress, which is another key to weight
loss. I discovered how much I stress eat, which added MANY
unwanted pounds to my body. I decided that when I couldn’t stand
to sit at my desk for one more minute, instead of hitting the
break room with snacks, high-fat coffee creamer, and my
girlfriends, I hit the hallway with my walking shoes and my
favorite tunes. Ten minutes of walking, instead of eating and
gabbing, was so much better for my weight loss efforts.
If you struggle to keep yourself on the straight and narrow, you
can join a weight loss center that will help you in this area with
friends and counselors who understand your struggle. Always talk
to a doctor if you begin a weight loss program, and remember,
instead of trying to take the easy way out, make a commitment to
yourself (and those who love you) to develop a healthy system of
nutrition, sleep, stress reduction, and exercise. These are the
weight loss aids that have changed my life.
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presented only for informational purposes and does not replace medical advice from a practicing
physician.
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