The Big Secret to Losing Weight
Updated on July 28, 2007
Ok, are you ready for the big secret to weight loss. It's amazing. If you just do this every day, you will lose weight. It's the E-word. Exercise.
I know your following the plan in a diet book, cutting out certain types of food, trying to avoid overeating, but if you aren't exercising, you won't lose weight. (Ok, so you could become anorexic or bulimic to lose weight, but these methods simply aren't healthy, so we won't even focus on them.)
There's No Way Around It
You have to do it. You just have to make yourself do it. You need to make it a priority. Tell yourself that it's more important than than just about anything else.
Getting in the Cardio
My secret to getting that minimum amount of daily cardio exercise in is that I go for a walk (and/or jog and/or hike) first thing every morning. I was not a morning person until I started exercising every morning. It took intense effort to convince myself to get out of bed and workout rather than go watch television or check my email, but now it has become amazingly habitual, and I would rather go for a walk than sit first thing in the morning. If it's snowing, I bundle up, throw on a scarf, gloves, and warm hat, and I do it in the snow. If it's raining, I throw on my rain coat. If it's windy, I wear a wind breaker and glasses to protect my eyes. If it's hot, I put on a hat for shade, slap sunscreen on all the exposed parts of my body, and drink my water. If I can't do it for some reason (happens about once every couple of weeks), I do a workout video or get on my bike trainer. Getting my exercise is a huge priority for me because I weigh myself every day, and I can quickly see by looking at the scale that if I start slacking on my cardio exercise, the weight starts creeping back on.
Getting in the Weight Lifting
When it comes to weight lifting, I do all of my weight lifting at home with dumbbells and resistance bands (which are perfect for traveling). I'm pressed for time, so I do my exercises while doing other things. For example, I'll do my exercises while watching a favorite show. Sometimes I'll do it while cleaning the kitchen; do some dishes, do some bicep curls, wash the counters, do three sets of bench presses, etc. If I'm watching the kids play outside, I'll bring my dumbbells with me and exercise outdoors even if the neighbors are watching (they can laugh all they want, but it's more embarrassing to be fat in public than to exercise in public).
Getting in the Stretching
Stretching is very relaxing. It's an excellent activity to do while watching television, listening to the radio, reading, or meditating. You can do it anywhere, even while riding the bus or train. If you're apprehensive about doing cardio or weight lifting, at least promise yourself that you'll stretch. It will instantly make you feel better.
...by Feed