Easy Ways to Lose Weight

I lost weight not that long ago. I didn't have some magical potion to help me do it nor did a genie jump out of a lamp and grant me three wishes. I did it through a combination of managing my eating habits and exercise. It really wasn't all that difficult. And you can do it too. Here's what I did:

Ate more frequently

If you skip breakfast and/or lunch, you body gets confused. In an effort to protect itself from starvation, it saves its resources and stores fat and all those calories you consumed during your last meal. As a result, you put on weight. To combat this, I ate smaller portions throughout the day to stimulate my metabolism. I never felt hungry if I ate a small portion because I was eating so frequently and it helped me to lose weight.

Consistently walked

You can put on a video with one of those perky twenty-something year olds with perfect bodies who like to do aerobics for hours on end, ultimately torching you. I wouldn't recommend it though. A steady routine of walking did the trick for me and I got to enjoy the outdoors while I did it. A couple things to keep in mind to make your walk more effective:

-Rotating between slow walking for a few a minutes, and bursts of very quick walking for a minute or two, helps burn more calories.

-Consistently walk from heal to toe to tighten thigh and calf muscles.

-Swing your arms while swaying your waist during your walk. It helps burn more calories and tightens your tummy.

-Set a goal of how many miles you'd like to walk in a month. Every time you walk, write the number down on that day on your calendar to help you meet your goals.

-Try a different walking routine every so often to keep from getting bored.

Combined light exercise into my routine

I am in no way a big fan of exercise routines where I am tripping ever my own to feet because the routines are so complicated or so ambitious that I am out of breath in the first five minutes. So I found a nice in between exercise routine. "Walk the Walk" with Leslie Sansone is an in-home walking program that combines just a few simple steps and sets them to upbeat inspirational music. Leslie really helped to motivate me. I'd walk outside for a few days and then throw in "Walk the Walk" for a day or two. The simple steps helped to tighten my muscles and shape up while adding something different to my routine. And the routine was particularly helpful for rainy and cold days when bad weather was an excuse not to exercise. With "Walk the Walk," I had no excuse not to do it.

Cut unnecessary eating

This is going to sound obvious, but I cut out things I really didn't need to eat. I realized that I was eating things when I wasn't hungry, just to eat - I am sure we're all guilty of that from time to time. So, I cut certain things and saved my calories for things I really had to have which usually involves chocolate! For example, I began drinking water at all meals to save calories (besides it's good for you) and cut bread and rolls from my dinner. I never deprived myself of anything I wanted - that would be too unrealistic. If I knew I was going out with the girls for a nice big meal at Carrabba's and was going to have wine, I'd have a 140 calorie Lean Cuisine meal for lunch with an apple and water to fill me. This way I didn't have to worry about the large amount of calories I'd eat at night, I still wouldn't go over my goal limit of 1,500 calories and I wouldn't starve myself.

Weighed in everyday

You don't have to go to Weight Watchers to weight yourself everyday. Simply get on a scale every morning and take note of your current weight. If it's less than yesterday, great. If it's the same as yesterday, great. But if it's a pound or two more than yesterday, you know you have to exercise more today and watch your calories. If you weigh yourself everyday, you should be able to manage weight gain a little better. After all, you can't gain 10 pounds in one day. This way you if you see yourself gaining a little, you can nip it in the bud right away.

Reminded myself that I wasn't alone

I tried to stay positive when I was trying to lose weight, reminding myself that I wasn't the only one who was trying to lose weight and that if others could do it, so could I. Because of prescription medicine and a thyroid problem, I've put back on some pounds, and I plan on trying to lose weight again. This is the plan I am going to follow. So remember, we're in this together and if I could do it before, I can do it again, and so you can you!

*Remember, this article is just what helped me to lose weight. Don't take it as professional medical advice. Talk to your doctor about the exercise routine and diet that's right for you.