Obesity Tips

Long-Term Weight Loss

Take time for yourself each day.

OBESITY – Long-Term Weight Loss – Just 15 minutes of time alone, relaxing or doing something you enjoy, can alleviate stress and make you feel more balanced.

  • Maintain your spiritual/emotional balance
  • Prayer and/or meditation can be used for relaxation. When practiced regularly, they give your brain a “workout” that improves your long term mental function. Regardless of your personal beliefs, taking time to clear your mind and control your thoughts leaves you feeling more relaxed, centered, and able to handle challenges.
  • Keep a journal
  • Writing down your thoughts and feelings helps to keep your mind clear and may help you observe patterns in your emotions and behavior. You may want to share your journal with a loved one, or keep it completely private (and very honest).
  • Keep your mind busy
  • Consider joining a club, or taking a class on something that appeals to you. Besides developing new skills and knowledge, you’ll meet like-minded people while you’re learning.
  • Do something creative
  • You don’t have to be an accomplished artist to paint a picture, play music or write a story – the process of creating something is an emotional release. In addition to the arts, decorating, gardening and cooking all give you the chance to discover your creative talents and relieve stress.
  • Replace bad habits with good ones
  • If you normally reach for food when you’re stressed, try taking a walk, talking to a friend, or listening to your favorite music instead.
  • Get plenty of sleep
  • If you aren’t getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night, you may notice a marked improvement in your mood by making that one change. Insomnia and other sleep disorders can rob you of your much-needed rest.

The Importance of Water

It is important to understand how essential water is in order to reach your weight loss goals. This remains true, whether you want to lose weight or maintain your current weight. We all know we cannot survive without water, but just why is it so important? Here are some key factors that may help you understand why water is your essential life force.

  • 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
  • 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.
  • MILD dehydration can slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%.
  • 8 ounce glass of water consumed before each meal will help decrease appetite and you will eat less.
  • One glass of water may shut down midnight hunger for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
  • If you don’t drink enough water, your body may actually store water in response to your body’s survival mechanism and you may not see the results you had expected on the scale.
  • When your body breaks down fat reserve, water helps the kidneys remove the waste produced from the excess fat reserve and eliminate it from the body.
  • Water assists in the excretion of waste from the bowel and kidneys and may help prevent constipation which is common with high protein diets.
  • Lack of water is the number 1 cause of daytime fatigue.
  • Water assists in digestion and the absorption of nutrients in food so while on a low calorie diet you will maintain the proper nourishment needed to your tissues and organs.

These tips should be convincing enough that drinking water is one of the key elements to achieving successful weight loss. If you have difficulty drinking water or find that it is just not satisfying, then try adding lemon or make iced tea instead. To maintain optimal health and to assist in managing your weight, drink more water.

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