Start Discovering How to Lose Weight Without Dieting

Lose weight without dieting? Sounds impossible, right? Well, not only can you do it, but it is the absolute best way to lose weight - and keep it off. Perhaps you have realized, like many others who have experimented with umpteen dieting programs, that dieting just does not work for permanent weight loss. Not that it does not work at all, but that the moment you stop dieting, you start regaining your lost weight. What's worse is that you will probably regain it with compound interest. All the punishment and the pain you have inflicted on your body by rigorously following a regimen of deprivation (euphemistically called dieting), day in and day out for several weeks, comes to nothing, because the moment you give up dieting, you begin to go back to your days of unregulated eating habits with such a sense of freedom and relief from having removed the shackles of dieting. It will not take you long to notice that you are no longer in control. You have to realize that you have to get out of this yo-yo dieting habit, this vicious cycle of dieting resulting in temporary weight loss followed by a bout of bingeing resulting in weight re-gain. Then you begin again by taking up another dieting plan, and end up with the same result.

Hit a plateau?

Even after you consistently follow a diet plan and perhaps had luck by losing some of those unwanted pounds, but you are some distance from your ideal weight or your goal. Then you find that, even though you have been as diligent as before in sticking to your diet, you have hit a plateau. You do not lose weight any further after a certain point, that is. The partial success you have achieved has come as something too little too late. You are now convinced of the futility of it all and give up dieting altogether.

Why do diets fail?

Diets usually fail because they impose very stringent restrictions on eating, which you were not used to before and you will never be used to in future. By sheer force of will, you have perhaps subjected yourself to them for a time, but how long can you continue? Sooner or later, you will relax a bit under the mistaken notion that a little deviation would do your dieting no harm. But the small initial violation gradually grows much bigger and in no time, when it suddenly dawns upon you that dieting you aren't losing weight and dieting is fruitless.

You can look at the entire aspect of losing weight by dieting from another angle. There are 'new', 'latest' and 'more effective' weight loss products and programs introduced into the market every other day, yet more and more people are frustrated that they continue to remain overweight and obese despite using these products and following these programs. You must have seen recommendations for fat-free or low-fat diets, low-carb and high-protein diets, liquid protein diets, starvation diets, fad-diets, fight-your-fat diets and a plethora of other diets, some of them with names like Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet, and Hamptons Diet etc. that come with claims of being successful. Yet, not satisfied with any of these, people are on the look out for something different, something that works easily, quickly and without pain. The search for a wonder diet or magic program for weight loss happens to be one of the most engaging and never-ending pastimes of more than 65% of overweight and obese present-day Americans. And the number of such people (as well as their weight) continues to rise. You do not need any other evidence against dieting as a means of permanent weight loss. The fact of the matter is that no matter how willing a person is, they simply cannot lose weight on a typical diet and keep it off.

The multi-billion dollar weight loss industry is growing bigger by the day. Weight conscious people are increasingly depending on pills, supplements, appetite suppressants (both herbal and synthetic), special diets, weight loss gadgets and equipment, weight loss programs that include dieting, exclusive personal weight training clinics and professionals (if they can afford them). Almost all these methods claim to be effective only in conjunction with dieting. And they seem to succeed to a limited extent, but their short-term success is leading the industry to long-term prosperity, precisely because the consumers are soon gaining back their lost weight.

Reasons for the weight gain

Most people have not gained weight solely by over-eating or eating the wrong foods, but because of emotional problems or physical inactivity or a medical condition. Stress, boredom, distress, some traumatic life occurrences like death or divorce or job loss could be at the bottom of weight gain though needless eating. Weight gain could also result from the side effects of drugs or medication.

Hypothyroidism or a condition of thyroid hormone deficiency can disturb your metabolism leading to weight gain. You may experience several symptoms of hypothyroidism, like fatigue, sensitivity to cold, headaches, or swelling in the face. When your body is deficient in fatty acids essential for efficient metabolism, your craving for fatty foods and other foods rises, resulting in symptoms like those of diabetes and arthritis. You gain weight because of your cravings created by this essential fatty acid deficiency. When you take certain prescription drugs, you gain weight because of them. Examples of such prescription drugs include steroids, antidepressants, diabetic medicines, non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory drugs. Foods that promote fluid retention in your body can also lead to weight gain. If you are sensitive to such foods and still consume them, you will gain weight. When you experience unusual emotional and psychological problems, you tend to confront them by eating, even when you do not need to eat. Most of us have this tendency of eating as a way to deal with our emotional problems. This makes you gain weight. We have to analyze our behavior in this regard and take corrective measures in order to avoid emotional bingeing sessions. So the best way in such situations to arrest weight gain or lose weight is to identify the root problem and to find a suitable solution for that particular problem, usually with the help of a health care professional. Emotional and psychological issues have to be addressed and solved by placing a separate emphasis on them. In all such cases, dieting alone will not provide you with a solution to your weight problem.

