It’s been some time since the last post.  The holidays are always a bit hectic and of course, filled with lots and lots of good food.  We tend to eat more during that time of year.  We also tend to eat foods that are probably not the best for us.  I, myself, feel like I’ve put on an extra 10 pounds just since November.  You know how the eating can be difficult to control once to the holidays and all the good eats are around.  It is certainly better to have been more judicious in our choices of foods and amount of intake before hand than to try to fix things after the weight has already piled on.  That being said, I am determined that the pounds will come off and that it can be done with relatively little pain!

If anyone is also make a resolution to be healthier this year and trying to shed a few pounds, let’s do this!  No quick fixes.  No pills.  Just old fashioned diet & exercise but it will hopefully be a long term change that will keep the weight off!

Step 1:  Get a scale! If you don’t already have one at home, you should invest in a decent scale so that you can monitor your progress.  See? First step is easy.

Step 2:  Start a calendar log of your current weight and set a goal.  Use on online calculator to calculate your body mass index or BMI.  This will help you figure out where you are in terms of weight for your height.  Then you can see what your goal BMI should be and set a goal for your weight loss.  But whatever the numbers are, let’s just make a commitment to a healthier lifestyle overall because we know that people who exercise regularly and eat well are gonna live longer than those of us who don’t.

Step 3:  Count your calories!  Start by keeping a food diary.  Use the many free online calorie counters available to figure out how much your daily caloric intake is.  You can be real scientific about it and figure out your daily basal energy expenditure or the calories your body needs to sustain itself.  This will give you an idea of how many calories you will need to actually lose weight.  My nonscientific way is simply to figure out what your current intake is cut those calories in half (whatever it happens to be).  I won’t go into all the details of types of foods because we’ve all heard it before, eat more fruits and vegetables, higher fiber, and low carbohydrates.  Oh, don’t forget about drinks; they can add a lot of calories too.  Eat smaller meals more frequently during the day and make sure your last meal of the day is smaller or lighter.

Step 4:  Start an exercise routine.  No 1 hour sessions at the gym necessary.  Daily 30 minutes of brisk walking will do.  Not ready for 30 minutes? Try 20 or start with whatever you can do.  Slowly increase as you will be more energetic with each day of exercise.  Once you start increasing your level of activity, you can increase your caloric intake a bit–just as long as long caloric expenditure is more than your intake, you will still lose weight.  I, myself, like walking or hiking and some yoga or pilates for toning, flexibility, and balance.

Step 5:  Get support and keep your log up to date.  If you don’t continue to log down your efforts and your progress, you’ll be more likely to fall off the wagon.  People tend to do better and sticking with a diet/exercise program is there is a buddy system.  Someone else can do this with you and you can encourage each other.  There are plenty of online support sites too.  It also helps to see your progress to keep you motivated.

That’s it! 5 Steps to a slimmer and healthier you.  My goal is to lose 10-15 pounds which isn’t a lot but the second goal is to keep my exercise routine more regular and have more energy to enjoy 2010!  Good luck everyone!

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