Losing Weight the Easy Way

I am a living example of how easy it is to lose weight. I had high cholesterol, high blood pressure, back problems and arthritis in my right knee. I am 5'9" tall and was tipping the scales at 310lbs. It was time to get serious about losing some weight!

I had tried different diets in the past...Atkins, South Beach, "Lose up to 15 lbs in 3 Days" screaming headlines from magazine cover diets. My Mother put me on my first diet when I was 12! But I never stuck with a diet long enough for a real lifestyle change. That was the problem.

I know all about drinking eight 8oz. glasses of water every day. I know all about the green leafy vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean meats a Healthy Person is supposed to eat. My problem is I don't like water, I think lettuce is a matrix for getting ranch or bleu cheese dressing from the plate to your mouth without using a spoon; and I like to cook my veggies in butter, salt and pepper. Oh, Boy, what am I gonna do?!

Well, I'll tell you what I did, because I made a few simple changes that you can make and then in 9 months you can lose the same 65 pounds and counting that I have lost.

There are some basic facts to examine before beginning any diet and exercise program. During the era [100,000 B.C. - 8,000 B.C.] of Hunter - Gatherer groups, the humans who survived were not only the best hunters, but also the most efficient fat storing machines. Their bodies developed the ability to store fat as a way to cope with the periods when game was sparse and the edible roots, berries and grains were in short supply as well. The skinny ones in the group died. The humans with some meat on their bones survived to pass their genetics on to the next generation.

In the 21st century in America we are blessed with a stable food supply. Access to as much food as you want, combined with a sedentary lifestyle results in weight gain. If left unchecked, this weight gain can lead to obesity, as it did in my case. Obesity is defined as being at least 100 pounds overweight and/or having a BMI of 30 or more.

The $33 billion diet industry is geared to convincing fat people [I can say that since I was one for most of my adult life] that losing weight is easy. I'll let you in on a secret. . . it IS easy. The key to losing weight is to consume fewer calories than you expend every day. That sounds easy. Right up until you start reading labels and discover the calories per serving for some of your favorite condiments and foods.

Losing weight can be easy, though, with a few alterations to your daily routine. It won't cost you a fortune in pre-packaged food or health club fees, either.

I didn't realize how much I was eating until I cut my portions in half. You don't have to cut every portion of every meal all at once. Try cutting the portions of lunch in half the first day, and if you usually have a candy bar on your break at work in the morning and afternoon, try having a handful of almonds or a small apple, instead. Eat those almonds one at a time. Chew each one completely, swallow it, take a sip of water and then eat the next one.

Eat breakfast every day. Even if it means getting up 15 minutes earlier, do it. Have oatmeal, it's good for your heart. I don't mean that prepackaged, instant stuff. Take a look at the sugars and carbs on the box. Unless it's got less than the 3 minute oatmeal that you cook, go for the 3 minute kind. You can always add Brown Sugar Splenda, a little bit of 1% milk and cinnamon to it.

After you've adjusted to a smaller portion at lunch, try having a smaller portion of meat at your evening meal. Your serving of meat should never be bigger than your fist. When you are in a restaurant and the serving is three or four times that size, simply eat the proper portion and take the remainder home for other meals.

Those canned veggies you've been buying, don't switch to the no salt added variety if it costs more. Just rinse them with tap water. Then add about a half can of water to the sauce pan and your favorite spices. If you're going to cook fresh veggies, use extra virgin olive oil, not butter or margarine.

Add as much fresh fruit to your diet as you possibly can. Apples, oranges, grapes, kiwi, mango, berries, pineapple, tangerines, whatever you can find at the grocery store. Just no more than one banana or avocado a day. They are higher in calories than the rest of the fruits and veggies.

I substituted Slim-Fast for my evening meal three times a week. If you can't bear the thought of missing supper, drink the Slim-Fast at Lunch.

Exercise is an important part of losing weight. You don't have to join a health club, or have a formal exercise plan such as, "I will run 2.5 miles on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, I'll do strength training." Unless that's what you WANT to do. Your exercise can begin as simply as parking in the middle of the lane instead of as close to the door as possible when you go to the store, the mall, work, or any other of the places you go on a regular basis. If you work on the 4th floor. Begin your exercise program by taking the elevator to the 3rd floor and walking up that last floor for the first week. Then the next week you can add two floors to your stair climbing routine. After a month, you're climbing four sets of stairs at least twice daily. And by now, you're walking in from the far end of the parking lot, too.

Walking is one of the cheapest, easiest ways to add exercise into your daily routine. It's not the only way. Are you a music lover? Then dance your way through those household chores. Dance, to lively music, while you load the dishwasher, dance in place while you do dishes by hand. Dance while you vacuum and dust. You're burning calories and the tasks go quicker, too.

Want to lift weights, but can't afford to go buy a set of weights? Look at common objects in your home that weigh approximately the same amount as the hand-held weights with which you need to start. There are multiple sites on line and the library has books available about basic weightlifting. Canned goods are excellent hand weights for the 1 to 5 pound range.

If you want to purchase equipment, such as a recumbent bicycle or an elliptical machine, check used sporting goods stores and pawn shops before you head to the retail outlets. Someone else's failed exercise program is your bargain. If you must have a new machine, sales can be found almost every week at different retailers.

Don't forget to treat yourself now and then, too. My favorite food in the entire world, other than lobster, is a big, stuffed baked potato. Every 10 days or so, I'd bake a medium sized potato, put a moderate amount of butter and sour cream on it, and then pile on the low fat cheese, and bacon and chives. I would savor each and every bite. I ate that baby as slow as I could. I enjoyed that potato as I had NEVER enjoyed potatoes when I hadn't watched what I was eating.

I hope what worked for me works for you. I have dropped the slim-fast part of my changes and am losing about 1 lb per week now. Good Luck.