Losing Weight the Right Way

Pick up a sustainable food and exercise plan and make it work for you

We all know that to lose weight or to remain healthy one has to eat right and exercise. In my last article "Give Homeopathy a Chance" I mentioned "Exercise, eat right, relax and take homeopathic remedies should be the present day fitness mantra". In this article I will talk about how to eat right, exercise so as to lose or maintain weight and remain healthy too. There are many diet and exercise plans available these days that it is difficult to decide which one to follow. All of them boast of a quick weight loss which is usually what one is looking for. Most of them work too if followed correctly but as soon as you stop the diet plan the pounds come back. So the first thing we need to do is find a plan which can be followed for a long time. It's not about losing the weight once but also about keeping it off always. I am not going to suggest any new thing which you haven't heard or read before but I am just going to try to put it all together.

First and foremost thing is to stay focused and strive to achieve the target weight. Every day when you wake up in the morning weigh yourself and think that you will stick to your healthy eating and exercising habits. Buy a weighing scale if you don't already have one and measure your weight every day. This will guide and inspire you to lose weight. Now don't think that you will lose all the flab in 10 days but be realistic. Change your attitude, having a positive attitude will certainly help. Believing in yourself that you can lose the weight can be the starting point.

Your diet should be a good balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fat. Look at the image of the new food pyramid and plan your meals accordingly. Fruits and vegetables are near the foundation of the pyramid this time, emphasis is on drinking water, limiting high glycemic foods such as soda pop, fried foods, limiting the intake of red meat and butter, using low fat milk ,yogurt and eating more vegetable proteins like legumes.

So basically the food pyramid is suggesting you to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, to choose good carbohydrates, the best being whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans. Vegetable or animal proteins should be included in the diet like lentils, beans, nuts, whole grains, fish and poultry being the best choices. Drink lots of water throughout the day. Avoid sodas and soft drinks and replace them with low fat milk, yogurt and juice which are healthier. Try to cook vegetables and lentils in 1-2 table spoon of oil. Our body needs only 2-3 table spoon of oil in a day. The best oils are virgin olive oil and canola oil. Avoid sweets as much as possible; replace it with just one small piece of chocolate or any other low calorie sweet. Remember extra sugar is stored as fat.

Do not deprive yourself at all rather keep yourself full during the day. To keep yourself full find foods which are low in calories, high in fiber and appeal your taste buds examples are baby carrots, fruits, salads (with fat free dressing of course), fat free yogurts, soups (tomato and vegetable), low fat low calorie whole grain cereals, diet shakes etc.

Eat only when you are hungry. Keeping yourself full doesn't mean that you keep eating the whole day but keep a check on the portion of your meals, portion control is very important. Portion control means downsizing the quantity of food that you eat. Do not skip your meals. Eat 6 small meals instead of 3 big meals. Don't eat your meal while watching TV because the brain doesn't register how much you have eaten so sit on the dining table and eat the meal slowly.

Keep a record of what you eat so as to see how many calories you are eating in a day. Remember every 3500 calories is equal to one pound. So if you eat 500 calories less everyday then you can lose one pound in 7 days.

Company also makes a difference, find friends who are also trying to lose weight and do some best practice sharing. Keep yourself busy. You can eat more if you are sitting idle. Make it a habit to sleep for at least 7- 8 hours at night. Studies show that people who follow this are leaner than those who slept for 5-6 hours.

Don't become a couch potato but get up and move around at least once in an hour. Exercising is also very important. The new food pyramid is also emphasizing on exercise. If you cannot workout in a gym then at least try to brisk walk for 45 minutes every day , just remember even brisk walking for 45 minutes every day goes a long way. Apart from helping you lose weight there are other benefits of exercising too viz. it helps improve digestion, it stimulates the hormonal system, builds resistance etc. Do you know that exercise is the best way to relax yourself!

So get moving, eat healthy, small portions slowly, more frequently, relax and see your pounds disappearing.

The author Ritu Sehgal is currently providing Homeopathic Consultation in the metro Atlanta area. She also provides the same online and over the phone. Her website is www.homeoconsultation.com and her phone # is 770-578-8990
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any health condition. It is not a replacement for the treatment provided by your healthcare provider.