Beyond Know How

Achieving fast weight loss can be an easy thing to do if you are consistent in your efforts and use some very basic strategies that are universal when it comes to losing weight. Don’t get caught up in joining some weight loss program like Jenny Craig where you have to spend all kinds of money on custom food just so someone else can tell you how much you should eat at each meal. Do it yourself. Count the amount of calories in your food and figure out how much calories you burn. As long as the calories your burn are more than the calories you eat, you’ll lose weight.

Getting some exercise is also key. Pick some kind of activity that you already enjoy. Maybe you like riding your bike, or maybe skateboarding is your thing. whatever it is, as Nike says, just do it. If you like what you do for exercise you’re more apt to stick with it and do it consistently, which is the key to having it make a difference to your weight loss. Whatever it is, try and schedule it into your daily routine so you follow through. If it’s not scheduled it’s easy to let it drop off of the radar.

Getting a good nights sleep is also important. Lots of people underestimate the value of a good sleep. When you’re well rested you have the energy to do that workout. When you’re well rested you have the strength to resist bad food choices. Drinking lots of water is also good for weight loss. Water gives your muscles the energy they need to take you through your day at work and still have energy left to get in your exercise. It also help flush toxins from your body.

These basics are pretty easy to follow. If you do you will eventually see your own fast weight loss.

photo credit: Fimb

I recently read about another crazy scheme to shed thousands of pounds in three weekends or less. My incredulity was matched only by the fervor of the “successful dieters” who had followed the plan, which basically amounted to same thing you’ve been hearing since you were a kid: eat less and exercise more.

However, anyone who has ever followed these two supposedly golden rules will be very keenly aware that they are not the keys to fast, healthy, sustained weight loss. Sure, if you eat very little and exercise a lot, you will lose some weight for a while. But how long can you maintain that? Not forever. I recently came across these Quick Weight Loss Tips, which raises this and other key concerns about popular weight loss diets and raises some intriguing alternatives.