How to Lose Weight

I wrote this because a reader told me that she read the weight problems article of my site and it didn't help her at all. The point of that article is to let all of you to appreciate yourself the way you are. However, if it didn't convince you (I was never good at convincing), I guess I can tell you how to lose weight. In some ways, it is definitely good to lose weight if you think you need to because being overweight or obese is unhealthy. In other ways, being too skinny is unhealthy as well. You need to be healthy, and that's it.

Let's start with the nutritional part of your eating habits. I consider myself pretty healthy considering that as of now, 1/28/03, I haven't been sick for at least two years. I am a lacto-vegetarian who takes vitamins for vegetarians as well. I'm one of those people you love to hate: I eat a whole lot yet I am still what you call skinny. I'm not trying to brag, but I'm trying to let you see my viewpoint. I'm trying to say that what I'm going to suggest you do to your eating habits means that you not eat meat (seafood, poultry, red meat, etc.) nor eggs. If you can't do that, at least decrease the intake. Eggs have a lot of cholesterol, and meat not only brings animal hormones into your body, but takes away calcium from your body, causing osteoporosis (brittle bones; you get hit a little and your bones break)

First of all, stop drinking soda, Gatorade, and all that stuff. Although Gatorade is recommended after exercising, that is only because Gatorade has tons of sugars and calories to give you energy quick. That's just it, the calories you get from that makes all that exercise useless. I would just drink fat-free milk (for calcium and fat-free for, well, you want to lose weight here, right?) and water. Also, caffeinated drinks give you a big stomach because you have all that gas inside you. I suggest you eat a lot of vegetables of different colors to help prevent diseases as well as filling your stomach without all that fat. Instead of eating cookies, cake, chips, chocolate, and candy for snacks, munch on fruits. They are really delicious. Once you get quit those snacks and focus on fruits, you get hooked and crave the fruits. I personally enjoy grapes, oranges, and mangos. Occasionally I like seedles watermelon too.

Check out diet plans later if you like. If you want this to open in a new page, hold "shift" and then click on the site.

Now for the exercise part. It is so critical that you stay fit. If you are unfit, you lose a couple decades from your lifespan. The best thing to do is join a sport, but if you can't do that, then you should invest in a treadmill or find a place where it's good to run. It's more fun to run with someone else who determination to do what you're doing too so that you don't slack. If you are really out of shape, start by running half a mile. At your own pace, decide when you increase the length or speed.

Before running, it is extremely important to stretch before running, or you will pull a muscle. I get shin splints easily, which kills, so in order to prevent that, I face the wall and rest my hands on it. I lean my upper body toward it and bring one leg back. I then bend my knees and lean forward, bringing the heel of the back leg to the ground. Then I do the same for the other leg. Also be sure to get good sneakers, or your legs will hurt.

You should join a gym. If they have aerobics classes, join them, because they make exercising more enjoyable. Ask a trainer to teach you how to use the machines to lift weights. Over time they will tone out your body.

Also check out Cardio Workouts.

The most important things you need to have in order to do this are motivation and determination. You NEED to be incredibly motivated to go through this, even though it is so much easier to be lazy. When you do go through with this, you NEED to be determined to stick through. Having said this, good luck!