Many people looking to lose weight buy every diet book on the market, yet there are some tips about losing weight that have nothing to do with what’s in those books that can make all the difference. Certain life tips about losing weight are things most people don’t consider when trying to “drop a few.” Diet books can be helpful if you’re new to eating healthy and don’t know where to start, but keep in mind they aren’t the whole piece to the puzzle, and can actually make you feel restricted. Check out these life tips about losing weight that you might not have considered yet. I think you’ll see that once you implement them, the weight comes off much more naturally, and you’re left happier for it.
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1. Balance
Many diet books don’t teach one of the most important tips about losing weight, which is balance. I’m not talking about “eating in moderation” either. Instead, I’m talking about balancing your life. Lots of high stress activities, meetings and dinners around the clock, late nights out all week, or lying around all weekend aren’t things that will help you lose weight. You need to be active, but not be a slave to a schedule or feel like you can't say no to certain activities. You need to create balance in your life, starting with your schedule. This reduces stress, and is so important for weight loss.
2. You Need to Sleep
Sleeping is so important for weight loss, and influences every type of hormone in your body that can make or break your weight loss success. I’m serious, ladies- get your rest! No less than 8 hours should be a priority every single day.
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3. Less Intense Exercise
I know this sounds crazy, since you’ve probably heard that all those high intensity exercise sessions are best for weight loss, but here’s the thing. High intense exercises create a lot of stress in the body, and though they burn calories, they exhaust your adrenals, lowering your thyroid function, and can even make your appetite more screwy throughout the day. Less intense exercises that still burn calories like walking, yoga, hiking, biking, jogging, etc. are just as great for losing weight and lowering stress too. When your stress levels are down everything is better, including your ability to lose weight faster. Plus, these exercises are better for your joints and muscles. You need to be gentle to your body! You can still keep it active, but please be a little kinder to it.
4. There is No Perfect Diet
Any diet book you pick up will promise you it is the answer you’ve always looked for, always hoped for, and will be the last search on your way to lose weight forever. Let me just tell you something: they’re all going to say that! They’re making money off of you, hun! Truly, there is no perfect diet because we are all different. We all have a gigantic list of healthy foods to choose from, and finding out which combinations of those foods are best and make us feel our best is the only way to live a happy life and find your optimal weight. What works for me might not work for you. Perfect diets don’t exist, so pretty please quit spending your hard-earned money on books that promise you they are perfect. Spend it on healthy food instead!
5. The Basic Stuff Works
Here’s a marketing gimmick you won’t find in a book- the basic stuff works the best. You don’t need a diet book to tell you that lean protein, vegetables, healthy fats and low glycemic foods will help you lose weight. Sure, they might put their own spin on that version, and package it up really nice, but that’s still a basic equation we all need to be at our optimal weight. Basic is best- keep that in mind.
6. Hormone Help
Some diet books do address hormones, but many aren’t catered to specific individual needs, or perhaps they don’t know your specific background and health history. Your hormones have everything to do with your health and happiness, along with your weight loss. Getting them in balance is key to living healthy and happy. Finding out what strategy works best for you can take some time. You’ll need to work with a doctor and eat the basic healthy foods described above. Beyond that, results can vary, so remember that what one diet books suggest for hormones and weight loss, another may say something completely different. Messing around too much with your hormones can be more harmful than good.
7. Life Isn’t about Diets
The last tip I want to give you is to remember that your life isn’t about diets, food, or weight loss. It’s about what you contribute to the world around you, and what you do with the gifts you’ve been given. Yes, being at a healthy weight ensures that you can do those things more efficiently and is important, but dropping 5 or 10 pounds, or even more, isn’t what life is about. Reading tons of diet books and thinking about what diet to try next is no way to live your life, and it truly steals your joy for years you’ll never get back.
Diets come and go, but these life tips are ones you can keep in the back of your mind all the time to help you get to your best weight. Obviously, I didn’t come up with these, and they’re no marketing strategy- just common sense. What life tips for losing weight do you have? Or, what’s the worst thing that happened to you after reading a diet book?
Comments
Kristen: I always say eating is common sense that we all seem to forget so easy! Great list
Michelle: So true! Don't let diets rule your life. I had a dr almost kill me. And because of his mistake, I'm missing half my colon. I have such a hard time eating food period. (Chronic diahreea). I only weigh 94 pounds at the age of 50. (Today. :) ). But thank God I'm alive. Please be happy with whatever weight that you are. Just eat healthy foods. I have to juice veggies n fruits so that I can absorb the nutrients my body needs because I don't absorb it from the intake of food. I eat solid foods but lose it too fast to absorb. Sorry about the graphics But again, eat healthy and be happy just the way you are!
Natalia: Love the article! Life is not about diets!
ilona: @HeatherWilliams
Laraine: I've had weight issues from birth. I'm a pensioner now and it's taken me all my life to stop panicking about my weight and just get on with my life. Being calmer and more philosophical about things, I've settled down to healthy eating, with the occasional treat, a regime that suits me and I've lost over 30 lbs and am able to continue. Might reach a healthy weight before I die. Thanks for the article.
ilona: @Denise I really enjoyed your 7 Tips About Losing Weight. I think we women in today's society often find ourselves dwelling, obsessing, over analyzing about our weight and personal appearance when we should be focusing more within our oursellves, our own inner peace with who we are, what we are about and the purpose we have here today. I couldn't agree with you more when you mentioned diets are not what life is about. Each and every one of us have a life waiting for us to live happily, free to eat whatever we want and exercise while exploring the world. Before we know it, our mind, body (weight), and soul will be and complete. As you stated "balance" in life is the key to happiness.
Karen: I have M.S., Spasticity, & ADHD. What I have found that works for me is a peanut butter & banana sandwich & a half sandwich of Nutella per day (usually for lunch) every day to maintain a healthy weight. Works really well to lose weight as well to lose 5 - 7 pounds per week when I am too heavy. I also drink 900 ml per day of green tea when I am retaining water, like @ that time of the month, but I usually drink 2 - 3 per week just to flush out toxins out of my system. I also keep in stock any foods that I have 'cravings' for, like sweet potatoes, carrots, corn, & other like vegetables as well as 'fresh' fruit that I have bought when they are in season, cut up @ freeze them for when I crave them in the winter. As my doctor says, "If I am craving it, then my body is needing certain vitamins/ minerals in that are in that particular food, so eat whatever I craving if I can". Again, great for maintaining healthy weight. When I want to lose an extra pound quickly ... a bar of chocolate. ; D
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