• Mind what you eat
Too often, we eat without noticing or appreciating the food. Think about your last meal. Can you recall if you enjoyed it? Can you recall it at all? Simply being inattentive to what you eat does not translate into eating less. A healthy alternative is to do what we call eating "mindfully," paying careful attention to what we eat.
• Motivate yourself
If you have decided to start loosing weight, it is absolutely necessary to take the time to motivate yourself. First, draw a clear picture of why you want to lose weight. Write down three specific reasons. For many people the main reason is health. For others it may be an emotional decision. You want to be pleased with what you see in the mirror.
• Set realistic goals
A healthy short-term goal is to lose half-pound to one pound per week. Given that, look at a calendar and determine when you can expect to reach your weight goal. Write the date down. Now you have a weight goal within a reasonable time frame. Don't get angry at yourself if you don't lose weight on your schedule. And don't depend on a rigid diet designed exclusively for weight loss to do it. Anyone who is sufficiently motivated can follow such a strict, low-calorie regimen for two weeks, maybe even a month, but eventually boredom sets in, and then come the familiar lamentations: "I can't follow this diet." " I have no willpower."
• Select the right food
Think of the typical American dinner plate: heavy on calories, fat and protein and light on carbohydrates. By contrast, a healthy low-fat diet will give lots of space on your plate to starch-pasta, potatoes, rice or another grain-and vegetables. Put thought and time on the preparation of your grains and vegetables. This will help you de-emphasize meat, chicken or fish, which should be limited to three- to five-once servings.
• Select the right exercise
Being active will not only help you take of excess weight but also maintain the loss for the long term. By performing a regular aerobic exercise such as walking or biking, you raise your metabolic rate and burn more calories.
• Forgive and forget and try again
Once you have successfully adopted a new attitude and altered your eating behavior, the challenge is to maintain that change. One key to doing that is not being to inflexible. Remember, most people have lapses and need to allow themselves some room. The point is to see these lapses as isolated slip-ups, not as total catastrophes.Instead of viewing your diet lapses as defeats, try to learn more from them. Note the sequence of events that proceeded them. Above all, watch what you're thinking.
