Easy Ways to Lose Weight

I know, I know, I don’t want to beat this chunky horse to death, but after yesterday’s post when I went on and on about how hard it is to lose weight and how it took me nearly two years, buckets of tears, and more than one program (Medifast is what I’m trying after also doing Weight Watchers, for the record, it works too), I don’t want you to get discouraged.

I challenge you to choose one of these tweaks to make every day this month and see if you don’t feel lighter, fitter, stronger, better!*

Easy Ways to Lose Weight: 10 Tips That Won’t Kill You but Will Make You Stronger

1.  Take the stairs.  All the way.  Half way.  Just down.  Whatever.
2.  Use a smaller plate.  Like the one you give your kids.
3.  Wait for seconds.  After you wolf down your first plate of food at the dinner table, you may be dying for more mashed potatoes.  But, take a beat.  Wait 15 minutes and see if you still feel hungry.  If you do, go for it.  But, chances are you will be over it once you give your belly time to realize it’s full.
4.  Slow your roll.  I know, all day you waited for this Philly cheesesteak sandwich and now it’s on your desk all hot and delicious and you really just want to smash your face into it.  Pump your breaks.  No, cut it in half.  Wrap that up and walk it back to the fridge.  Then sit down and SLOWLY savor the hot and delicious HALF of sandwich you have left.  If you really, really, really want to get up, walk all the way back to the fridge, warm up your other half, and eat it when you’re done, by all means, help yourself.  Just maybe high knees all the way to there and back as punishment (yes, even if you’re in your office, shoulda thought about that).
5.  Take exercise breaks.  At work? Close your door and spend your 15 minute break not stuffing chips in your gullet but doing a little lunging.  At home, grab the baby and hit the floor for some play time.  When The Dudes were little I’d lay on my back and lift them up above my head a dozen times, or put them on my legs and lift them.  They love it because they’re all, “Woohoo! I’m an airplane and mommy is talking to me and breathing hard in my face, she smells like lunch, yes!” and you get a work out.  No job and no baby?  Um, workout?
6.  Tell everyone about your weight loss and fitness goals.  Peer pressure and the desire to succeed while everyone is watching might prevent you from reaching for that first second donut at the staff meeting.  Support and accountability make everything easier.
7.  Stop eating kid snacks.  I used to blame The Dudes and their snacks for my inability to lose weight and eat healthy.  I told myself I had to have all of these snacks in my house for them and not eating them was just too hard.  Then I realized, uh, they don’t need crap snacks either.  Fruit and yogurt and veggies work for them too.  And, when they did desire a treat, I’d just make it something I don’t like.  Oatmeal raisin cookies for example.  Those.  I hate those.  But kids, love them.  They get a treat and I get to not be tempted by chocolate chip cookies.
8.  Write down what you eat.  It’s called food journaling and it’s designed to give you insights about your eating practices and keep you accountable.  And you can’t be a liar about it.  If you eat 16 of those oatmeal raisin cookies when you swore you wouldn’t, write it down.  Then, when you’re done in the bathroom, think about why you did that and how you can never do it again.
9.  Drink more.  Not wine.  Sorry.  Water.  Drink a full glass before every meal and when you start feeling like you need a snack.  You might just be thirsty.  And water also fills your belly.  Water not really your jam?  That’s cool, but pick a good alternative.  No sweet teas or grape sodas.
10.  Try meditating.  I didn’t get much about the topic out of my episode of Dr. Oz about meditating; it was 35 seconds.  But, what I did get was a spark of interest and Russell Simmons’ book, Success Through Stillness.  Chapter 9, “How Meditation Helps Your Body”, is all about how practicing meditation can reduce stress, alleviate medical conditions, and help you lose weight! He explains that meditating helps you become more mindful of the food you put in your body and more conscious of your choices, including those involving food.  Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmm