Which Way Will You Lose Weight? Three Easy Plans

There are only a few ways to successfully lose weight healthily and without too much hassle.

In fact I think there are essentially only three plans which can make a huge difference to your weight without affecting your life too much

I'm discounting starting any new diet where:-

a) you cringe at the thought of eating some of the meals and combinations
b) you gulp at the thought of eating so little food

AND I'm also rejecting starting a new exercise program where you will ache in every bone in your body for a week before giving up the whole thing.

You know unless you have iron willpower and are willing to change your whole lifestyle in one fell swoop I always advise a softly, softly approach.

And let's face it, most of us are human and we don't have that amount of willpower and dedication to losing weight. After all, if you had that you wouldn't be where you are. True?

We all know what we're capable of in terms of self-discipline and creating drastic change.  And for most of us it either won't happen or we will make great strides in the short term only to slide right back to where we were.

I'm also completely rejecting any pill, patch or supplement which claims to melt fat like butter. They don't - not without you making changes you'll have to make anyway. You are wasting your hard earned cash.

So what works for weight loss? What are those 3 magical plans?...

1. Don't Change WHAT you eat

If you like the food you eat and really don't want to change, lose weight by changing the AMOUNT you eat. Take care that your portion sizes give you the right amount of calories to bring about a gentle weight loss and you're good to go.

If you are eating a lot more than you should be for weight loss at the moment, don't try to do this in one step. Reduce your portions by 10% and then when you are used to that reduce a little further until you are at the right level.

2. Don't Change the AMOUNT you eat

If the thought of eating less gives you pause, then think about substituting the higher calorie foods you eat for foods with the same volume but fewer calories. 

By that I don't mean opting for low-calorie versions of the foods you love. These are often poor substitutes in terms of flavor. I mean swapping in different foods altogether - tomato based sauces instead of a creamy sauce, soups and stews instead of fried foods, a slice of pizza with lots of salad instead of a whole pizza and no veggies.

And remember that swapping no-calorie drinks like water and herbal tea in place of milky drinks, fruit juices, alcohol and soda can be enough for many people to lose weight without changing their eating habits at all.

3. Change a Bit of Both

I know you like the food you eat AND the amount but you have to change something to bring about a change in your weight - as what you are eating and the amount you are eating simply got you to where you are today. So eat a little less of the high calorie foods you love and replace the bulk with healthier foods.

A Fourth Plan?

Now many will be asking me, shouldn't there be a fourth plan - the one that focuses on exercise and moving your body?

Well, there could be if I knew you would exercise enough to make a difference.

But when you know that you have to run or walk more than a marathon to lose a pound of fat most people are not that keen on the fitness method.

Why not see the fourth plan as a bonus to add to whichever other method you choose? You will burn calories (every little helps) and you will get fitter and healthier, and for that reason it's important to keep yourself moving whether you need to lose weight or not.

A Whole Life Plan

Remember that whatever you do, you should be prepared to make those changes for the rest of your life to avoid the weight creeping back on. So experiment with various changes - some you will love, some you will not be prepared to live with. Be open-minded about what you might like and find a system that works with your lifestyle and preferences.

If you are stuck with this, post a comment and I'll see what I can do.

Comments

[Meghan]

Hi Janice I was introduced to your blog after reading an article about loose skin and dieting at searchwarp.com. It was an older article (more than a year old) but it really spoke to me. I read the comments, and I know you dont like to give medical advice to people over the internet (for obvious reasons). BUT lol.. I was wondering if you could give me a hint.. or an opinion about my predicament. I am 18 years old 200 pounds and 5'7 i gained about 80 pounds over the course of 2 years. I have just started my diet regimen of healthy organic foods and plenty of water (as suggested in your article). Soo I was wondering if you could based on my info above give me some general guidline as to what type of skin condition I can expect when i get back down to my old weight in say a year and a bit losing 1-2 pounds a week, following your water and toning guidelines.

Sorry that this is not related to this particular article I just didnt want to comment in the year old article.

Thanks so much!

[Janice]

Hi Meghan

Yes I can only give general advice but for what it's worth here are a few pointers

a) you have some advantage because you are so young - your skin has a better chance of staying firm
b) you gained your weight relatively quickly but you need to lose it slowly if you want to keep your skin tone - 0.5 to 1lb a week is better than 1 to 2lb if you have the patience
c) the worst you can do is yo-yo dieting - this continually stretches your skin and loosens it over and over - so decide to lose weight and do it slowly - but only once!
d) toning your muscles will help support your skin and make it look good so the fact that you have plans to do this will help

No one really knows how skin will behave because everyone's skin is different. But if you do everything you can to help your skin then you'll do the least damage you can.

Hope this helps and all the best with your weight loss

Janice
editor Think Slim

[Meghan]

Ok thankyou again for the helpful info Janice!

Love your blog by the way

[Mae]

Im also eighteen but i weigh 275 pounds. I've been heavy weight for about six or seven years. Do you have any advice that i could follow.

Thank you.
Mae

[Janice]

Hi Mae

I can't give any personal advice based on the info you gave but you'll find lots of information on this blog and by subscribing to my newsletter at http://www.simplyslimming.com I also answer specific questions on my Q and A site at http://www.dietingstop.com so you may find the answers to some of your questions or issues there.

Hope that helps

Janice
editor Think Slim