Quick and Easy Weight Loss Tips

How many times have you wished that you could swallow a pill and wake up in the morning thinner? It would be really nice if such a pill existed, but it doesn't. So, with that in mind, what can we do for quick, easy and sure weight loss?

1. Drink 64-plus ounces of water each and every day.
2. Get cardio exercise EVERY day; gradually building to the point where you get a minimum of 30 minutes a day.
3. Add fresh raw fruits and vegetables to your daily diet.
4. Limit the "bulky" carbs: white flour, potatoes, cereal, etc.
5. Identify the biggest obstacle you consistently face that stymies your weight loss and overcome it, rid yourself of it and banish it from your life forever!

Sound too hard? Seem impossible?

It isn't. The above mentioned 5 tips are really nothing more than a recipe for healthy living. You aren't food combining impaired. You aren't willpower deficient. Your weight is, in most cases, a direct result of what you are consuming and how much you aren't moving.

Don't believe me?

Let me tell you the story of a reader of mine. She wants to lose over 130 pounds and asked my help (that is how much I lost, so she thought I might know a thing or two about losing that much and more). I gladly obliged, as it is my purpose and passion in life to help others realize successful and permanent weight loss.

I did not prescribe a strict eating plan for her, nor did I make her change everything about her life overnight. Rather, I asked her some questions about how she lives, what her life is like on a daily basis, what she thinks contributes most to her excess weight and what she wants her future to hold.

She enjoys showing her dog in competitions, but she gets winded and can't do the routines with the animal. She would like to change that and be able to attend more shows and do them better. That seems like a realistic and obtainable goal to me. She said that she works in a factory and is busy all day, eats on the run (mostly from the vending machine at work) and goes home at lunch to feed her dog and let him out (and grabs a frozen budget meal while there). Then, she goes back to work, finishes her day and heads home to relax before bedtime; watching TV or reading a bit. OK, this gave me a good feel for what her life is like and a clear picture of a few things that could easily be changed. For one thing, what exactly was she grabbing from the vending machine? (Candy bars; six of them a day on average.)

What type of frozen lunch did she prepare? (Not the "lean" ones but rather the higher fat and sodium filled products.)
How busy or "active" was she in a typical day? (She didn't have an answer.)

I suggested that for one day she keep a precise food journal and tell me not only what she consumes but also how many total calories were in the foods. I also instructed her to get a pedometer so that she would know exactly how active she is on a busy day. It turns out that she was only walking about 900 steps a day -- and even more shocking -- she consumed over 5,000 calories.

My advice for her was to start drinking water (at least 64-plus ounces of it a day), to snack on fruits or veggies rather than the candy bars, to switch her frozen meals to the healthier options and to increase her steps by 50 a week.

Now, four weeks later:

She is consuming around 84 ounces of water a day; is snacking on fruit and socializing with her co-workers at break time (she used to buy the candy bars and eat them alone so no one would see), eating lunch at home same as before but just a different type of frozen meal (what a really easy change if you think about it!) and she is walking. She was amazed to realize "what bad shape she was in" after she did a 30-minute walk, but that realization has fueled her journey. She is now becoming perhaps the most motivated person I know!

Follow these 5 easy, quick to implement and sure changes that will lead YOU to your weight loss dreams and goals! I would love to hear what your changes are going to be! Log on and tell us.