4 Things You Need Before You Lose Weight
The verdict is in: Americans have a weight problem. With over 60 percent of the population being overweight, it is no longer an individual issue as much as is it a societal issue. And one problem is that many people are uninformed about the basic mechanics of weight loss and healthy living. This article discusses four things everyone needs to have in order to start and maintain a weight loss program.
Buy a Nutrition Book
With so many fad diets, weight loss supplements, and exercise equipment, it can be very difficult to understand the hard facts about weight loss. Many people do not understand the mechanics of counting calories, choosing healthy food, and exercising for weight loss. Luckily, there are tons of really easy-to-read, informative books that make weight loss understandable and attainable. Unlike short-term weight loss strategies like giving up alcohol for weeks, or doing a cleanse, or only eating grapefruit; learning to incorporate lifestyle changes when it comes to food choices and exercise will foster room for permanent weight loss.Get an Exercise DVD
There are thousands of reasons not to work out: fatigue, lack of money, bad weather, sore hip- anyone can name it! Eliminating barriers to consistently working out will enable people to get active. Buying an exercise DVD or VHS that can be done in the comfort of ones home will be a great incentive to actually start exercising. There are thousands of exercise DVDs to choose from, varying in difficulty, tailor-made for all kinds of body types and situations that are fun to do. Browsing the internet or DVD section of stores are a good place to find one.Use A Calendar
Becoming fit and healthy is as important as the dentist appointments, filing taxes, and birthdays. Therefore, weight loss should be scheduled on a calendar. More specifically, everyone wanting to lose weight should create a schedule of work out days, healthy eating days, cheat days and stick to the schedule. That way, people hold themselves accountable to their goals because it is already decided and written in ink.It takes approximately 4-6 weeks to see results after beginning a weight loss program. After about two or three weeks of exercise, many people give up because they do not see the desired results. Having a calendar that schedules exercise and healthy eating will help keep people on track, remind them to be patient, and help them complete their weight loss goals.
Get a Scale
Many people do not own a scale. Different weight loss programs have different advice: weigh oneself weekly, monthly, or skip the scale altogether and use other markers such as how ones clothes fit. However, according to the Medicinenet.com article, "To Weigh, Or Not To Weigh...That Is The Question," "A group of doctors who studied obese and overweight adults who were trying to lose weight as well as overweight adults who were trying to prevent weight gain found that those who weighed themselves more often lost more weight and prevented more weight gain over two years than those who weighed themselves less frequently."Weighing daily, preferable first thing in the morning, allows people to recognize small weight gain as well as weight loss. After a weekend of partying, eating out and not exercising, it is common to gain a couple of pounds. When people weigh themselves regularly, they will notice the weight gain and work on eating healthy and increasing the exercise in order to lose those extra pounds. On the other hand, people that do not weigh themselves regularly may not notice the extra couple of pounds until it turns into 10 or 20 pounds, which is harder to lose.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and weight is important not only for looks but for overall health. By reading a book about the basics of nutrition and weight loss, buying an exercise DVD to work out with at home, scheduling work outs on a calendar, and weighing oneself regularly anyone can be successful at losing weight.
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