How many of you are still searching for the secret to weight loss? That diet pill, protein shake, green tea, supplement, or vitamin....the pill that will solve all your weight problems.
Every time I run into an old friend that I have not seen for a while they always want to know "How did you do it?" "What did you take, eat, or what expensive equipment did you buy?" It seems that many women think there is some secret that I uncovered. When I try to explain to them that there was no pill, no special diet, and no expensive gym equipment they normally lose interest. It seems like no one wants to hear that I spent 6-8 hours in the gym a week. No one wants to hear that I added more servings of fruits and vegetables to my diet and cut back on sweets.
It frustrates me to see the advertisements of these diet pills and special teas. It reinforces the idea that their is an easy way out. Weight loss requires hard work and lifestyle changes. There is no other way around it.
In retrospect it seems so simple; increase the amount of physical activity in your life and cut back on the sweet stuff. I do recognize the barriers to weight loss for women of color.That's why I put together a few tips to get past these barriers. One important thing to remember though is that long term weight loss involves hard work and sacrifice. But the benefits of lifestyle changes last so much longer than a crash diet, so it's worth it.
Steps to reaching your weight loss goal:
1. Make lifestyle changes : Remember choose a physical activity and eating habits that you can commit to, for life! Try adding fruit for breakfast instead of cereal or a bagel. Make sure you get a salad or serving a vegetables a day. Find 3-4 days a week to get in 30 minutes of physical activity. Choose an activity that you enjoy like swimming or a hip hop dance class.
2. Don't let you hair stop you: Check out this post I wrote on how to care for you own hair,
Hair Care
3. Motivation: you need the support of like-minded individuals to keep you focused. It may help to work out with a friend or family member. It also helps if you get everyone in your house focused on eating right, that way you are not fighting the battle all by yourself.
6 comments:
I live in a city where there was a bus strike that lasted 2 months. The bus system is such that many rely on it for transportation. As such, I had to walk to work for much of it (I could have driven, but parking was a nightmare!). This involved about a 45min walk each way, in the snow. I found that I had lost a few pounds because of it. The point I am making is that because I was forced to use my feet to travel to work, I found out what a great form of exercise it is. Now that the buses are back, I still walk some of the time. It has changed my lifestyle and I want to say thank you to the striking bus drivers!
This is an excellent post! ... The only secret to weight loss ... is that there ISN'T ONE ... lol ... the more time people spend trying to find an easy, fast fix, could be time spent learning and changing our lifestlyes ... There's no way around it ... we know what to do ... we just have to DO IT! :)
Hi, I'm a new reader here. I love this blog! I am on a lifestyle change journey too and it's great to read from an alike mind.
Another thing that bothers me besides the "secret" issue is the fact that a lot of people think that once you lose the weight it's gone forever. Like losing weight is the same as getting a tumor cut out or something. You can't just workout/eat well for a temporary period then expect the weight not to come back!
Anyway, great blog!
girl, great post. And to Erica - biking in the city is a wonderful way to cut transportation costs and get your excercise in at the same time!
Nice Blog!!
I totally agree...there is no secret shortcut/pill/diet to weight loss. It has to be a lifestyle change. We need to get out of the habit of making excuses for ourselves and just do it.
Hi, this is my first coming, and I really enjoy how you write your fitness experiences. I am an exercise lover too, and I have never had any difficulties to maintain my weight. I just do exercise twice a week, and keep a healthy eating habit. It's true that keeping motivation is the key to lose weight or to maintain it. Keep on your good working!
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