Let's take a look at how your attitudes and perceptions affect the results you acheive and how slight modifications can achieve mighty results.
When attacking any problem, it is always best to break it into small sections that can be approached individually. Every war is made up of many battles. Stringing together a series of battles helps to win the war. If you are dealing with personal debt, credit counselors will tell you to pay off one card or account at a time; building momentum with each little victory.
In many ways, our battle of the bulge is very similar. If you have ten, or twenty, or thirty, or one hundred pounds to lose, it is self-defeating to try to lose that amount in any given time. However, anyone can lose one pound or two. Once done, you simply repeat the steps you took to win that small (but significant) battle, and you're on your way to winning the war!
According to the Wellness Letter (published by UC Berkeley), the average American gains about two pounds each year. Well, someone at the American Dietetic Association (ADA) crunched the numbers and look what they came up with. Each pound of body weight is equivalent to 3500 calories. Dividing those 3500 calories by 365 days, each pound of body weight gain comes from an extra 19 calories per day. Now this is generalized, so don't write me letters.... just hear me out.
If you can see what 19 calories a day can do over the course of a year, imagine what decreasing your diet by 100 calories per day can do. This would equate to a five-pound weight loss (roughly) over the course of a year.
How difficult would it be to leave out 100 calories each day? Well, the folks at the ADA came up with a few -- amazingly easy -- suggestions.
-- eat water packed tuna instead of oil packed tuna
-- have one cup of cereal in the morning instead of two cups
-- put tomato slices, lettuce and pepper strips on a sandwich instead of mayo
-- substitute skim milk for whole milk (two cups is all it takes...)
-- snack on a cup of low fat yogurt and fruit instead of doughnuts or cookies
-- drink a big glass of water with green tea extract, instead of a soda
Once you see how easy it is to trim some calories away, you need only diligence and will-power to stick to it. The old saying goes "if you fail to plan, it's like planning to fail."
To win the battle of the bulge, you've got to have a battle plan. That plan will involve (your number one ingredient) CHANGE. When you undertake a challenge such as this, you need to take an assessment of your attitude.
The good folks at the ADA came up with a few questions to ask yourself:
Are you willing to make regular physical activity a part of your routine? Are you committed to making small gradual changes in your eating plan? Do you have a realistic weight-loss goal in mind? Can you control your food choices and meal preparation methods? Are you losing weight to improve your health and feel better?
If you go into this with the right plan, the right attitude, and have the ability to persevere, you can't help but achieve your goals.
If you haven't started off with a plan and the right attitude, do so now! Don't go through all of the effort it takes to ATTEMPT to lose weight and fail. Instead, make the effort and LOSE weight!
References:
http://www.eatright.org American Dietetic Association,
http://www.berkeleywellness.com/index.php The Wellness Letter
Michael Callen is the author of the Weekly Weightloss Tips Newsletter (ccwebgroup.com/tips) and the Chief Technology Officer for WellnessPartners.com, an online retailer of dozens of health and wellness products such as green tea extract, green tea extract, and Green Tea Extract.
elite cleaning services Des Plaines ..There are certain eating habits that can make you gain... Read More
There are many factors that cause us to increase body... Read More
How to Estimate How Many Calories You Can Have and... Read More
I'm sure you have heard it before, but one of... Read More
You may have read the old stories about how much... Read More
1. Drink plenty of water. Our body needs a lot... Read More
NLP Setting an Anchor Process to Get Back Motivation for... Read More
We, as a society, are always trying to lose weight.... Read More
For many years, herbalists believe that Cayenne is the most... Read More
Fast Weight Loss - Is it better to lose 2lbs... Read More
Fat Burners refer to the hundreds of products on the... Read More
Low Carb diets have become as popular as apple pie... Read More
Food cravings are crafty -- they appear from nowhere and... Read More
Obesity and overweight, weight reduction and weight management therapies, miracle... Read More
Weight loss programs often have big claims. Understand the "science"... Read More
Cellulite - Reduce The Appearance --------------------------------- Sallie Elizabeth has always... Read More
I am Greg Ryan, a high profile fitness expert with... Read More
The holidays are now officially over and it's time to... Read More
What a great world we live in. You want something,... Read More
This Article was originally Published in The July 2004 Issue... Read More
If anyone knows anything about fitness, it's that a low... Read More
What is the relationship between intake of nutrition and metabolism... Read More
There are many factors that cause us to increase body... Read More
For the past 20 years, the American public has been... Read More
Food intolerance is a pharmacological reaction to the consumption of... Read More
eco-friendly cleaning service Buffalo Grove ..It is estimated that about 32 million Americans are following... Read More
Protein is an essential nutrient necessary for maintaining good health.... Read More
1. Increase your fiber intake. The body needs a lot... Read More
ObesityToday, 64.5 percent of adult Americans (about 127 million) are... Read More
It is very important for low carb dieters to stick... Read More
The scourge of obesity has reached such gigantic proportions across... Read More
I never intended to get fat! I am not exactly... Read More
No doubt about it, when we feel stressed we want... Read More
To say that Americans are obsessed with dieting is an... Read More
Most people are unsure about how to begin a fat... Read More
The Atkins low-carb diet consists of four phases: Induction, Ongoing... Read More
The 3 day diet mixes certain types of foods that... Read More
"I'd love to lose weight, but I don't have the... Read More
Dr. Hagglund's Healthy Eating Tips(All wheat products, bananas*, breads, rice,... Read More
You may be considering a low carb diet program, but... Read More
Q: I've heard you mention that you don't need tons... Read More
I am not a diet and fitness guru or an... Read More
Getting into a weight loss program or any type of... Read More
Unfortunately, obesity is reaching epidemic proportions, with over 60% of... Read More
Metabolism is essentially the speed at which our body's motor... Read More
Food is not simply fuel to keep you going. Nor... Read More
Many of enjoy sitting down at Starbucks and enjoying a... Read More
I was so embarrassed for her. After a grueling 45... Read More
Nowadays, so much of the public is obese (fat) that... Read More
A 'diet' is always seen as a temporary measure. An... Read More
Weight Loss |