How to Lose Fifty Pounds This Year

Ever think it's impossible to lose weight? What if I told you that by doing just five things each day, you could lose a pound a week, and possibly much, much more. I was 289 pounds just a few short months ago. At 5'9" tall, that 289 felt like 500lbs. I now weigh just 181 pounds and am on my way to a svelt 150. How'd I do it? It was easier than you think. No diet pills, no crazy work outs, no extreme dieting. Seriuosly. Just five steps. So, ready to lose weight and look great in 2008? (Hey, I'm a poet and didn't know it!) Here are the five things that will help you get there:

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. This first thing you're going to need is PATIENCE. This weight loss method is not something that will happen overnight. It is something that takes a bit of time to start working, but once it starts, you are changed for life. So, remember that patience is a virtue and an absolute must if you wish to lose the weight.
2. Once you've got your patience in check, now you want to assess the situation. You need to know your starting point. Now, initially, this will be what the scale says. So, I know you dread doing it, but get on the scale and write down exactly what it says, no matter how painful it might be. Write this number in a notepad along with the date you weighed yourself. It's important to remember, that you will NOT weigh yourself again for the next two weeks. You need time to see a little progress, because that will inspire you to continue moving forward.
3. Now that you've got your current weight written down, it's time to start paying attention to what you eat. I DON'T mean writing down every morsel of food or tracking calories. What I mean is that you should spend the next 2-3 days paying closer attention. Actually look to see what it is that you're eating over the course of a single day. Do you have breakfast, lunch and dinner? How about snacks? How about that afternoon coffee or candy bar? Also, WHEN do you eat? How much do you eat before going to bed? Do you eat more when you're stressed out? Do you eat more toward the end of the day or at the beginning? Do you eat out of boredom? Do you eat while watching TV? All of these are important to take note of. Again, this is not something to use to berrate yourself or to shock you into just how badly you might be eating. It's merely a way of assessing where you're at to help you on the road of where you want to go.
4. Now, here's the next step. You've made your assessments. You know how much you weigh, you know reasonably how much you eat over the course of a day. Now, I want you to start envisioning yourself as a thin person. How do you see yourself? Are you beautiful? Handsome? Healthy? Fit? Start to really hone in on this image of who you are. You need to really start to define it. Do NOT grab old photos of your thin self and post them on the fridge. If you were thin at one point in your life, one of the biggest mistakes most people make when they try to lose weight as they get older, is they compare where they are now to where they once were. Unfortunately, this cycle often depresses and frustrates you even more. Because unfortunately, while you CAN lose weight, you CANNOT go back in time. This will be a NEW VERSION OF YOU. You have to embrace this new person while at the same time letting go of the ideal image of you if that "ideal image" exists in the past. Go for what you will look like in the future -- not what you once looked like in high school. This is KEY. You will soon see that once you embrace this idea, you will be much more inclined to continue improving your present self, rather than trying to revive your PAST self. By the way, this does NOT mean skipping a meal. Never, skip meals -- as I explain below.
5. Now, how do we lose a pound a week? Believe it or not, here it gets easier. You now have your current weight, your current body image, your current eating habits and the knowledge that you will not dwell in the past. There are three things you need to do and you will lose one pound every week:
   
   1) Don't eat at least two-four hours before going to bed -- You will sleep better (which will help your esteem) and you will avoid having every calorie you ingest at bedtime going right to your waist, hips, legs, etc.
   
   2) Subtract out at least one of your daily "snacks": When you reviewed your eating habits, how many times a day did you eat something you couldn't even remember eating? Whether it was a handful of peanuts, or a candy bar, or whatever? We often eat "blind." Which means that we grab food even when we're not remotely hungry. So at least once a day before you nosh, ask yourself, are your really hungry or are you eating for some other reason? Such as boredom, depression, anxiety, etc.? If you manage to void out just ONE of these instances each and every day, you'll see dramatic progress.
   
   3. Eat a FULL MEAL at least three times a day: One of the biggest dieting misnomers is that you can skip a meal and lose weight. This is 100% INCORRECT. Your body needs fuel. If you skip a meal and go hungry over a certain period of time, your body actually feeds on itself to survive. This then triggers a reaction for your body to be sure to store more fat reserves from the next time you eat to insure that it gets what it needs. So, starving yourself at any point in time is an absolute "no-no". Eat three full meals, or if you can't do that, then eat at least 4-5 smaller meals over the course of the day.
   
   Breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day, as it will provide you the nourishment you need to get your metabolism going in the right direction. Lunch is also crucial because you need the energy to be on your toes through the afternoon hours. And a proper dinner will help your body wind down toward the end of the day and insure a restful slumber.
6. Okay, so I lied -- there's a sixth step. But not to worry, it's an easy one, too.
   
   After two weeks of doing the five steps above, re-weigh yourself. Even if you only lost one pound, remember, you've made progress. Keep going! If you find that you haven't lost any weight or (gasp) gained weight, then ask yourself, how true were you being to yourself? Did you do the five steps outlined above? Did you work out? (I ask this because sometimes if you work out, you might initially gain weight -- but this is GOOD weight, because you're likely gaining muscle weight, which will help speed up your metabolism as well.)
   
   Remember, a pound in two weeks is great. If you show this kind of progress, then keep forging ahead. Reweigh yourself every couple of weeks and you'll see steady progress as you move forward.
   
   If you really want to speed up the process then try a little walking. Nothing too extreme, just walk to the end of the block and back each day and then expand it as you can. The exercise will help you lose weight, but will also help get your heart in shape so that you can continue to improve your health across the board.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't get discouraged. This method of weight loss will work for you if you just give it time.
• You should always check with your doctor before engaging in any diet or exercise program. However, since this is merely just a slight shift in your eating habits, it's good to mention, but may not be mandatory. Use your judgement.