At a point where the obesity epidemic has hit a truly fatal scale in America, we must begin to take every extra pound that we carry seriously. This means not only losing weight, but losing it as quickly as possible and keeping it off. If you have tried every diet available and have failed at each and every one, you are not alone. The sad truth is that obesity comes on a silver platter from a smiling waitress who cannot wait to encourage you to make a dessert order so that she can add a few dollars to your total (and to her tip). We are bombarded with commercials that make statements such as “eat like a real man” and “don’t deprive yourself any longer” until we feel that we are entitled to that super-sized portion. Stop lying to yourself. Stop telling yourself that you can eat like that and simply add an hour of exercise a day and lose weight.
Exercising actually makes you hungrier, so if eating habits are not changed, you will be likely to gain weight with the addition of exercise. It has happened to me. I would exercise for an hour and therefore feel entitled to three beef tacos afterward. It simply does not and cannot work that way. Losing weight is hard. If it were not, everyone would be doing it. A cliché, yes, but also the truth. So how can one really start to lose weight and stay motivated long enough to keep it off? Well, we all respond to results. While it is not likely that you will lose ten pounds every month that you stay on your diet plan, you can jump start your diet so that it does happen in the first month. This way, you will be more likely to stay motivated and lose more in the long run. Here are a few tips to get you well on your way to losing ten pounds in 31 days:
1. Cut out the trans fats. That’s right, you will have to cut out those beloved French fries and potato chips. I know it hurts.
2. Cut out the sodas. Sugary drinks are now suspected to be the number one cause of weight gain in the United States. It is even being suggested that a tax be placed on them to discourage soda purchases in order to help alleviate the obesity problem.
3. Exercise every single day. You will need at least one hour of cardio/strength training every day. To make it simple, just do thirty minutes of strength training and toning in the morning and thirty minutes of cardio in the afternoon or evening (when your energy level has dropped off, preferably after 3:00 pm). Add to the intensity of your workout every week, or you will not see the scale continue to move.
4. Tone, tone, tone. Why? You can see almost immediate results from toning. A great abdominal-toning exercise is what I call the “cross-crunch.” Lie on your back with feet in the air, knees bent, with your legs in an “L” position from the floor. You will look as if you are sitting in a chair or about to ride a bike. As you do your first crunch, twist your stomach to the right until your left elbow is in line with your right knee. At the same time, slowly extend your left leg, bringing it back in as you lie back down. Repeat with the other side. Do three repetitions of 12, and increase the number of reps with each week.
5. Drink 64 ounces of water a day. Not only will you begin to feel more energized, but it is now thought that well hydrated bodies can better process carbohydrates and other foods that would otherwise have turned into fat. Also, keeping something in your stomach can help a little when it comes to feeling full. Drink one 20 ounce bottle before each meal.
6. Sneak even more exercise into your day. Take a twenty minute walk on your lunch break. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park in the back of the lot at work. Adding steps to your daily walking routine can greatly help your weight loss efforts and tone your body with little effort. This is to be done in addition to your daily workouts, and it is not optional. Make walking more and moving whenever possible a way of life.
7. Stay motivated. It is essential that you follow every single part of this plan to the strictest degree in order to succeed. You may lose a little more than 10 pounds, you may lose a little less, but starting off in this manner will help you train yourself to be disciplined. Read health magazines every day to get new ideas. Get a friend to lose weight with you and require you to weigh in weekly. Put that horrid picture of yourself in a bathing suit on the refrigerator for all the world to see until you can replace it with a better one. Do whatever it takes to lose that first ten pounds, and you will be able to use the excitement from that initial accomplishment to lose even more.
Remember, losing ten pounds in a month is indeed a difficult task, but it is certainly doable. After that first month, you can expect to lose something more along the lines of 6-8 pounds a month from then on, with continued work. Look at the long term goal, take baby steps, and keep going. You can do it.
