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Simple Ways to Lose Weight

Sometimes losing weight seems like a never-ending battle that you just can't win. Many think losing weight requires a total overhaul of your diet, giving up all your favorite tasty foods and spending hours in the gym on the treadmill. But there are simpler ways to lose weight. While you do need to watch your calorie intake and exercise, small changes to your every day life can result in weight loss.

  1. Add Foods

    • When most people think about losing weight, they think about all the foods they have to give up. Instead, focus on all the foods you can add to your diet such as sweet black cherries, succulent grapes or crunchy raw carrots. Add apple slices to your oatmeal and a banana to your lunch. Include a side of vegetables with dinner. If you add tasty and healthy foods to your meals, you'll fill up on them and have less room for the bad foods, such as heavily processed and sugary foods.

    Walk

    • Buy a pedometer and start walking. You can either carve out time in your day to take a nice a stroll around the block or through the park, or you can add walking to your daily activities. Instead of finding the parking space closet to the store entrance, park in the back of the parking lot. If you ride the bus, hop off a couple stops early and walk the rest of the way. Take the stairs instead of elevators. Use a push lawn mower instead of a riding lawn mower. When you go to the mall, walk the entire building.

    Eat All Day

    • Keep your energy levels up and sugar level steady by eating all day long. Consume five or six small meals and snacks throughout the day instead of eating three large meals. When you only eat three meal, you become overly hungry between meals and over-eat at the meals. Smaller meals or snacks throughout the day help you control your hunger and prevent you from over-eating.

    Do Activities, Not Exercise

    • Exercise sounds tedious, difficult and work-like. Instead of running in place on a treadmill, do the physical activities that you already enjoy. Burn calories by riding a bike, going skiing, playing with your kids in the snow, hiking, playing Frisbee or combing the beach. Chase or wrestle your dog in the backyard. Play basketball with friends.

    Lighten Up, Don't Give Up

    • Don't give up foods you love, just buy the low-fat or diet version. You can find low-fat or light salad dressings and all kinds of dairy products from cheese to ice creams at your local grocery store. So add part-skim mozzarella cheese to your pizza, reduced-fat ricotta cheese to your lasagna and low-fat mayonnaise to your sandwich. Shred a few calories with your beverages too. Drink diet soda or light beer. Add a bit of seltzer to your wine. Best of all, drink water.

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