If you’ve tried every diet plan in the book and you still haven’t lost weight, you might begin to believe that weight loss just isn’t in the cards for you. What you may not know is that factors beyond diet and exercise contribute to a person's ultimate weight loss success or lack of success. Before you give up hope, look at your current weight loss plan and incorporate lifestyle changes that will help you lose the pounds in a healthy and natural way.
Step 1
Jot down a specific and realistic weight loss goal. Rather than just saying that you will exercise on a regular basis, decide how much weight you want to lose, and have a plan about how you will lose it. According to the Mayo Clinic, you can aim to lose a healthy 1 lb. to 2 lb. each week by burning between 500 and 1,000 calories more than you consume on a daily basis.
Step 2
Eat well and exercise well. According to the Mayo Clinic, you can cut 500 calories from your diet to lose 1 lb. a week. Double that by including a 45-minute to 60-minute brisk walk to your routine four days every week. Also, incorporate exercise into daily life to boost results. For example, you may decide to bike to work, walk your dog after dinner and take the stairs instead of the elevator, whenever possible.
Step 3
Turn off your television. According to PsychCentral.com, watching television causes a person to expend fewer calories than activities such as writing, reading, doing desk work and having a phone conversation. Tube time takes its toll. Researchers at Deakin University in Australia found that subjects who watched one to two and one-half hours of television everyday were 93 percent more likely to be overweight than people who watched under an hour of television everyday.
Step 4
Enroll in a yoga class, clear your mind or do anything you can to de-stress. Being in a constant state of stress leads your body to produce excessive levels of a hormone called cortisol, a problem which has been linked to increased appetite and excess fat deposition in the abdominal region, according to Health Services at Columbia University. Take at least 10 minutes out of your day—your exercise time, if necessary—to think positive thoughts and envision soothing scenes. Ask your doctor for a referral to a local therapist if constant anxiety or depression plagues you.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Weight Loss: Six Straegies for Success
- PubMed: "International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders"; The Association Between Television Viewing and Overweight (abstract); J. Salmon, A. Bauman, D. Crawford, A. Timperio, N. Owen; May 2000
- MayoClinic.com: Stress Management: How Do I Control Stress-Induced Weight Gain?
- Columbia University Health Services: Cortisol, Depression, and Weight Loss
- PsychCentral: Cutting TV Time Reduces Weight Gain
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