Getting in Shape in Five Easy Steps

Everyone talks about how difficult it is to get in shape. That's because they just don't go about it the right way. Many people think that getting in shape is about putting themselves through a grueling basic training-type torture for a few weeks or months, and then lapsing back into their unhealthy lifestyle. The truth is, getting into shape should happen relatively slowly, and it should involve gradual lifestyle changes.

This does not mean that you have to part ways with ice cream. It just means that you can't eat tubs and tubs of the stuff anymore. It does mean that you can't continue to put off doing the things you need to do to make a difference, and that you can't maintain a sedentary lifestyle. Here are some tips that - believe it or not - are not that difficult once you start doing them.

1. Start a walking program. If you want to burn a few extra calories a day and speed up your metabolism, the easiest way is to simply walk it off. If you love walking, then it will be easy. Just set aside the time once or twice a day and do it. You don't have to really push it - just keep up a pace that's a little more than a stroll. Ten minutes at a time is a great start if you aren't used to it.

2. Take the stairs. You would be surprised how those calories will add up at the end of the day or week if you don't let yourself take the elevator. Even a few seconds here and there, over the course of a day, can really make a difference.

3. Park at the other end of the parking lot. That ten minutes you spend looking for a parking spot near the doorway will be better spent walking across the parking lot. Again, over the course of a week, this kind of thing adds up.

4. Eat half portions at restaurants. Since going to a restaurant is largely a social occasion, it is very easy to lose track of how much you eat while you're there. Add that to the fact that many restaurants give absolutely insane portions of food, and it can be a very dangerous place for someone trying to cut back. So approach this in a conscious way. When your food comes out, take a look at it and decide how much you are going to eat. Maybe "half of everything" will do it. If you've made a conscious decision to eat only a certain amount, you will notice when you get there and be able to stop. Ask for a takeout box and eat the rest the next day.

5. Put off treats. Many people have trouble "dieting" because it makes them feel deprived. They feel deprived because they forbid themselves to have things like chocolate cake. If you really want chocolate cake, you should have it, but not necessarily as soon as you want it. Promise yourself you can have some "tomorrow" or "the day after tomorrow," and then eat a reasonable amount then. In this way, you can allow yourself to look forward to treats without eating them compulsively.

There are other tricks of course, but this should get you started nicely. Exercising and controlling your diet needn't be terribly difficult. You simply have to make minor adjustments in how you approach them. Over time, those adjustments will add up.

But there is one final note. There has been evidence to suggest that a gradual approach works much better with women than with men, and that men do better with sweeping changes. Keep that in mind, but don't be bound by it. These things are still largely individual, even if gender does sway the general population one way or another.