The reason we become
overweight is not eating well, not getting
enough exercise and not taking care of
ourselves. For whatever reason, we get so
wrapped up in our busy lives that, before we
know it, we are 5 or 10 pounds overweight, or
even more. Sometimes we even see the weight
creeping up on us, but we think we can take care
of it later. By the time "later"
comes, we are overwhelmed and confused about how
to get the weight off and, of course, we want it
off NOW.
It is true that, in order to lose weight you
need to lower or maintain your present calorie
intake while increasing your daily activities to
burn more calories. The trap most people fall
into is lowering their caloric intake too much
while not increasing their exercise level at
all. In doing this, they confuse their body into
thinking that it is being starved and therefore
it holds on to every bit of food consumed.
Weight loss is different for each person, but in
most cases starting out slowly and developing
healthy eating habits is the key to steady,
permanent weight loss.
When I decided to write this article about
moderation, a very wise friend of mine told me
that "We can’t handle doing things in
moderation." I realized she was so right.
People either go overboard with strict diets
that are completely unlivable or they don’t
watch what they eat at all. As I stated above,
when trying to lose weight you do need to keep
track of what you are eating and make some
changes, but most people could just modify their
eating habits and add a little exercise and
watch the pounds slowly disappear. What we need
to realize is that the weight did not accumulate
overnight and it is certainly not going to
disappear overnight. Small changes in your life
and especially patience will bring you the
results you are looking for.
Check with your doctor, nutritionist, support
group or a trainer if you are not sure where to
begin. Everyone needs a little help sometimes.
The successful people are the ones that ask for
it. Join the people who are improving their
health for the future and for their quality of
life in the present. Moderation is so much
easier to live with than strict, unhealthful
diets.
