Dieting doesn’t have to be a tough and stressful process. Of course, going on a diet is a serious matter. If you want to get the desired results without doing any harm to your body, you should seek professional advice. You can’t improvise or play dietician.
Having said that, I’d like to share the following tips because going on a diet doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying life. These simple strategies have helped me while I was trying to lose weight. I had to adjust to a new “routine” because, in the end, I had to give up something I really love (large quantities of my favorite food). This journey seemed very hard, especially at the beginning.
You Don’t Have to Give Up Your Social Life
If you love eating out, it might be a bit harder when you are on a diet. I have the following strategy: I always check the restaurant to learn more about their menu. It’s straightforward; now everything is online and just a couple of clicks away. I decide what I am going to have for lunch or dinner so that I can adjust the rest of my meals of that day accordingly. It usually works. As for those late-night (fattening) drinks, well, now I’m always the one driving my tipsy friends back home if you know what I mean.
Exercise – With Friends
I have never been an athlete, not even a sports gal. I don’t even like to watch sports on TV. In fact, I’ve always been pretty lazy. And, when you are overweight, you are not keen to go to the gym and compare yourself with those thin ladies and men, with their muscular bodies squeezed into tight twin sets sportswear, that’s for sure.
Still, I knew I had to help my metabolism rate somehow. I thought that the best way to start was by taking long walks. I started a Facebook group with a goofy name (The Cake-Walkers), where, together with my friends, I organized lovely walks around town or even in the countryside. I met new people, walked hundreds of kilometers, and saw beautiful places I didn’t even imagine existed. Now, I am confident enough to enter a gym, still I prefer to run, bike, or walk in the open air.
Sleep More
I discovered that my total count of sleeping hours was terribly low. I used to go to bed really late, because I was either watching TV or out with my friends. So, the last snack or meal the day before and the following day’s breakfast were probably not more than 7 hours apart. When I started my diet, I could not eat or drink anything after dinner (no snacks, no soft drinks, no beer…) So, naturally, I started going to bed earlier. The results were stunning. After only a week, I was more energetic, my humor had improved, and I also had better results at work.
Simple Supermarket Strategies
I avoid going to the supermarket before my meals or when I am hungry. As you know, it’s much easier to be tempted by delicatessen, snacks or sweets if you haven’t eaten. I don’t use the huge shopping cart you find at the shop entrance, but I bring a smaller one from home. I always prepare a list of the food I actually need to prepare my meals, and I stick to it. I try not to be tempted by the three-for-two sales or similar offers. And, in the end, I think about how much money I will save if I don’t buy those extra items!
