How I Lost Weight - Weight Loss Secrets Revealed

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If you have read any of my earlier posts on weight loss, you would know by now about my constant struggle with weight and all the weighty issues involved in the whole process of trying to lose and maintain weight over the years. (For those of you who are absolutely clueless and don't know what I am talking about, please take a moment to scroll down to the end of the article to find the relevant links to my previous articles on this topic).

After struggling to lose weight and maintain it, only to have gained it back again with a vengeance not just what I had lost but some more, I am happy to announce that I have now finally cracked the secret to losing weight successfully in a healthy manner and what's more, I am doing this all by myself at home without any external help or taking any weight loss medication or tablets. I decided that I had had enough of the weight loss programs that are floating out there, which were all useless and a waste of money.

I gained a lot of weight (85.5Kg) last year due to all the hormonal imbalances and other medical issues that I had, and also on account of taking medication for stabilising my condition. The weight gain had its own side effects, like for example I could not bend down to reach my feet, so I found it very difficult to put on a pair of socks or wear shoes for that matter. Come new year, and I decided that enough was enough. I made a new year resolution to lose weight on my own. That's when I started making slight changes to my diet, daily routine and my lifestyle and I am proud to say that since then I have lost about 10Kgs to bring my weight down to 75.5Kgs. (And I am still losing weight). This was my exact weight when all the problems had started. What's the secret?

I am now ready to share the secret tips that will help you to lose weight successfully on your own without any help from external sources. They are as follows:

• Change your daily routine:

If you are gaining weight, then the most obvious cause has to be laziness or lack of exercise in your daily routine. You probably have a sedantary lifestyle where you have stopped using most of your muscles. Take note of how much you exert yourself physically in the day. How active are you? These observations will lead you to find that you need to add more activity to your daily routine, so that you exercise your entire body. The best and most effective way to do that is by going for a brisk walk everyday. A brisk walk in the morning for 45minutes will do wonders to your metabolism and increase oxygen intake to all parts of your body. Adding a brisk walk again in the evening for another 45minutes will help to maintain the metabolism throughout the night while you sleep as well. Try to stick to your daily routine as much as possible and get some discipline with respect to the timings, especially for mealtimes. Always eat at the same time, as much as possible. Delaying meals or having irregular meals will cause you to gain weight.

I changed my daily routine to add a morning and an evening walk initially for a few months, thereafter, I substituted my morning walks with exercises at home that are concentrated on working the full body muscles and toning them. If I feel bored or tired with the exercise routine, I can always go back to taking a walk and then start the exercises again after a small break. You can have two rest days in between, which is also very important to allow your body to recuperate and re-energise itself.

• EAT Less

This should be pretty obvious. You have to reduce your portion sizes of each meal in order to start losing weight. Eat less, just sufficient to fill your stomach in each meal. Make this the magic mantra to lose weight. Indian food cooked at home is usually quite healthy and have sufficient nutrients. So, I did not have to make many changes to my diet, other than reducing the amount I ate. Of course, one has to make sure that you are eating more variety to include all the essential nutrients in your diet. Since I have a non-vegetarian diet, I get enough of proteins and also vitamin B. The only supplement I am taking at present is calcium tablets to avoid osteoporosis, which is important for women at my age. It is also obvious that you need to follow the other general guidelines to healthy eating, like low fat, no sweets desserts and absolutely no in-between snacks.

• Most weight loss occurs at night

Yes, that's right. Most of the weight loss occurs at night. This is the reason why you should eat a light meal at dinner and make sure to have it early so that your stomach is light when you go to bed. If you have noticed, most of the diet programs recommend you to have just soups /salads or fruit for dinner. This is easy to digest, fat free and full of essential nutrients. Therefore, I made it a point to start having a bowl of fruit salad (which is simply different fruits cut into small pieces with no other additives) for dinner mostly. Of course, there are times when I do take a meal instead of fruit, but then I make sure that I still eat less. When you wake up in the morining, you will feel fresher and will have lost weight. Check your weight in the morning on an empty stomach. If you keep up this diet, you will notice that you are losing weight slowly and steadily.

It is also not very healthy to lose weight rapidly. Therefore, stick to your regime and make sure that you are losing weight slowly over a period of time. However, if you find that you are losing weight too fast, then you are probably not eating enough and this may lead to deficiencies later. Try to lose about 1kg/month. Make sure to maintain your weight in between, if you take a break and still eat the right foods, as far as possible. Remember, you are trying to change your lifestyle for good. So these changes need to be more permanent.

• Drink Lots of water

You must have heard this a number of times, "drink lots of water". It is true, your body needs a lot of water to remain hydrated and to dilute your blood so that it flows easily to all the parts of your body. This ensures good circulation of all the essential nutrients and oxygen via the blood. Water also helps to flush out all the toxins from the body with the help of the kidneys. This makes your skin look smooth, younger, healthier and glowing. It also helps to clear out your digestive tract so that you have normal and regular bowel movements.

Having a glass of hot water first thing in the morning helps to flush out the excess fat from the intestines. You can add a dash of lime to it to make it more effective. I have a cup of hot green herbal tea everyday in the mornings and evenings. Green herbal tea helps to improve the immune system and also decreases the cholesterol levels in the blood, thereby helping to lose weight.

• Find support

The most common reason to put on weight is due to comfort foods. These are foods we turn to when we are emotionally challenged or stressed out. Therefore, its very important to find someone who will support you in your weight loss goals and understand your emotional needs. This person should be able to encourage you to continue with your program and give you the much needed push or motivation to keep going.

• Be Happy

If you are genuinely happy from within, then you will be able to lose weight faster as your body adapts and adjusts to your moods. So, try to forget all the miseries in your life and concentrate all your efforts in just trying to make your body as fit and healthy as possible. Soon, you will feel a postive change in the way your body behaves with you.

A few simple tweaks to your daily routine, your daily meals and your outlook to life can change your life for the better. It will help you not only to lose weight slowly and steadily over a period of time but also to maintain your weight once you have achieved your ideal weight or weight loss goals. Your aim should be to make your body not only slimmer, but to feel healthier, look great and be fit.

*Disclaimer - All the tips mentioned in this article are my personal observations. One should get a thorough medical check up and all the routine investigations done before trying to lose weight. Visit your local physician to make sure that you get the correct advise before you start something on your own.