Trying to lose weight can be one of the most maddening and frustrating things to do because our bodies seem to fight us at every step.  After a couple of days of eating less in an effort to pare off extra pounds our bodies start to think “hey – where’s my food?” and then go into “conservation mode” because it’s not sure when it’s going to get more food.  Metabolism slows and it becomes even harder to lose weight.  It’s enough to make a person want to smack their head against a wall!

But, even when it might seem impossible there are ways to effectively start losing weight that don’t involve living on plain lettuce leaves or that require massive amounts of daily exercise like we see contestants on “The Biggest Loser” doing.

First, a little about me.  Here’s what I’m not.  I’m not a scientist who is going to spout “scientific findings.”  I’m not a doctor or a dietician that’s going to tell you what some book says on how to effectively start losing weight.  I’m also not a skinny person who has never had to worry about losing an ounce of weight.

What I am is this – someone who has spent years yo-yo dieting to the point of practically being a professional dieter. I’ve finally been successful at losing weight and keeping it off, and want to share three ways to start getting that extra weight off that have worked for me.

1) EAT BREAKFAST BUT DON’T PIG OUT
You’ve probably heard experts say over and over again that skipping breakfast is a bad idea because it leads to overeating later in the day; and that it can contribute to a slower metabolism.  It makes sense that our bodies want food shortly after we wake up because it’s just gone without any food for fuel for several hours.

I never used to believe that eating breakfast was important mostly because I was never hungry when I woke up.  Then, because I was usually feeling like I was really in control of my eating I would often skip lunch as well and feel really proud for avoiding food.

But by the time evening came around I couldn’t stop eating and ended up eating way too much.  It was like I couldn’t get full at night.  I think my poor body was trying to get all the food it could because it knew it was going to have to wait until the next afternoon to get more.  But the next morning I would start the same no breakfast and usually no lunch routine all over again partly because I wasn’t hungry and partly because I was still remembering how I had overeaten the night before.

When I finally decided to give eating breakfast a chance it was really hard.  I had to force myself to eat in the morning which went against everything I believed.  I mean, come on, here I am trying to lose weight and yet I’m forcing myself to eat?  But it worked.  Once I started to eat breakfast, and to also eat a little something every couple of hours to keep my metabolism working, I wasn’t starving at night and was able to eat sensibly and stay on my weight loss plan.

But, and it’s a big “but” to me, I’ve found that eating a really big breakfast has the same effect on me as eating no breakfast.  If I eat a large heavy breakfast such as one of those breakfast platters at restaurants that include eggs, bacon, hash browns, and a large muffin, I tend to continue eating heavily the rest of the day.

If I eat a healthy and sensible breakfast (my favorite: 1 whole egg and 2 eggs whites scrambled; with a side of mushrooms sautéed in 1 teaspoon of olive oil and seasoned with garlic powder and black pepper, and salt; and fresh fruit or yogurt) and then a mid-morning snack, it’s much easier for me to stay on track with my weight loss efforts plus I have more energy and feel a lot more clearheaded than I did when I was skipping breakfast.

2) DRINK WATER NOT SODA
I used to be terrible about drinking water and never got in the recommended 6-8 glasses a day and usually didn’t even manage to drink that much in a week.  My go-to beverage was soda, usually diet soda.

Then I started watching people who are “normal sized” and noticed most of them were constantly sipping water.  More than one of those “normal sized” people told me they sincerely believed that drinking plenty of water was key to their ability to maintain a sensible weight.

Once I started to consistently drink 8 glasses of water a day my body finally stopped hoarding liquid and got less puffy.

When I drink plenty of water weight loss is a whole lot easier because I’m drinking liquid when I’m thirsty instead of mistakenly thinking I’m hungry and eating something instead.  It’s also helping flush out toxins and helping me avoid feeling bloated when I indulge in a lot of salty food.

When I fall back in my old habits and drink diet soda instead of water my weight loss slows and sometimes stops completely.  When I get back on track and drink lots of water, my weight loss always starts again.

3) BE ACTIVE
Exercise – sometimes I feel like it’s a nasty four letter word in disguise.  When someone mentions exercise to me I instantly want to sit on the sofa and eat a bag of chips.  Why?  Because exercise is NO FUN!

I have spent thousands of dollars on exercise equipment and gym memberships that have gone to waste because I absolutely hate walking on a treadmill, riding a stationary bicycle, and using weight machines; especially in a gym where it seems everyone else is fit and toned and where there is always too many mirrors to remind me that I am not nearly as fit and toned.

But our bodies were made to move and regular activity is a really important component to weight loss.  Besides the obvious benefit of burning calories while being active, building muscle helps increase overall metabolism so our bodies will burn more calories even when we’re not exercising.

The key for me has been to find “exercise” I enjoy.  The first thing I did was stop thinking of it as “exercise” and started thinking of ways to be more active.

So I thought back to when I was a kid.  I loved spending my days riding bike, swimming, and exploring outside.

So now, instead of refusing to “exercise” or trying to force myself to go to the gym every day I get in regular activity by riding my bicycle 3-4 times a week (it’s summer where I live right now and is perfect weather for bike riding) and by going for walks on scenic hiking trails.  When the weather gets cold I’ll head to the local YMCA and swim in the pool.  It’s a lot easier for me to “exercise” these days because I no longer hate it.

Also, because I know how important strength training is, I do go to a gym.  But it’s a women’s only gym where I don’t feel intimidated and where the only place a mirror can be found is over the sink in the bathroom.  And I only need to go there 3 times a week for 30 minutes which I find doable.

What were your favorite things to do when you were a kid?  Make those activities something you do regularly as an adult.

Also look into activities you may not have done as a child but are interested in trying such as playing tennis, golfing, or even bowling.

One caveat though: going for a 10 mile bike ride doesn’t make it okay to then sit on the sofa and eat an entire bag of chips – not if you want to lose weight.

If your weight loss is at a standstill try these three things: eat a healthy and sensible breakfast, drink plenty of water, and get in regular activity.

In addition, get seven to eight hours of sleep every night.  You deserve it and your body needs it so that it can rebuild lean muscle that was strained and broken down during the day’s activities.