The Old Fashioned Way is the Only Way

If you're like me, you're probably sick of seeing all those ridiculous commercials for "fast weight loss".  In reality, there is no such thing if you want to keep that weight off.

Who wants to live on shakes?  Who wants to spray a mist into their mouth instead of eating good, nutritious food? I know I don't.  I can handle a smoothie for breakfast that is packed with fruit and sometimes veggies, but to drink only shakes for 2 meals a day and then have a salad for dinner - NO THANK YOU!  That sort of living is just not for me.  I have a friend who tries all of these quick-fix diets and yes, they work great for her, but the minute she stops them she piles all the weight plus more back on.

Another product I find even more idiotic than diet mists are creams that claim to remove cellulite or tone the body!  How is that even possible?  How can a cream tone the arms????

In my opinion, the only way to shift weight permanently, keep it off, reduce cellulite and tone the body is by good, old fashioned diet and exercise.  When I say diet, I don't mean 2 celery sticks and a piece of lettuce for lunch, I'm just referring to the foods we eat, for example, a Tim Tam vs an apple.  I know I would much prefer the Tim Tam, but the apple is way better for me, it has no fat, a lot less calories and it has nutritional value.  I'm not saying that I never have the biscuit, but I have learned to limit the biscuits.  I don't believe in magic toning creams, but I don't believe in self-deprivation either.

There is no "fast" solution, but there is a solution and it is really simple and one I am sure everyone has heard before :

• Eat less
• Move more

The diet solution can't get more simple than that.  Keep an eye on what and how much you eat and exercise.  You don't have to start running marathons, but walking for 30 mins a few times a week is a great start.  One of the best exercise tips I have heard is to make sure you like what you are doing.  If you are like me and don't like using exercise bikes, don't take a spin class (I found that out the hard way, not real bright sometimes).  Do exercises that you like.  If you like dancing try Zumba!  It burns as many calories for me as a step or body attack class does and Zumba is way more fun.

My tip is to keep it interesting, mix it up.  I get bored just doing the same thing all the time and if I get bored I know I will just stop.  Even with my treadmill (that I love), I can't just run on it all the time which is why I am so glad I came across interval workouts, but now they seem to be dominating.  The intervals make the workout fun (well, I think they are fun, many may disagree) and the time just flys by. The workout is over in no time and I always, always feel really good after it's done despite sometimes feeling like I am dying during the workout.  I just have to remind myself what Jillian Michaels says -

"push yourself to and past your limit"

According to Jillian, when we are feeling uncomfortable is when the body is working and that is what we have to push through in order to get the results we want to achieve.  So if I must be uncomfortable and out of my comfort zone to achieve my goal weight, then so be it!