Losing weight requires more than just eating less and exercising more; it takes commitment to lifestyle changes. When the pounds aren't coming off or life takes a tough turn, it's easy to lose motivation. But knowing the facts about weight loss can help you feel less overwhelmed and provide the motivation you need to stick to a weight-loss plan.
Buddy System
Losing weight can be a challenge, but you don't have to go it alone. You're probably surrounded by people who want to slim down just like you, and enlisting one of them to be your weight-loss buddy can make exercise more enjoyable, keep you accountable to someone else and provide someone to share weight-loss tips, struggles and triumphs. Even better, it can make your weight-loss efforts more successful. A 1995 Indiana University study conducted by psychologist John Raglin and exercise physiologist Janet P. Wallace found that just 8 percent of people who worked out with their spouses quit their exercise regimen, compared to half of people who exercised without their partners.
Pacing
With so much emphasis placed on quick and easy weight loss, it can be hard to stay motivated to keep up a diet and exercise plan when the pounds are dropping slowly. But a slow-and-steady approach to losing weight means you're much more likely to keep the weight off long-term. Rapid weight loss almost always requires you to make drastic changes that you can't keep up for more than a few days or weeks, like eating nothing but fish and vegetables and exercising for two hours every day. Moderate changes, on the other hand, are easier to maintain long term.
Variety
Diets may advocate restricting or cutting out certain foods groups. Doing this can not only rob your body of essential nutrients, it leaves you feeling deprived so you're more likely to eventually gorge on restricted foods. A healthy diet should include foods from every group, even sugary sweets and fatty treats, but the majority of your calories should come from low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean sources of protein like fish, poultry and beans.
Gym Alternatives
Exercise is an essential part of losing weight and keeping it off. But ff the idea of going to the gym fills you with dread, you might not know how you'll be able to stay motivated enough to maintain a workout routine. You can stay active and lose weight without ever seeing the inside of a gym; anything that gets you moving and raises your heart rate counts as exercise. Try joining an adult sports league, hiking with your dog, biking with your kids or taking two brisk walks every day to burn calories and lose weight.
Averting Hunger
Dieters typically feel that if their diet program doesn't leave them feeling hungry, they're doing something wrong. But getting too hungry often leads to overeating, impeding weight loss. Your meals should keep you full for a few hours and you should eat again when you're hungry, not starving. You may find it easier to eat three medium-sized meals and two or three snacks than three large meals; this can also help the prevent sluggish and too-full feelings that come from eating big meals.
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