10 Ridiculously Easy Ways to Lose a Few Pounds
Losing weight is one of those things that tends to sit in the back of our minds, taunting us - if we lost those extra five (okay, 10) pounds, we could wear those old jeans, and that shirt would look SO much better on us! Besides, being a healthy weight is important to so many aspects of our well-being - emotional AND physical.
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So how do we do it? How do we set out to lose those pesky pounds? It's so hard to do it one gigantic life-changing chunk at a time - and try to take drastic measures like cutting out ALL snacks and refined sugars. Diets like that just set us up for failure.
Here are some quick and easy ways to get started down a weight loss path.
1) Park far away from the store. Sure, there's a ton of parking RIGHT THERE at the front, but parking in back is a sure way to get a little exercise without having to go to the gym.
2) Take the stairs when possible. Notice I didn't say "always," because if I'd said that, it would be a harder pill to swallow. Sometimes it's impractical, sometimes impossible, but it's a good habit to get into at least some of the time.
3) Snack more. I know, it seems to be contrary to the whole "eat less, exercise more" mentality, but snacking keeps your metabolism going and means you eat less during meals.
4) Indulge. Make one day a week - if you're doing the eat better plan, which is always my favorite one - a splurge day. Don't go hog-wild, but do savor the tastes of your favorite and forbidden foods.
5) Keep a food journal with you at all times and write down what you're eating, the times of day, and the total calories per day. This can help you to figure out where you're struggling - is it with overeating during dinner? Extra snacks?
6) Use smaller plates to eat from. If you fill a smaller plate full, it will help you to eat smaller portions.
7) Get rid of all your bigger-sized clothes that don't fit. Keeping them only gives you the ability to say, "sure, why not have some more ice cream?"
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8) Grab a weight loss buddy as motivation to keep going. It's an easy thing to check in once a day (or week) and see how you both are doing.
9) Keep your pair of skinny pants (or shirt) out in the open where you can see them each day. It's a good, easy inspiration to stay on track.
10) If you go out to eat, immediately ask for a to-go box and dump half your food into it so you're not tempted to become a member of the "clean plate club."
What other simple, easy weight loss tips can you offer?
Image via puukibeach/Flickr
Written by Aunt Becky on CafeMom's blog, The Stir.
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