Have you ever heard that the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to change the way you eat which requires a lifestyle change? I have, and after months of experience I can agree with this statement.

Diets are temporary and not something you can keep up for the rest of your life. Learning to change your eating habits is much easier than trying to diet and changing your eating again once you lose the weight and want to maintain weight. It's a slower process and you won't see massive weight loss fast but it is healthier and will last longer. Many of the diets I see are designed for quick weight loss but don't take into consideration what happens after.

There was a guy in a forum that asked about of what a lifestyle change means and this made me really think....What did I change in my life that brought to where I am today? I gave the following advice and took a quote or 2 from other people in the forum that really explains it all...Maybe y'all can learn from it as well....  =)

What is a Healthy Lifestyle Change??

It means changing your Eating Habits; little things such as

• incorporating more veggies in your diet
• white bread to brown bread
• koolaid to Crystal Light
• white delicious jasmine rice to Uncle Bens brown (already prepared)
• Drink more water throughout the day (tip : leave a 24 pack of water bottles in the trunk of your car. (very convenient and it's always there)
• Keep treats/unhealthy foods to a minimum. (1 or 2 bad meals a week - no more)
• incorporating more foods that contain protein (oatmeal, yogurt, etc.),Keep treats/unhealthy foods to a minimum. (1 or 2 bad meals a week - no more)
• Limited to zero alcohol. I love beer and this was tough..but like other treats/unhealthy foods, moderation is key
• keeping the overall meal portions smaller (no larger than your fist)
• eating more often throughout the day. (like 5 to 6 times) to increase your metabolism while maintaining a caloric deficit.

As for Exercise. Lifestyle changes will mean :

• Taking the stairs instead of the elevator/escalator
• Walking/riding/blading to the corner store instead of driving
• Create a routine for at least 1 day of the week to go walking, running, jogging, swimming, biking, blading, basketball, hockey, etc) - my point here is finding something that you enjoy that is physical.
• Got kids? Play with your kid outside - your knocking 2 birds with 1 stone here..
• Get in the gym and start weight training - Men and Women. My advice here is to get a workout plan and follow it. I wouldn't know what I know now, unless I took a program to assist me

"A committed lifestyle change should allow you to attain a goal of a sustainable healthy body fat % and lean body mass as well as embracing a sustainable healthy diet as a direct result of a plan that embraces some generic core principles / guidelines that can be adopted and maintained for years...not just 90 days.."

"This may take longer than 90 days to achieve those goals, but once you do, the various principles that brought about those changes should remain in place for years to come."

"And the training ad nutritional tools should be learned and understood so you can make up your own nutritional and training programs ' knowledgeably ' - such that you aren't dependent on being spoon fed how to get in shape by virtue of watching some DVDs or health books for the rest of your life simply to stay healthy."

So I hope the above helps ya...

So quickly...My today's commitments were all on par where I toughened up and completed all weight training exercises working on calves, quads, triceps, traps, back and abs. All this followed by 15 min cardio. The stabbed hand is still not 100%, but I was able to manage by using my palm and not the stab wound..(hehehe). Food intake, water & sleep was good and looking forward to tomorrow's scheduled cardio - rollerblading in the city. Lookin' forward to it.


See here for last weeks picture and status results