Losing a Ton of Weight is Easy

"Losing a ton of weight is easy!"

...Said no one ever.

The truth is, it isn't easy. It takes a lot of hard work, and it doesn't happen that fast. All the diets you see online that claim to help you lose 10 pounds in 24 hours... prrrobably aren't gonna work. Those of you who get excited over the "Chocolate Diet," the "Never Exercise Ever! Diet" and, my favorite, "Ice Cream Diet": tell me how those work out for you. ;)

Losing weight can be really hard at first, but it doesn't have to be. All it takes are many little lifestyle changes that all come together to equal a lighter, more fit you.

Here are 6 tips you can implement into your life that will put you on the road to less pounds:

1. Eat smart.

You don't have to be a weight loss expert to generally know what choices are more healthy than others. Go with your healthy instincts.

2. Eat when you are hungry.

This was a big one for me. Scheduled meal times make this hard. My mindset was that I always ate at 8, 12:15, and 5:30. So, by the time 5:30 rolled around, even though I was snacking all afternoon, I my brain automatically thought I was hungry.
It takes time to actually listen to your body to see if you're hungry. If you think you're hungry, you may just be thirsty, bored, or have a craving. Drink some water and wait 20 minutes to see if the "hunger" subsides.

3. Stop eating when you're full.

Just like it takes time to see when you're hungry, it takes time to learn when you're actually full. Meal sizes at restaurants today make us believe that's what the correct portion size should be. This tends to guide the portions we choose at home as well. On average, our portion sizes are 2 to 2 1/2 sizes larger than the actual recommendations.
It took awhile for me to learn when to stop eating and how much I actually needed. One night I was sitting in the dining hall and thought I just had to have another piece of pizza. I had convinced myself I was still hungry and just one small piece wasn't enough. My brother called me, and as I talked with him, I left the dining hall, and completely forgot about it. Turns out I wasn't actually hungry at all, just craving more pizza and I let my mind tell me I needed it.

4. Exercise as much as you can.

Set aside time to work out, and do it! Work it into your lifestyle! Take the stairs, park further away, ditch the drive-through and walk in to the store. If you always watch a certain show or sporting event, watch it from a treadmill or static bike. Then get more serious. Carve out time each day to get to the gym, do some in-home workouts, start a class you really enjoy, bike, or take a walk with a friend.
A 1 hour workout is only 4% of your day. Still think you don't have time?

5. Drink more water.

Water is a huge help in losing weight. Water curbs hunger and makes you feel full. My favorite thing about water is that it is a natural metabolism booster. Berlin's Franz-Volhard Clinical Research Center tracked energy expenditures among seven men and seven women. They concluded that if a person who increases his water consumption by 1.5 liters a day would burn an extra 17,400 calories, for a weight loss of approximately 5 pounds. 
Okay, now that IS an easy way to lose weight. Ditch the pop, opt for water. A lot of it.

6. Commit. 

Don't just talk about it. Decide to make a change in your life, and stick with it. It took more than a day to put that weight on your body, it will take more than a day to take it off. Don't get discouraged. You WILL see changes in yourself if you dedicate yourself.