I had been trying for a number of years to lose some weight and each time I just found it harder and harder. Eventually I went to consult with my physician, the wonderful Margaret Salmon MD, to find out where I was going wrong. I spent almost an hour in the clinic with Margaret, doing some soul searching and finding out exactly what I had to do to finally lose the weight I had been trying to so desperately. Margaret gave me many great tips and I took her advice and gave it my very best efforts. Just 3 months later the weight was starting to come off and since then I have lost almost 15kg, with another 10 to go. If you are feeling hopeless that your weight loss efforts are failing, here are some tips which may help.
No Fads
The temptation for many of us is to go after those extreme, fad diets which promise fast weight loss. Unfortunately however these are diets which will only provide short term solutions and in the long term you will only end up putting the weight on again. Furthermore these diets aren’t good for the body as you shouldn’t be losing weight so quickly. Many of these diets are given to pre-op patients for specific reasons, which is why you should avoid them.
Lifestyle
One of the best pieces of advice that Margaret gave me was not to think abut weight loss as a diet, but rather a complete change in lifestyle. I had always aimed to lose weight over a certain period of time, and then felt that I could go back to my old ways. Instead of having this mindset it is far better to change your lifestyle entirely. Learn the importance of nutritional balance, understand that you can have some naughty foods but only occasionally and only a little bit when you do. Exercise should be something that you do all of the time, and not just when you are trying to get rid of some pounds. Change your mindset and you will achieve what you are looking for.
Easy Support
Two things which I was certainly guilty of were not drinking enough water and not getting enough sleep. I never realized that either of these things had anything to do with weight loss, but it turns out that they both do. Sleeping more gives the body time to recover and repair cells, which can speed up weight loss, and water will boost your body’s ability to process foods and nutrients, and also stave off hunger.
Buddy Up
Trying to lose weight with others is a great way to keep yourself energized and focused, and it is certainly something which has helped me. If you are trying to lose weight then do so with a friend or family member, you will be able to motivate one another and it makes the whole process far simpler.
Keep trying and you will get to your goal weight.
