A lot of us have seen those quick weight loss diets. They are advertised on tv and on infomercials, and promise to magically melt off those pounds. Losing the weight fast is only a small part of the battle. You need to know why those quick weight loss diets are destined to fail for you, and how to make a plan to win.

In order to not only lose the weight, but keep it off, you need to make some changes. Permanent changes. This is what those quick weight loss diets don’t tell you. You don’t have to sacrifice all the foods you love and exercise 24/7, but you do need to make a plan and stick to it. If you continue to make progress, no matter how small, you will win at the weight loss game.

The first step is a goal. Figure out a realistic amount of weight you’d like to lose. Don’t shoot for the stars, just say to yourself you’d like to lose x pounds a week. 2-3 pounds a week is a good start if you’re stuck. Don’t compare yourself to others. Try taking a picture before you start, so you can see your progress along the way, which can be very encouraging.

Now, on to the work part, exercise. This is the tough hurdle for most people. Most of us have long days at work, and lots to do at home. It’s very hard to fit in time to exercise, and even easier to just pass on it for tonight. Unfortunately, the easy way doesn’t produce results. Even something as simple as doing 25 situps before going to bed is beneficial. Just remember, it doesn’t have to be hours of exercise to have an effect. Granted, 30 minutes or more of exercise a day is the target, but something is better than nothing. Once you get used to it, it becomes more natural and just another task like getting a shower.

Here’s a good tip to make exercise easier. Try setting up either an exercise bike or a treadmill in front of the tv, or within view of it. Now, put on a good movie. TV shows have commercials which tend to bring your focus back to exercise, instead of being a distraction for you. Quite often you’ll exercise a lot more than you planned, without even realizing it!

Now, the other change you need to make is your diet. I refer to diet as what you eat, not what you can’t eat, or are stuck eating. Just take a look at what you eat, and figure out what you can avoid or substitute for something with less calories. Calories are the name of the game. If you burn more calories than you take in, you lose weight. Simple equation. Exercise burns more calories, so you can either lose more weight, or burn off those couple of items you maybe should have avoided eating.

So, quick loss diets do work, but you need to make changes or the weight will come back, and then some. Eating better, and exercise, makes a huge difference. Just start small, and work you way up to where you want to be. Once you get the ball rolling, it definitely gets easier.

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Please bear in mind that I am not a dietician, or a physician, and my opinions are those of a Yoga teacher and life-long student of Ayurveda. Always consult your family physician before changing your diet.

It may be generally agreed that eating wisely and weight loss do not often agree. Just look back that the parade of “fad diets” that didn’t seem to work over the long term and, in retrospect, were not wise from the onset.

This article will be a “union” of ideas from Ayurvedic principles, modern fitness concepts, and overall strategies for better health.

It goes without saying that a vegetarian diet is healthy. Only a decade ago, there were many reservations, among local physicians in New England, in regard to this concept. How rapidly knowledge, insight, and opinions change.

Marie, my wife, exposed me to the vegetarian diet. Before that, I ate what is now called the “Mediterranean Diet.” The diet I eat, to this day, is a combination of the two. The combination of these two, “classic” diets, are easy for me to live with and it is not an effort, at all, for me.

That is the biggest hurdle for most people. Many of us take on a radical dieting change that we cannot live with. Most of us can afford to make a few small changes at a time, instead of changing everything at once – unless you are dieting under the guidance of your doctor or dietician.

Therefore, I propose a few small changes to your eating habits that will make sense. You do not have to change them all at one time.

Sit down and focus on eating your meal.

Avoid television, reading, heated conversations, etc.

Thoroughly chew your food at a slow pace and do not put more food in your mouth until you have swallowed the previous bite.

Be aware of how hungry you are before your meal.

Try to avoid too much time between meals, as this leads to over consumption and your stomach should never be more than three quarters full, after a meal.

Exercise tip: Some of you practice Yoga and understand the many benefits of Sun Salutations, but have you ever tried weight resistance?

Strength training increases energy expenditure during a weight resistance training session. The high intensity of strength training indicates a high utilization of carbohydrates during a training session.

During the post-exercise recovery period, energy expenditure is elevated for a period ranging from two to fifteen hours (1). The increased energy demands are obtained by burning more calories, and a good portion of the calories are coming from fat stores.

Reference (1) – Melby C, Scholl C, Edwards G, Bullough R. Effect of acute resistance exercise on post exercise energy expenditure and resting metabolic rate. Journal of Applied Physiology 75(4): 1847-1853, 1993.

Even if you work every body part just once a week, this method of cross training will effectively burn calories. When you combine this with any aerobic activity, you have a powerful combination. Rowing and bicycling are good substitute forms of resistance too.

Strategies for results: Get help from a qualified Personal Trainer, Dietician, or a Life Coach. You could do it all yourself, but how much time do you have to “spin your wheels.” without any progress? These services exist for those who don’t want to waste time and want solutions now.

Article Source: http://www.dietarticles.info

Paul Jerard, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at Aura Wellness Center in North Providence RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in Providence. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher.