| I have come to learn practically, for myself, how | | | | night. |
| to lose weight and then how to maintain that | | | | I can't tell you how effective that is in losing |
| weight. I discovered a very important key to my | | | | weight. I am not talking about crash course dieting |
| success. You can go on diets all your life and lose | | | | or following a strict diet. I am talking about using |
| weight quickly, only to put it back on again when | | | | your common sense to eat well in the morning |
| you revert to old eating habits. Forget the diets! | | | | and then less as the day goes on. You have to |
| Here's what has worked for me and I have seen | | | | retrain yourself. It might be quite difficult at first |
| the same results in people who have and are | | | | because you are used to having your main meal |
| doing what I suggested. The formula I am about | | | | at night, but start off by just serving your food |
| to tell you is not magic, but it is free! Also, it's | | | | on a smaller plate. Also, don't skip any meals. Your |
| certainly not something that only a limited few | | | | metabolism gets a kick start if you eat first thing |
| can do. | | | | in the morning. |
| Growing up, I was quite an athletic person and I | | | | The second key to me achieving my ideal weight |
| naturally had a fast metabolism. When I stopped | | | | has been exercise. I don't have a personal trainer |
| growing and kept on eating, I suddenly started | | | | and don't go to gym. I don't pay for any sort of |
| growing horizontally and not vertically anymore! | | | | exercise equipment. So what do I do? I walk and |
| By the time I was in my first year of University, | | | | I do a few stretches. |
| I had gained 10 kilograms in one year. I was | | | | There is no secret to my success. At first the |
| overweight and heavier than I had ever been. I | | | | walking was slow paced and I walked for only 30 |
| was still doing exercise but I was also drinking | | | | minutes. I didn't go far. Then, as I gradually got |
| alcohol and eating all the bad stuff that diet books | | | | fitter I was able to walk a longer distance in the |
| tell you not to eat. | | | | same amount of time. |
| I gradually developed a complex. My already big | | | | Because of time restraints, I only have 45 |
| breasts were bigger and I hid my top heavy | | | | minutes a day to walk every morning. Maybe on |
| frame by wearing extra baggy clothes. I thought | | | | weekends I will go for a longer walk. But the key |
| that it was impossible for me to lose weight and | | | | to this has been consistency. |
| that I was just a big boned person with lots of | | | | You can't expect to lose weight if you walk |
| muscle. I kept on doing exercise but the problem | | | | every other day or only three times a week. You |
| was that I ate more than I should have been at | | | | have to get into a routine and make time each |
| night. I did a few crash course diets and basically | | | | day for your walk. No excuses! I do occasionally |
| messed up my metabolism. I found it was much | | | | take Sunday mornings off. |
| easier to put on weight than it was to lose it. | | | | I have watched my weight go down slowly, but |
| Did you get that point? I was eating more than I | | | | progressively, over the last eight years. |
| should have at night. The thing was that I was | | | | Yes, it took me eight years to lose 15 kilograms |
| having a few too many drinks, as many students | | | | but now I am the happiest and most confident |
| do when they first get out of school, and I would | | | | women in the world. Friends from University days |
| get really hungry for savory food after that. I can | | | | that I haven't seen for seven years, nearly do a |
| remember eating two pies, about three times a | | | | back flip when they see me. My whole continence |
| week, at eleven o'clock at night. | | | | has changed. I look better; my skin is glowing and |
| No wonder I put on weight quickly. | | | | I have a lot more energy. |
| In my second year of University, I cut back on | | | | Losing weight slowly but progressively is a big key |
| the drinking to focus on my studies but then | | | | to keeping that weight off for good. |
| found myself working late into the night. I was | | | | Of course if I go back to bad eating habits, |
| often eating after nine at night and sometimes | | | | drinking and not doing exercise, I will put on |
| even grabbing a snack around midnight, along with | | | | weight again. Now I have so much more energy, |
| a cup of milky hot chocolate. | | | | life and confidence that I wouldn't stop what I am |
| Keep in mind that I was still running or walking | | | | doing for anything. I have discovered this all for |
| about four times a week and I was part of a | | | | myself and want other people struggling with |
| hiking club that went on these major long hikes | | | | weight loss to take a good think about what I |
| once a week. | | | | have said here. |
| Lack of exercise wasn't my problem. | | | | Stop doing fad diets. Stop counting those calories. |
| To cut a long story short, when I graduated from | | | | Use some common sense and eat only the foods |
| University, I was 15 kilograms heavier than when | | | | that your grandparents would have eaten 30 |
| I graduated from high school. I was overweight. | | | | years ago. Were there sodas, bags of potato |
| How did I lose that weight and get to my ideal | | | | chips, cream sauces, sweetened cereals, and |
| weight of 58 kilograms? | | | | sugar loaded cakes and cookies in every second |
| Consistency has been the key. | | | | draw? I am sure they splashed out a bit for |
| I gradually started changing my diet. I cut out all in | | | | Christmas dinner but eating such high calorie and |
| between sweet snacks. (I still ate fruit if I was | | | | unhealthy food, everyday, was just not possible in |
| really hungry.) I cut out all soda and any sweet | | | | those days. |
| coffees or teas, potato chips and oily food. I didn't | | | | So take a good rethink and re-look into how you |
| follow a diet; I just used common sense. | | | | are doing things. Get yourself some good walking |
| The biggest change was how much I ate and | | | | shoes and hit the road. Start eating like a king at |
| when. | | | | breakfast and eat one-third of that at dinner. Get |
| Have you ever heard the term, "Eat breakfast | | | | into a routine and keep looking forward. Don't |
| like a king, lunch like prince, and dinner like a | | | | beat yourself up if you have a bad day. |
| pauper"? | | | | Take baby steps. Start small and don't set |
| If not, then what it means is to eat your biggest | | | | yourself unrealistic expectations. |
| meal in the morning and your smallest meal at | | | | |