| 1. Do it for yourself. The motivation to lose weight and | | | | 5. Get support. Finding a buddy to cheer you along will |
| keep it off has to come from within you. If you're | | | | make the weight loss effort that much easier. |
| relying on gimmicky diets, you may still be hoping for | | | | 6. Expect to slip. Most people believe that you've got |
| some magical solution outside yourself. | | | | to do it all or it isn't worth doing. But that's not true. If |
| 2. Think 10 per cent. People who focus on losing just 10 | | | | you can't exercise the equivalent of walking 30 miles a |
| per cent of their weight may have the best chance of | | | | week, it doesn't mean you shouldn't exercise at all. |
| long-term success. And dropping those first pounds | | | | Make a start. Do what you can do. Something is |
| produces the biggest health gains like decreased blood | | | | always better than nothing. |
| pressure, lower blood cholesterol and lower blood | | | | 7. Ease in. Just because you're suddenly burning to |
| sugar, to name a few. | | | | lose weight doesn't mean you should immediately |
| 3. Take it one pound at a time. Crash weight loss | | | | plunge into full-throttle workouts. That's prescription for |
| programs rarely work. Even if you're able to stick with | | | | agony, injury and failure. And there's no rush. After all, if |
| the severe calorie deprivation or the extreme energy | | | | you want the weight loss to last, you'll be exercising for |
| output required, such quick-fix regimens leave you | | | | the rest of your life. |
| totally unprepared for the moderate but permanent | | | | 8. Make it fun. If you don't enjoy your workouts, you |
| changes needed to sustain the loss. Experts | | | | probably won't stick with them. For example, you could |
| recommend that you strive to drop no more than half | | | | go dancing, play badminton, or take up a hobby that |
| to one kilo a week while working to develop eating | | | | keeps you moving, like biking, hiking, or gardening. |
| and activity habits that you can maintain for a lifetime. | | | | 9. Break it up. You don't have to do all your exercise in |
| 4. Weigh in weekly. Evidence from several studies | | | | one long session. You'd burn just as many calories, and |
| indicates that people who maintain weight loss hop on | | | | get nearly the same health benefits, by squeezing |
| the scale at least once a week. | | | | several shorter bursts of activity into your day. |