BY DR. ROOPA CHARI, M.D.
If you’ve tried to lose weight and failed, you’re probably thinking that it’s a very difficult task to accomplish. Do you feel like you’ve tried every diet out there and nothing works?
Don’t give up! Achieving your weight loss goals might be easier than you think!
Small Changes = Big Results
As I’m sure you noticed, weight loss isn’t a quick fix. You can’t go on a two-week diet, lose the weight, and then think that the weight will stay off for good. Even if you’re really good about following a diet at first, you’ll more than likely gain the weight back.
Why?
It’s because a two-week diet does not change your lifestyle. The best results come from changes that you incorporate into your daily life, and many of these changes are not drastically different from what you do now.
You can even continue to enjoy the foods you love as long as you do so with a wise plan!
If you make a series of small changes, one at a time, you’ll give yourself a chance to get used to them. It won’t seem like such a shock to your system when you introduce the changes gradually. Sooner than you think, you’ll lose the weight and gain the healthy body and lifestyle that you desire!
Here are some weight loss tips to implement into your new lifestyle:
- Cut out soda. Soda is a big offender when it comes to empty calories. The best thing you can do for your body is to replace the soda you’re drinking with pure refreshing water. Water is critical to your good health. It also helps fill you up and has zero calories, no matter how much you drink!
- If you’re having trouble stopping the soda, try alternating soda and water each time you go to get a drink. This will gradually get you used to drinking less soda and increase your water intake.
- Start walking. If a regular exercise routine is difficult for you, strive to walk more often. Walking doesn’t feel so much like true exercise, but it is and you’ll be rewarded for it.
- Park farther from the store so you have to walk a little distance.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Go for an enjoyable walk with your neighbor. You can visit, catch up, and exercise all at the same time!
- Watch your portion sizes. Portion sizes just keep getting larger and larger. You may not even realize that you’re consuming a portion that’s much too large for you. Look up what a healthy portion size really is for the meal you’ve chosen. You might be surprised at the results!
- Start your meals with a full glass of water.
- Use smaller plates to avoid taking oversized portion.
- Half your plate should be vegetables, a quarter should be protein, and the other quarter should be carbohydrates.
- Eat until you are full and then avoid taking second servings.
- Have desserts sparingly. Save desserts for special occasions or times when you deserve a nice treat. Avoid eating them every day, or you’ll be adding too many calories to your daily intake.
- It’s a good idea to plan ahead for occasional desserts and only buy them for those certain meals. That way, they aren’t there tempting you the rest of the time.
- Have plenty of healthy snacks available to curb hunger or cravings in between meals.
You can easily turn these tips into healthy habits by incorporating them into your lifestyle one at a time. Get used to one tip before you add another one. Most of them involve only small changes. However, these small changes will enable you to achieve your weight loss goals!
About Dr. Roopa Chari, M.D.: "Dr. Roopa Chari is a medical doctor in Internal Medicine and her brother Deepak Chari is an Engineer and Certified Biofeedback Specialist at The Chari Center of Health, an advanced integrative medical center in Encinitas, CA. * Sign up for a FREE 15 minute holistic medical consult with Dr. Chari and/or a FREE 30 minute Stress & Anxiety Relief session with Advanced Voice Biofeedback with Deepak Chari here or call (760) 230-2711."