Pounds come off when you burn more calories than you take in, according to the health experts at the Mayo Clinic. Keeping that calorie ration in check when your favorite form of exercise is walking to the refrigerator poses a challenge for anyone interested in weight loss. But if you're willing to make a few changes, you can see slow and steady results Despite your love of food and hatred for exercise.
Step 1
Change what you eat so that when you eat a lot, you're not taking in a lot of calories. Fill up on fruits and vegetables. Choose whole grains over refined and processed grains. Eat low-calorie, low-fat proteins like soy, legumes and lean cuts of meat, recommends the American Heart Association.
Step 2
Drink water instead of beverages with added sugar or calories. If you're going to eat a lot, you can't afford to also get a lot of calories through beverages. Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day, recommends the Mayo Clinic.
Step 3
Find an activity you like doing enough that you could do it for 30 minutes each day. If you love to eat, you're going to have to learn to love some form of physical activity to balance out the calories you take in. The Mayo Clinic calls exercise "an essential component of a weight-loss program." Try dancing, scuba diving, sports, roller skating or other physical activities you might not associate with exercise. Have fun and you're more likely to stick with it. Do it most days of the week, recommends the American College of Sports Medicine.
Step 4
Eat a few small bites or a half portion of your favorite high-fat, high-calorie foods and fill up the rest of the way with fruits and vegetables. Share your dessert or break it up into multiple servings.
Step 5
Try eating five to six small meals per day. This type of meal planning makes you feel like you're eating all the time but the small meals keep you from going over your calorie budget.
Step 6
Trick yourself into getting more exercise without taking a trip to the gym. Take the stairs, park farther away, walk your dog farther than your normally would and do housework while you watch television. Each bit of physical activity burns calories, and those calories add up.
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