Keep It Simple Silly: A Guide to Simple Lifestyle Change

I think when dieting, one has to ask themselves, “Why are there so many diet plans or ideas to choose from?”  A very simple answer to this question is that we are all different from one another, and thus think that a different plan is needed to work for me.  We were raised differently; we have different environmental factors contributing to what makes us who we are.  One person may have been raised in a very affluent household and would have a plethora of foods to choose from to eat.  Another person could have been raised in the exact opposite lifestyle.  They would be trying their hardest to get the best bang for their buck, eating the 99 cent deal at the local fast food joint.  Then, we have genetic differences.  Our genes, either, give us a body that makes people envious with the little effort they need to exert to look fit.  And the rest are the ones that wish they had it that easy.  But, what if I were to say that the fit person and yourself weren’t too different?  The thing we need to remember is that we are all humans.  What does that mean for you?

It means we are all just about 99% the same as the person sitting next to you, or your neighbor or your boss, or even Arnold Schwarzenegger or that model from the magazines.  And, I think that’s great because it means that we can all achieve similar things as those prodigious people.  Now, I’m not saying you’re going to win the next ironman contest, I think that’s where we begin to see divergences in greatness.  But, if you can achieve just a bit of what makes a person great isn’t that, in itself, an achievement?  I think so.  And if you did achieve just a bit, I’d give you a thumbs up, and a high five.

Keep this picture in mind, I'm here to support you!

Now, you’re on your road to greatness, what do you do first if you want to lose some weight?  I’d say the simplest thing you can do is cut some calories out of your diet.  This may be real hard for some people.  So, start small, this is going to be a journey.  

I don't look to jump over 7-foot bars: I look around for 1-foot bars that I can step over
-Warren Buffett

Cut out some sweet stuff that you enjoy: candy bars, sugar laden lattes, pops or similar things.  Notice, I didn’t say cut out everything, cold turkey.  I think this is where a lot of people fail, they just go cold turkey.  Then, your brain goes through withdrawal symptoms and you eat or binge on whatever it was you were craving.  This doesn’t help you, at all.  It also messes with you emotionally.  You have feelings of failure and regret.  Then, somehow, you see that you’ve failed that diet and you are back to your old habits.  What, I believe, is better is to think this as a process.  You don’t fail the end goal in a process if you achieve it, they can just be viewed as missteps or miscalculations along the way.  One good thing to remember is that it’s OK to screw up along the way, if you keep your eyes on the goal and know what you need to do.

See, this road has ups and downs, too!

Here are some things I think will help to keep you on track:

• Keep a food log
• write down everything you eat and the approximate amounts of food
• Keep a photo food log!
• I think this is the easiest way to keep on track; everyone has a phone with a camera on it
• Just take pictures of foods you’re about to eat
• look at it at the end of the day, see if there was one thing you could have done without
• Keep track of your waistline, or another part of your body that you feel is in need of help
• As you do this, your weight is going to fluctuate, and it may not feel like you’re getting anywhere.  
• It may even go up (I’ll talk about why this isn’t bad, later)
• Get a flexible tape measurer
• or get some string/twine and wrap it around yourself and mark the place where it meets with permanent marker

Now, as everything in life is so easy and fast, you may get disappointed that results don’t occur very quickly.  This may have prevented you from finishing a diet in the past.  The one thing you’re going to have to come to terms with, is that this is going to take time!  Weight loss doesn’t happen overnight.  Did you get to the state you’re at now, overnight?  I’m going to have to go with no.  So, don’t get disgruntled with the slow pace of things... you’ve heard of the race between the hare and the tortoise, right?

Once you feel comfortable taking some things out of your normal diet, and maybe you’re seeing some results, you could be feeling that you want to do something more.  Enter exercise.  Just as with cutting some calories out, start small.  Walk around the block, do some stretches, dance.  Whatever it is and you like doing it, do it for 5-10 min.  
You’ll feel refreshed, and you may even release some endorphins (the things your brain releases that make you feel good and happy).  Here’s a word of warning: let’s say you’re feeling really invigorated and just want to go balls to the wall and work the heck out of your body.  DON’T DO IT.  Spread that vigor out over 2 days or more.  If you work out real hard after being sedentary for a long time, you’re going to get sore (I know, I’ve done it before).  And, most likely, you’ll be sore for the next few days.  This means that you’ll have an excuse to not work out, and that does bad things to your motivation.  Just use the mantra: KISS (keep it simple silly).  After a while of consistent effort is when you can bump it up a notch.
You can do your walks in the style of the Ministry
of Silly walks... or not.

Remember when I said your weight may go up if you start this plan and you exercise?  It’s because muscle weighs more than fat!!! If you’re working out, walking, or dancing, you body is going to build some muscle.  So, don’t freak out if you put on a bit of weight.  Also, for the ladies out there, you’re not going to look like a man, either, with your newly made muscles (it takes a long time for this, even with the help of steroids). In actuality, you’re going to look great!

I’m going to leave it at that.  Just start out small.  Little puddles are easier to cross than oceans and lakes, and you’ll always be on your way to your destination.  It’s going to take time.  Be truthful with yourself in the beginning, this isn’t some quick fix.  You’re also going to screw up (maybe a lot), but tell yourself and know that you haven’t failed, it’s just a hiccup in your process.

This is not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change

It took a lifetime to get where you’re at, so give yourself some time to get where you want to go.

I hope to continue providing this sort of information as an ongoing theme throughout this blog.  So, check back for more!  I only have a few outlets for the thoughts in my head, as my girlfriend is getting tired of my ramblings (and trying my weird concoctions, e.g. garlic tea...more on that later) :)
Leave some comments about things that have worked for you or observations that you think would help others in the comment section.  The more the merrier.

Image source: http://thegreensamaritan.com/2011/07/summer-road-trip-4-ways-to-maximize-your-fuel-efficiency/
23 Mar 2005, Hawaii, Hawaii, USA --- Hilly Road --- Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

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