Secrets to Successful Weight Loss

I'm sure you, like many others, would love to know the secret to weight loss. The secret is, there is no secret! There are many diet pills, drinks, and other products that claim to help you lose weight quickly and easily. Many of these products do not work and most importantly they are addictive, dangerous and not approved by the FDA. Let's face it, there is no quick and easy method to losing weight and keeping it off. Successful weight loss takes time, commitment and determination.

Losing weight is nothing more than a change in lifestyle. Take a minute to look at your lifestyle. Most people are overweight due to the combination of not eating balanced meals, snacking on high fat foods, not exercising, and wrong food choice.

Now let's take a look on how to change your lifestyle. Here are 4 effective ways to improve your lifestyle and begin
losing weight:

1.) Eat three balanced meals a day - Eating three balanced meals a day means eating breakfast, lunch and dinner and combining the recommended daily amount of all food groups including meat, dairy, grains, vegetables, fruits and fats. Skipping meals is not only unhealthy but will cause you to eat more throughout the day. My Pyramid.gov has a plan that willhelp you choose the right foods and amounts that are right for you.

2.) Drink plenty of water - If you are eating right and not noticing any weight loss, it could be because of what you are drinking. Sodas and iced tea are filled with loads of sugar and sugar turns into fat if not used or burned up. Studies recommend that people drink plenty of water, at least 8 glasses a day. Water is not only good for you, but is necessary for your body and mind to function properly. Not drinking enough water causes your body to become dehydrated, which leads to fatigue.

3.) Choose smart snacks - If you eat when you are depressed, happy, excited or nervous, then you are an emotional eater. Many people are emotional eaters and there is really nothing wrong with it, it's the choice of foods that is the problem. Think about the last time you ate just because you were depressed. What did you eat? Chips? Ice cream? Now ask yourself this, did you not feel worse after you 'comforted' yourself by eating? Next time you feel the need to comfort yourself by eating, try grabbing for some carrot sticks, celery sticks, apple slices, pretzels or fruit. The easiest way to stick with healthy foods is to not allow any fatty foods into your home. Next time you go grocery shopping, skip the junk food isle and focus on fresh fruits and vegetables. And remember, never go shopping when you are hungry! The bottom line is...think smart before you snack.

4.) Exercise - Exercise is a great way to relieve stress and build confidence. Most people regret exercising because they have not found something they enjoy. Exercise does not have to be work. Simply walking is great exercise. Ask a friend or your spouse to join you or take along your dog. Bike riding is another great exercise that is fun and is one that the whole family can participate in! Exercise is simply building your heart rate to burn calories. Each exercise burns a different amount of calories. Listed below are some examples of the estimated calories burned per hour by doing common activities.

These are based on a 170-180 lb person, actual calories burned will vary with your individual body weight. The
more you weigh, the more you will burn.

Walking (2 mph) - 200
Walking (3.5 mph) - 298
Jogging (5 mph) - 636
Running (8 mph) - 1,074
Skating (ice or roller) - 557
Bicycling (outdoor, 10 mph) - 640
Bowling - 239
Gardening - 318
Hiking - 477

So, there you have it. Once you change your lifestyle, your body will change. The most important thing to
remember is not to expect a difference overnight. Healthy weight loss is a gradual process. A healthy lifestyle is
not only the right step toward your goal of losing weight, but also an important factor to keeping the weight off.