The Secret To Weight Loss
Normally, in late February, the pants start to tighten up around the middle because I spend more time indoors and am less active. But this year, I am as trim or trimmer than I was at the beginning of summer. After weighing myself last night, I believe I am about 5 pounds less. And I think I know why. Read on.
Last summer I posted how I started drinking a low calorie root beer to cut down on my sugar intake. And indeed, in the process, I cut my sugar. Previously, just about every night, I was drinking about 16 ounces of sugary pop, containing about 10 packets of sugar, or about 130 calories (13 packets in 16 oz). So this new 30 calorie (per 16 oz) root beer was saving me 100 calories per day, every day! In addition, I was replacing 1+ tablespoons of sugar on my morning oatmeal (I like it sweet!) with sweet-n-low. At 45 calories per tablespoon, that amounted to around 45 calories per day, every day except Sunday. On Sunday we have pancakes and I still pour on the syrup! At any rate, I was saving 100×7 + 45×6 = 970 calories per week. Multiply by 52 and that makes 50,440 calories per year! Actually, that would amount to about 14 pounds of fat lost per year!
The key to my secret are the words every day.
You see, I was able to cut calories at a rate of over 50,000 per year without sacrificing a thing in my diet otherwise! What I also do, and have done for years now, is make a points to get 30-60 minutes of some sort of exercise daily. That can be a walk, cleaning the garage, shoveling some snow, or any of the many chores waiting to be done around the house. I get this exercise in after my evening meal. And later I have a small bowl of popcorn (with a little butter and salt) and my root beer – that’s my routine.
So what you need to do is target some foods or snacks that you routinely eat and make a substitution in that food to save calories. Do you have a piece of toast each morning? Perhaps substitute something of lower calories for the spread. Just a switch from whole milk to 1% can save you 100 calories per day (and you will hardly notice). And stick with that substitution daily. Also, make a point to get the after dinner exercise daily.
This plan works, it is easy, it is safe, and it hardly costs a dime. And it will make you healthier, probably saving you a lot in health care costs down the road.
In a recent weight-loss article, it recommends the most effective weight-loss programs include a multifaceted approach that includes diet and behavioral modifications, as well as adding or increasing physical activity. Dieters are encouraged to evaluate how much, why and what you’re eating, and have regular physical activity. If you need to lose weight but aren’t sure where to begin, your chiropractor can help you develop a program specific to your needs.