It’s often been said that dieting is exhausting: and while many of us would agree that that sentiment holds true, have you ever really stopped to ask yourself why?
You like food, but no one’s taking away food altogether, so what’s the big deal? It must be something else, right?
But what is that something else? What reduces our motivation to a jello-like warble?
After all, if you could pinpoint that energy drain and prevent that loss of morale, you’d be more likely to succeed in achieving-and, dare I say- enjoying– a newer, healthier lifestyle. So why is it that we all hate dieting so, so much?
Um, maybe because, for most of us, it doesn’t work: we change our diets, waving so long to unlimited portion size and gluttonous, greedy, pleasurable “just because” eating, and see little to no result.
We could stick with it- after all, there’s nothing inherently wrong with chicken, salad, veggies, and fruit, so long as someone throws the occasional treat our way– just so long as we saw results.
But when we don’t see those results? We get tired, we get angry: it’s demotivational to work hard to change something and see no payoff.
Deciding to buckle down once and for all requires three things: Moderation, honesty, and patience. Now, don’t roll your eyes: it may sound hippie-dippy, but these three crucial mindsets and action sets ultimately pay off on the scale: here’s how to put them to work for your bottom line.
Moderation
You’ve undoubtedly heard the old adage “everything in moderation”: you eat well most of the time, have the occasional treat, and Boom! Lose weight. Sounds like a great plan! But could that really work? You’ve probably tried it before, and seen no movement on the scale. So what gives?
Here’s the thing: moderation does work, but you have to know what moderation means for you. First, as a general definition, moderate eating means that you eat healthfully 80-90% of the time, and use the other 10-20% of your intake for “fun” food. That way, you can still maintain or lose weight, while indulging in your favorite treats, because your portion sizes and Caloric intake ultimately provides a you the flexibility to do so.
Caloric balance, however, is where most people go wrong. Calories matter, folks. We all need a certain number of them to lose, gain, or maintain weight, period. How many Calories you need depends on how active you are, and your goal weight.
To maintain weight, you need 10-12 Calories per lb of your current weight. A 120 lb woman would need 1200- 1440 Calories to maintain her weight. If she were incredibly active (90+ minutes of vigorous physical activity-running, triathlon training, etc- she would likely need more.
If you’re trying to lose weight, apply that 10-12 Calories/lb rule to your goal weight: a 150 lb woman trying to reach that same 120 lbs would also require 1200- 1440 Calories.
Honesty
Honesty is so, so important in everything we do, weight loss especially. The number of Calories you consume can vary wildly with even small fluctuations in portion size. Keep a food journal, and measure your food with measuring cups and teaspoons- again- small variations add up over time.
Patience
When you’ve made the commitment to lose weight, you want fast results. We live in a microwave society, but weight loss doesn’t work that way. Our bodies take time. It takes weeks for a cut to heal, months to mend a broken bone, and nearly an entire year to carry a baby to full gestation.
Weight loss takes time, (there is no way to lose weight fast) and a healthy weight loss is typically 1-2 lbs per week. If you’ve cut back on Calories and aren’t seeing any movement on the scale, be patient: it takes a deficit of -3,500 Calories to lose 1 lb. If you’re not losing, it doesn’t mean you’re not making progress. It just means you haven’t hit that -3,500 yet. Keep working, keep measuring your food and Calories, and you’ll get there.
Everything you need to know about weight loss
Losing weight is an uphill battle. It requires dedication, patience and a lot of hard work. You might stumble along the way. But the fastest way to lose weight fast is by staying focused.
From having a nutritious diet to maintaining regular exercise, there are simple and easy ways to lose weight fast.
Remember, that the best way to lose weight is to take your time and plan on doing small changes at first. The pathways to lose weight fast are generally gimmicks. But if you are time challenged and need to know the fastest way to lose weight, the answer is to eat healthy non-processed foods include eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Have patience, my friend, have patience;
For Rome wasn’t built in a day!
You wear yourself out for nothing
In many and many a way!
Why are you nervous and fretty
When things do not move along fast;
Why let yourself get excited
Over things that will soon be past?
~Gertrude Tooley Buckingham, “Patience”
