Lose Weight without Going on a Diet!

*Emiliana Faillace
Nutrition Counselor, MyDiet™ Team

Have you tried all the weight-loss methods out there, but are still hanging on to those extra pounds? Keep reading and you'll find the best advice for losing excess weight forever without having to follow a strict diet, take pills, drink teas or shakes, etc.

You probably think that in order to have the figure you've always wanted, you need to stop eating, work out for hours on end, and drink water nonstop. Well we have good news for you . . . This is not true! All you have to do is make small changes to your eating habits and your lifestyle in order to reach and maintain a healthy weight. Remember, there is no magic pill that results in effortless weight loss. You can achieve your goal just by making changes to your habits with patience and perseverance. To permanently lose weight, don't expect to lose more than 3 pounds a week.

The first thing we recommend that you do is to identify your weaknesses. For example, think about whether you love desserts, have a weakness for fast food, can't watch TV without snacking, or have any other habits that you know are unhealthy. Make a list of all of these and then attack them one by one. In other words, start by changing what's easiest and leave the most difficult for last. Then look for healthy alternatives to replace your bad habits.

Below we give you some ideas on how to replace bad habits with good ones:

• Instead of frying food, use methods such as baking, roasting or stewing, or making homemade tomato sauce.
• Instead of using mayonnaise, use light mayonnaise or even better, mustard.
• Sprinkle your salads with lemon and salt instead of using a creamy dressing.
• Eat 5 small meals a day (3 main meals and 2 snacks) instead of eating 3 large meals a day. This will help keep your metabolism active, balance your blood sugar level, and prevent you from overeating during the next meal.
• Don't eat in different areas of your house. Choose a fixed place to eat and abide by it. This way, your body will get used to being hungry only in a certain place at a certain time.
• If you're a fan of desserts, sweets, ice creams, and chocolates, substitute them with fruit smoothies made with skim milk or yogurt, fresh fruit, frozen fruit skewers, frozen skim yogurt, or exotic flavored teas.
• Start your meals off by eating vegetables and fruits first.
• Include fruit and vegetables in all your meals. The fiber these contain prevents you from absorbing all the fat contained in foods.
• Choose low-fat cheeses such as cottage cheese or fresh cheese.
• Instead of pork and beef choose white meat such as chicken, fish, turkey, or rabbit. When you eat beef, choose low-fat cuts.
• Get moving! Turn any situation into an opportunity to do exercise. Jump rope for 5 minutes, walk around your office after lunch, do sit-ups while you watch TV, take the stairs instead of the elevator, park your car far from where you want to go, etc.

As you can see, these changes aren't difficult to make. It's just a matter of being aware of your bad habits and replacing them with good ones. Remember what's most important is to keep your goal in mind and remember why you want to lose weight. If you don't see things clearly and you're not committed to achieving your goal, you will get discouraged and see obstacles in your way.