Combine Exercise, Diet and Positivity to Lose Weight

I realize I'm starting off this year's Fat and Cranky blog series with a focus on exercise and effective workout routines for beginners, but I want to spend a few moments to share why the exercises I am covering for the first week or so are - while great - probably not enough to help you achieve weight loss goals (especially not lasting ones) without combining diet and positivity changes as well, though exercising is part of any good health and fitness plan.

Exercise, Diet and Positivity for Weight Loss

For me, personally, I find if I try to change everything at once, it's too much, and I drop everything new and go back to old habits within a few days.

Lose Weight Fast With Exercise, Diet, and Positivity image courtesy of Pixabay

I find making lasting changes is more of a process than an instant solution, if that makes sense. So, I'm spending a week or so getting used to the idea of increasing my activity level (and doing it) and creating the habit of being more active before I start throwing dietary changes on top of it.

I know myself, and I know things to avoid that will derail my fitness plan if I let them, and that's really the heart and soul of the message I'm trying to share with you...

Know yourself and find ways to build success based on who you are and what works for you. 

It's easier to succeed if you you use the things you like as you build new, healthier habits. If you know you like fresh peaches, for example, include them in your diet. If you know you like riding your bike, try to incorporate that into your fitness routine. If you enjoy something, it's easier to make it into a habit.

And then, limit or omit the things you don't enjoy. If you know you dislike.. I don't know... lima beans, for example... don't go on a lima bean diet because even if you lose the weight you want to get rid of, it isn't sustainable. If you know you don't enjoy dancing, don't choose dancing for your cardio exercises or every workout will be unpleasant. Make changes you can live with, and it's easier to get where you want to be.

Exercise + Diet + Positivity = Weight Reduction + Better Health 

Achieving weight loss and maintaining your weight after you lose it, is kind of like an algebraic equation that stays balanced. If you subtract or add to one side of the equation, the other side balances out, too, or at least that's what is supposed to happen.

The Role of Exercise in Weight Reduction and Better Health

Exercise boosts your metabolism and builds muscle tissue, so even when you're resting, your body is still burning more calories than it would if you don't exercise, but most of the time exercise alone won't get you to your desired body weight.

The Role of Diet in Weight Reduction and Better Health

The things you eat and drink are the things that feed your body, and your food choices can either help you reach a healthy weight or these choices can literally pack the pounds on your body in the form of bigger fat cells.

The problem with using diet alone for weight loss is, your body will start to 'eat' muscle tissue before it gives up its fat cells, so using diet alone to lose weight can leave you with less of what you need to burn fat round the clock - and as soon as you go back to eating the way you did before you dieted - you gain the weight back - plus some more.

The Role of Positivity in Weight Reduction and Better Health

Positivity can be the biggest influencer when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off. As human beings, our emotions get tied to our activity levels and the foods we eat.

• The last thing you might want to do if you've had a lousy day is workout and eat a salad - though you might feel better if you do; you may want to lay on the sofa and nosh on a gallon of ice cream while you cry (I've tried it - it doesn't help and you'll probably need to barf about a fourth of the way through the gallon - just sayin'...)- and  there may be times when that's what you choose to do, but even a brief breakdown doesn't have to ruin your new fitness plan as long as you don't give up.

Focus on Health and Fitness Instead of Quick Weight Loss

If you want an easy way to lose weight fast, it can be done, but fast weight loss isn't usually good for your health.

Your doctor or a personal trainer is a good source to turn to for the max amount of weight you can safely lose each week. 

A focus on achieving a healthy body weight and weight management through diet, exercise, and positivity changes that you can maintain long-term are (in most cases) the best ways to achieve lasting weight loss success - because everything in life works together - if you let one area slide - everything else is most likely going to slide right along with it.

Thanks for visiting Fat and Cranky!Laure J