Some of you may have wondered why I am not writing as often as I was when I began this blog. The posts have slowed down largely because I've shared most of the basics of weight loss with you. In spite of all the late-night TV commercials claiming to have "THE answer" to weight loss, there really is no silver bullet. People who have not seen me in a while ask me what I'm doing to lose weight, and the answer is always the same: "I'm eating lots of bland, boring food and working my tail off in the gym every day." Most people who are wanting to lose hope for a different answer, like "I take these pills - they're $4.99 at CVS - and the weight is coming off." They - quite literally - want to have their cake and eat it, too.
Over the next couple of days, I will re-read everything I've written, and see if there's anything earth-shattering that I've forgotten to share. But here, in a nutshell, are the things every dieter needs to keep in mind:
1. It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose one pound of fat. You either have to find a way to reduce your calorie intake (like giving up the cheeseburgers) or increase your calorie burn (like exercising until you feel like your lungs are going to explode).
2. Little cheats go a long ways. You can undo an entire week of benefits from exercise with one slice of pizza, one soda, or one double cheeseburger.
3. Your body needs water to flush out the fat. And then you have to make sure you get rid of the water. Drink water like a fish (take your weight, divide by two - that's how many ounces you should drink per day); watch the sodium, which will cause you to retain fluid. Don't cook with salt, don't add salt at the table, and don't eat anything for which you can't verify the sodium content.
4. If you exercise to the point of sweating and then quit, you're just warming up. Walking is good for you, but you have to walk a LOT for it to be beneficial. I gave you a guideline of 10,000 steps per day, or approximately 5 miles. A stroll around the block with an ice cream cone in your hand ain't gonna cut it.
If you've lost the link to my tips, you can read everything I've written here:
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