Losing weight is hard. One of the reasons I find it so difficult, I think, is because that first step seems so daunting. When you sit down to work up a weight loss plan, it starts to seem real, and doubts begin creeping in immediately. Well, what if you didn't really have to make a plan? What if you could just make some small, simple, but healthy changes in your day-to-day life? As a matter of fact, you can – and you can start with this list of ways to lose weight as you go about your day.
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1. Walk Instead of Drive
Whenever it's possible, you should walk instead of driving your car. This is a great way to lose weight as you go about your day, plus it will help you save money on gas. For that matter, you're being good to the environment as well. It's not hard, either. If you have a lot of errands within the same area, walk from store to bank to wherever, rather than driving from place to place.
2. Stairs Instead of Elevators
You can lose a lot of weight simply by not always taking the easy way. When you're at work, school, or the mall, stay away from the elevators and the escalators. Instead, take the stairs to get to your floor. It will be hard at first, especially if you have a lot of flights to climb, but it will be so good for you, it builds muscle tone in your legs, and I promise it gets easier.
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3. Chair Exercises
There are lots of exercises you can do while you are sitting down, such as stretches and toning exercises, especially for your legs. This is actually really important, because whether you live in America, Europe, Asia, or the Middle East, people everywhere are becoming more and more sedentary. They're tied to their desks all day and can't get the physical activity they need. Do a quick Google search, though, and you'll find a ton of exercises you can do while you're at your desk each day.
4. Snack Smart
You have to snack throughout the day, especially if you work outside the home or go to school. The best thing to do is to eat four or five small meals throughout the day, but that's not always possible. In addition to making sure you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you have to snack smart as well. Turn to fruits, vegetables, whole grain crackers, yogurt, and things like that, instead of fast food, chips, candy bars, and other unhealthy foods. Snacking smart is a great way to lose weight as you go about your day.
5. Half Your Portions
Again, when you work outside the home or go to school, eating out is common. A lot of people also go out for dinner or get takeout several nights a week. In and of itself, this is fine. However, when you sit down to lunch or dinner, you should really half the portion immediately, and save it for later. This saves money too, plus you won't feel compelled to finish a drastically oversized portion.
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6. Go Slow
Who has time to slow down these days? Well, if you want to lose weight, you need to find the time. Eating more slowly is important, but that's not the only thing. If you take time throughout the day and stop speeding around willy nilly, you'll have time to choose more healthful meals and snacks.
7. Don't Drink Your Calories
Drinking beverages that aren't steeped in calories is another fantastic way to lose weight as you go about your day. So many people drink their calories, and they pack on pounds because of that. It's more than just getting empty calories from alcohol, you can get a lot of them from sodas and other beverages as well.
8. Stop Sitting
If you really want to lose weight, you have to get up off your butt! Don't sit down so much throughout the day. Yes, sometimes you can't just get up and start getting active, but there are a surprising number of opportunities to do so. Get up whenever you can, even if you're just walking down to the copier or heading to the restroom.
Top Photo Credit: citruskapsel
