2007 Means a New You
10 Ways to Safely Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Weeks
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We're starting 2007, and just like the left over turkey and the last holiday guests who are still hanging around, so are those 10 extra holiday pounds. It's time to stop being polite, take action and ditch that extra baggage right now! It's depressing enough to have worked for months to lose weight only to regain it, and possibly even more than you lost. There are hundreds of plans out there filled with diet tricks, one for every personality and lifestyle. If you haven't tried one of the dozens of plans, you've at least read or heard about a good many of them. There is so much research out there, so many plans and gimmicks, it's no wonder we feel confused and overwhelmed by it all. Depressed? Stressed? Sorry to say, there's neither a magic pill nor wave of a wand to banish those extra pounds.
Instead of gaining and losing, this is the year to make short and long term healthy changes in your life. It's finally time to take off those extra pounds and keep them off, once-and-for-all! With a few simple changes you can live a happier and healthier life and work slowly and progressively toward your goals and even beyond them long into the future. If you don't think you're disciplined enough or simply don't know where to start, don't despair. Here are some strategies to get you started.
- Set a goal. An example is, "My goal is to reach a realistic and healthy weight and feel confident and happy with my body." Write down your goal and the ideal weight you are working towards. Be specific and realistic about it and remember you can't achieve your goal immediately. Focus on your goal when you feel you are going off-track.
- Set a time frame. The good news is that you can lose 10 pounds in the next 10 weeks and it's just a matter of simple math. By a combination of consuming and burning 3,500 fewer calories per week, you can see a healthy, sensible weight loss of one pound per week or 10 pounds in the next 10 weeks. The little things add up and can make a lot of loss. Trimming only 300 calories of food and burning a mere 200 additional calories a day will result in 3,500 fewer calories per week and a weight loss of 10 pounds in a 10 week time frame.
- Develop an action plan. It's not good enough to say, "I want to lose weight" or "I want to weigh 135 pounds." If you are aiming to lose weight, you need to have a specific cardiovascular exercise plan to help you shed those unwanted pounds. Write it on your calendar on a daily basis. Examples are: kickboxing class at 7:00 p.m., run for thirty minutes at 6:00 a.m. or walk at noon with a co-worker. If you strive for a leaner, more toned appearance, your action plan should include something like trying a body sculpting or Pilates DVD. Set a specific time to do the DVD and schedule it into your day. Make sure your plan is realistic. Losing one pound per week is a very realistic and obtainable goal. Visualize yourself succeeding and plan to succeed. Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.
- Make mini changes. Substitute mustard for mayo, tomato juice for regular soda, mix 3 ounces of wine with sparkling soda, walk the kids to the bus, take a stroll to discuss business, take the stairs, park farther away and walk the dog around the block. This list could go on forever! It doesn't have to be all at once and the good news is it easily adds up. You'd be surprised how easily an extra 200 calories a day can be burned.
- Measure your success. Make sure your action plan is specific to the results you are striving to achieve and that you can chart your progress. Looking to lose pounds, increase your cardio by 30 minutes a day. Weigh yourself once a week only, on the same day and same scale. Looking to tone your body? Try lifting light weights with high repetitions. Try on those old, too tight jeans every two weeks and see them fit more loosely as you lose inches and the muscles tighten up. Number your weeks from one to ten and enter your weight in your diary.
- Write it off. Keep a food diary and allow yourself a specific amount of calories per day. "The average woman should eat about 1,500 calories a day to lose one half to one pound per week," says Eileen Kennedy, D.Sc., former global executive director for International Life Sciences Institute in Washington, D.C. (That's assuming a relatively sedentary lifestyle.) The best way to stay within your calorie budget is to write it down. Download a diet tracker like Diet & Exercise Assistant by Keyoe on to your PDA to check calorie counts. Another source is The Doctor's Pocket Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter by Allan Borushek (Family Health Publications.)
- Splurge Selectively. Be honest, nibbles count and add up! If you are feeling like you want a piece of candy? Then eat it. Never feel deprived or deny yourself of what you want. Just write it down and budget it into the total. Of course, that doesn't mean the whole bag of candy!
- Check out the bars. If you are too busy to food shop, cook or eat right, choose a vitamin-fortified meal replacement bar or shake. Keep on hand a frozen entrée that contains 220 to 350 calories and at least 10 grams of protein and less than 4 grams of fat. Bars and frozen dinners are not recommended for long term meal replacements, just a way to stay on track with your meal planning and still meet healthy guidelines when time is short and you're busy.
- Watch those wasted carbs. Go for whole-grain, high fiber products and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Not only are they healthier than refined flour and sugar, they will fill you up and you're less apt to over-eat.
- Seek professional help. If you are feeling lost, confused or just can't get going, consult a professional. Nutritionists and personal trainers are good sources to guide you as to what to eat and design an exercise program specifically to meet your goals. "People carry around diet myths along with extra weight. A registered dietitian or R.D. will separate food fact from fiction," says David Groto, R.D., of Chicago, a former spokesman for the ADA. An R.D. will ask you about your diet history, lifestyle and goals, and create a personal plan, including exercise. "People are more successful if their plan is tailored," says Grotto. An R.D. is concerned with your overall health, not only your total poundage. "Focus on health and weight loss follows," says Grotto. To find an R.D. contact a hospital or visit www.eatright.org.
Follow these steps and strategies and you surely will shed those unwanted post-holiday pounds. You can create and maintain the healthy life you want. Not only will you be able to say, "I set a goal for myself and achieved it," but next year you won't need a "lose 10 pounds" resolution. It will be a New Year and the greatest you ever!
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