The secret to avoid over-eating

Many people over eat out of sheer habit. However, there is a tried and tested way to avoid over-eating without fancy pills, dieting or weight loss programs. So what's the secret? Water. Many people mistake thirst for hunger and subsequently take in extra calories when their body was really just crying out for water. The symptoms of hunger and thirst can be almost identical and often times present themselves as a pang in the stomach. In order to be sure about whether you are actually hungry, always drink a glass of water at least 15 minutes before eating. This way, your body has time to send the signal to your brain if it is actually hunger that you were experiencing and not thirst.

The secret to losing weight

As there are no easy, quick and painless solutions to permanent weight loss, you have to concentrate on healthy living. You should not be obsessed with getting rid of your excess weight. You do not need to feel guilty or unhappy about your failed attempts at sticking to a particular diet.

Your body weight is a total of your bone weight, fat weight, muscle weight, and water weight. What most diets help to do is reduce quite a bit of your muscle weight and water weight as well as a little of fat weight. Actually, you can do nothing about your bone weight. But, by altering the way you live, you can certainly try and reduce your fat weight on a long-term basis.

Therefore, it is fundamental for you to change your mindset, to shift your focus. Your goal now is not temporary weight loss but healthy life and that should form the foundation of the changes you have to bring about in your lifestyle. However, these changes have to be conducive to your long-term weight loss. You may be slow in losing your weight, but by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, whatever weight you lose you will be gone forever. Crash diets aim at quick weight loss, which is unhealthy in the long run, but your goal ought to be to achieve slow and steady weight loss, say a pound a week at the most, until you reach your ideal body weight. After that, you will work to stay at that level by eating nutritious food and by avoiding all food that is not in accordance with your plans for weight maintenance. Whether you like it or not, food happens to play a very significant role in either promoting or sabotaging your health, and with it, your ultimate goal of achieving your ideal weight for your age, height and gender.

If you lose about 3500 calories, you will lose about a pound of weight. It is therefore possible to lose a pound of body weight in seven days, if your calorie-intake (through food) is reduced by, say, 250 calories and, in addition, expend another 250 calories through some physical exercise. You have to choose a life pattern that helps do these two things, till you achieve your ideal body weight. One of the most important things is to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise.

Incorporating fresh foods

As part of these changes, you have to depend on fresh foods for health and weight loss, and almost eliminate ready-to-eat foods or processed foods. You have to avoid trans fats that are there in most processed foods. Trans fats and saturated fats increase the risk of coronary heart disease, because they raise the LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) level. Do not eat cookies, pies, crackers, cakes, animal products, margarine, salad dressing, fried potatoes, household shortening and foods containing or fried in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Manufacturers of processed and packaged foods containing trans fats have to include the trans fat among the product ingredients, so you can easily identify and avoid such products. Remember all fats are not bad. In fact, your body needs some amount of unsaturated fats, both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, as they are a good source of energy. They also help the body in absorbing vitamins A, D, E and K. You have to limit your fat intake, though. But that does not mean that you can consume unlimited amounts of fat-free foods and drinks. Remember, fat-free products are not calorie-free. If you consume more fat-free foods, you only add more calories to your body and you will then gain weight.

Despite the emphasis that seems to be placed on not eating certain foods, this is really not the case. You must pick and choose your moments to indulge in the high fat and processed foods. The key to eating this type of food is to do it very rarely and eat only the smallest portion.

Do spend some time in cooking your meals using fresh foods at home instead of buying ready-to-eat foods or processed foods, on the pretext of being too busy. Include wholesome foods, (whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs, lean meat etc.) in your kitchen store that supports your cooking. This certainly involves a change in your lifestyle, but it will be a welcome change because it will help increase your activity levels and productivity throughout the day. Eating small meals more frequently will help too. Avoid stuffing yourself and limit your portions or serving sizes. Four to six small meals, every two or three hours, are better than two or three heavy meals at longer intervals, both for good health and for weight loss.

