Weight loss takes more than just eating right, especially if you have a sedentary lifestyle. You can take small steps at home and away to improve your fitness and your eating habits. The American Dietetic Association notes, however, that dieting doesn't have to be a solitary activity. If you join weight-reduction and exercise programs, losing weight can become a social achievement. Learning about nutrition, cooking healthful meals and enjoying daily workouts provide plenty of opportunities for sharing your enthusiasm and progress with others.
Begin Activity Slowly
Adding small calorie-burning activities little by little will make it easier to incorporate weight loss into your life. If you don't get much exercise, AARP says walking is safe for beginners. Instead of starting a full-blown exercise program, get out of your chair more often at home. Park farther away from the store entrances. Take the stairs instead of the elevator at work. Your pace and distance can easily be upgraded as your endurance level increases.
Record Exercise Gains
The American Heart Association has a tip for walkers who are just starting exercise programs: Use a pedometer to count all the steps you take in a day, and write down the figure. With a goal of adding 250 steps a day, record your increases, and note how they affect your weight loss and your physical endurance level.
Expand Your Exercise Program
Make a long-range exercise plan that you can stick with after losing weight. An effective fitness program should incorporate aerobic exercise, such as walking, cycling, tennis and dancing, plus strengthening exercise, such as weightlifting or gardening. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends combining both types of activity for a total of 30 minutes daily. Vary your routine with yoga, Pilates, tai chi or sports, but keep your activity level consistent. Keeping the pounds off takes at least a two-year commitment, according to the American Heart Association.
Record Weight Losses
Weigh yourself only once a week. The AHA says this will help you avoid obsessive scale-watching and enjoy bigger leaps of progress. Keeping track of pounds lost in a journal, by prearranged phone dates with a friend or at a Weight Watchers meeting will show that you have made losing weight a priority in your life.
Cook With Like-Minded Friends
Be persistent about losing weight by cooking a special, low-fat meal once a week. Make it your solo reward, or gather a few like-minded individuals who share your goals. The ADA says this type of support keeps many dieters on track for the long term.
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