There really is only one way to lose weight: consume fewer calories than you burn. So, by default, that’s also the easiest way to lose weight.
Unfortunately, by default, it’s the most difficult too. But you wouldn’t know it by what you see on the web, in newspapers and magazines. Sometimes it seems like the words ‘lose weight’ only appear in the company of ‘fast’ and ‘easy’.
If weight loss really was ‘fast’ and ‘easy’, wouldn’t we all be slimmer?
What’s worse, even when we try the diets that claim to be fast and easy, they turn out to be anything but, often involving strict and severe (and potentially unhealthy) changes to our diets. And, if they work at all, we quickly gain weight back when the diet ends or if we stop following it.
Many diets are so restrictive that the temptation to stop following them is so high that it is almost inevitable.
And that’s what makes ‘fast and easy’ diets the most difficult way to lose weight.
- They set you up for failure with unreasonable expectations and restrictions
- They are difficult to sustain, which makes the weight loss difficult to maintain
- They shatter your confidence, self-esteem and motivation with failure after failure
OK, Back to the Easiest Way to Lose Weight
While there are no really easy ways to lose weight, there are lots of ways to make the process easier. And the first one is to change your way of thinking.
- Think Differently About Weight Loss. It’s not controlled by an on/off switch that can be flipped by 2 weeks of no carbs. Weight management is a health and lifestyle choice that will be part of your life forever.
- Be Realistic. You’re not going to lose 20 lbs in two weeks (if you do, better see a doctor – if you have the energy). Even after making huge sacrifices, you might still not see the results you expect. Making healthy changes to your lifestyle and diet will be part of your life forever.
- Cheat. If you are too strict about denying yourself something you enjoy, you risk opening the floodgates of all your unhealthy eating habits when you give into temptation. Don’t be afraid to let go. Have that slice of cheesecake. Your new outlook on weight loss will tell you that the cheesecake isn’t really cheating, but coping. And if that coping mechanism keeps you on track over the long haul, it’s worth straying occasionally.
If you want to make weight loss even easier, get help and support. Changing your thinking, eating habits and weight are tough on you mentally and physically. Doing so alone is tougher. Your local Herbal One nutrition specialist has been there and has helped hundreds of people live lose weight and lead a healthier life.