Like many popular fad diets recommend, you need to limit your consumption of foods that contain simple carbohydrates, which have a high glycemic index. The key here is to make a healthy lifestyle change and not to overwhelm your body will drastic change. Foods with a high glycemic index raise your blood sugar level, store unwanted fat in the body and slow down your metabolism. However, fruits and other natural products containing small amounts of simple carbohydrates are all right, if taken in reasonably limited quantities. Complex carbohydrates (starch) are better in that they are converted into sugar more slowly, and they release energy more slowly. Carbohydrates should not be avoided altogether, as they are a primary source of the body's energy, especially when you are exercising quite vigorously. But try and avoid too much table sugar, chocolate, white bread and other foods rich in simple carbohydrates, which carry "empty" calories and which only add to your weight problem instead of help you lead a healthier lifestyle.

Beverages for a healthy lifestyle

Soda, lemonade and alcohol have to be avoided for similar reasons. Sodas and lemonade are full of simple sugars that are quickly turned into fat. Drinks containing alcohol can play a surprising role in undermining your health by adding empty calories that are easily turned into fat and dehydrating you as well. Instead, drink water whenever you feel thirsty. Water helps eliminate the waste products from your body, improves the functioning of your body systems and improves metabolism. As a rule, in order to aid weight loss and a healthy life, drink water as a substitute for beverages and drinks that carry lots of calories. Water, as you know, is calorie-free. The amount of your water-intake depends largely on the amount of your physical activity and of course on the weather. In hot and humid conditions, your body demands more water than it would on a rainy afternoon.

Move that body

Regular, adequate and appropriate physical exercise has to be an essential routine in your daily life. The more active you are throughout the day, the better it is for speeding up your metabolism and aiding in weight loss. Even if you have a desk job that does not allow you too much freedom to be physically active while at work for long hours, you have to find ways and means of moving away from your desk, at least for short spells of time. Lack of physical movement and activity at the workplace has to be compensated by doing more vigorous physical exercises either before or after working hours. Taking part in regular healthy outdoor games and activities is also quite good. More importantly, include considerable time for weight training. Lifting weights is good for weight loss, as that will build muscle, which is good for burning more calories. Studies show that weight-training exercises are more conducive to weight loss than other exercises.

Therefore, incorporate physical activity into your lifestyle. You should try to exercise for at least 30 minutes per day, five days a week. You can always take advice from a professional regarding the type and duration of the exercises that are suitable for your age and physical condition. Make the exercise sessions as enjoyable as you possibly can, and do not consider them as a burden that you would rather avoid. Your attitude is extremely important. It has to be positive.

Exercise does not have to be drudgery either. There are many activities that you could do that don't seem like the exercise we typically think of such as gardening, tide pooling, hiking, house projects or window-shopping. Although most of these activities can be done at a very moderate pace, it is possible to pick up the pace or use the time as alternative weight training.

Watch your eating habits

Eat slowly for better health and weight loss. Make eating slowly and chewing every morsel well a habit. Slow eaters not only enjoy their food better, but also feel full even though they eat a small meal. The message of being full takes about 20 minutes to travel from the nerve cells to the brain. Fast eaters do not get this message until after they are overloaded. Eating slowly also increases the saliva secreted from the glands in the mouth, which promotes better digestion, naturally better health.

Every individual is unique and, obviously, the food your body needs for optimal health will have to be chosen according an individuals specific needs. The United States Department of Agriculture has suggested a Food Pyramid that can be tailored to your needs. The Food Pyramid also takes into consideration your physical activity level. It gives you advice about making suitable choices from all the food groups, balancing your food intake and your level of physical activity, getting the best possible nutrition from your food, and limiting your calorie intake to the level your body requires. Consulting it will undoubtedly help you determine how many servings of any given food you should have daily.

Certain age-old golden rules are good for a healthy life. Eat nutritious food only when hungry. Drink plenty of water. Be positive in your attitude to life. Maintain a fit body, through regular appropriate physical exercise and activity. Sleep well. Rest adequately. Meditate and maintain a sound mind.

Enjoy your health, your life, and your small and big successes. Learn to face life as it comes, with all its trials and sorrows. A sound philosophy of life will help in this regard. All these will have a bearing on your weight loss efforts, even if in an indirect way.

Remember, the only method for permanent weight loss that succeeds is the one that entails correct eating habits and adequate physical exercise. Your lifestyle has to be such as to adopt that method appropriately. You do not need dieting.