Losing Weight the Hard, Long & Painful Way

Okay, I know you must be thinking, "Why would I want to know how to lose weight that way?" but my intention was to get your attention and hallelujah! It worked! Please continue reading for realistic strategies that will work for you! Well, I want you to know that you are not alone with the despairs of weight loss. I will bet you didn't realize that. Okay, let me stop with the jokes since I am not very good at them. As you may have read about me I am very dedicated to providing information that is not only helpful, but information that is as close to firsthand knowledge as it can be.
Since the birth of my first child I have struggled with keeping my weight ideal. Being from the south and the family member of some of the finest cooks I know, it has been especially hard to maintain my ideal weight. Of course, I have tried many different methods; diet pills, diet plans, exercise, starvation, the list could go on. I have thought of things that I am ashamed to say out loud, like slicing my thighs and just letting the cut away skin heal on its own. That is the desperation of thousands of women around the world. Thank God I have not taken any extreme measures that involve harm to my body. I really believe that it truly has been God who has prevented me from taking my weight loss desires to the extreme.
I want to share with you the one true way I have been able to lose weight successfully. Believe me, you have heard this before. However, I want you to recognize that although being educated about the fundamentals of losing weight there is more to it. At least two years before I actually took my life style change seriously I, too, educated myself on nutrition, weight loss, and all things regarding a healthier lifestyle. At that time, my biggest setback was that as much as I wanted to lose weight, I just wasn't dedicated enough in the thought of changing bad eating habits that I had acquired.
In some of my other articles I talk about having a healthy outlook about yourself and knowing that we are all beautiful because God made us in His image. Once we are able to love ourselves we can really succeed at most anything we put our minds to. We may have to repeat our trials until we can succeed, but there are few victors who never fail. I am convinced that once you are able to say you love you, just as you are, then you can move to the next step in your plan to achieve your goals. I love who I am, but I want to be more comfortable with the body God blessed me with, therefore, it is my desire to stay at an ideal weight. My ideal weight is not what I read in the local magazine, nor is it what the beautiful woman on the television says it should be. It is what I am most comfortable with.
The way that I was able to lose weight and keep it off is by cutting back on my calories and doing some exercise. Yes, you have heard this before. But, it really will work. I stopped eating mayonnaise; I stopped drinking sodas and beverages high in calories and decided that I would watch the amount of dessert items I ate.
Now, I know that sounds so discouraging. But it doesn't have to be. Ways around missing some of these things are really all trial and error. I enjoy a nice soda pop or fruity drink. So I went on the search for a calorie free drink that I enjoyed. Sure, I had tried some in the past but they were all nasty to me. The thought of drinking a diet drink was repulsive, but after much tasting and throwing away I have found a calorie free drink that I love. Now, I can count on one hand how many times a month I have a drink that has calories. In fact, I almost never have a drink that contains calories and that is my choice. Instead of putting mayo on my sandwich I use honey mustard. There are all kinds of condiments that are calorie free and very tasty. What I want you to realize is that you can still enjoy great tasting foods that are low in calories. It may take some time for you to find that right snack or beverage or condiment but take your time. Find low calorie foods that you enjoy. That is another key element, time.
Don't be in such a rush to lose lots of weight. Give yourself ample time to get the weight off. Don't wait for some special event to be placed on your calendar to start losing weight. Make this an opportunity to change your lifestyle. Decide now that you want to feel better and look better. Choosing foods and beverages that are low in calories are most likely going to make you feel better in all of your everyday activities. Honestly, you will feel better about yourself for making healthier choices. This will spill over to your family as well. You will become more conscience of your food consumption.
One last thing that I want to add to your weight loss is exercise. After I cut back on high calorie foods and beverages, I walked. I didn't do any major exercise routine; I didn't lift weights, because honestly, I have no love for doing exercise. However, I do love being outdoors. I enjoy a nice outdoor walk. So on the days that my son had football practice instead of going home I decided to walk around the local park until practiced was finished. Did I mention he didn't practice every day? Which means I didn't do exercise every single day. Before I knew it, the weight just fell off and guess what? I hadn't realized that I continued eating better and just taking a brisk walk out of habit and enjoyment and the weight continued to fall off, even when I had reached my desired weight loss.
Reducing your calorie intake and doing some exercise is just a part of what it takes to lose weight. True, those are important tools, but first start changing your thoughts about yourself. Know that you are a beautifully and wonderfully made person; you just want to make some adjustments to be more comfortable in your skin. Change simple things like cutting out high calorie condiments and beverages. Start purchasing those 100 calorie snacks to cut back on the amount of food you take in. Don't cut out all the things you love completely but limit those items. Believe me, the simple adjustments in your lifestyle will make a difference.
All I am saying is that it can be done. It can be hard, it can be long and it can be painful...but it can be done!
Vanetta is a beautiful, Christian woman who believes that one can transform their thinking which will ultimately change their life! She is the wife of a US Army Soldier, mother of two and lover of all. It is her ultimate goal and desire is to ensure that people, particularly women, realize that being happy with ones self is an important key to happiness. She spends much of her time providing helpful information to her readers. For more information feel free to visit Mrs. Knight's site or blog, http://www.moneycometh2u.com or http://itsknightime.blogspot.com