Achieving a quick slim down – and staying slim – can be a big ask sometimes.
It can feel like an uphill battle to lose just a few pounds. It also seems that if we happen to stray off the path, even a little, the pounds come back on again, with reinforcements.
Sometimes, we wonder why we bother. Then when we can’t fit into that special dress, pair of slacks or swimsuit, we change our minds and worry about how to slim down and look good for more than a few days.
Desperation can drive us to do strange things, too. Some of us may have tried – and failed – to slim down thighs, belly and arms with diet pills packed with fillers and fad diets that half-starved us. We may also have tried expensive supplements that sent us broke, gels and creams that dissolved our cash but not our fat, and exercise programs that promised (and cost!) the earth then didn’t deliver
Sometimes, we wonder why we bother. Then when we can’t fit into that special dress, pair of slacks or swimsuit, we also wonder why we can’t slim down and look good for more than a few days.
Starvation is not a slimming solution
I have never tried gels and creams but once went on a diet that felt like a self-inflicted famine.
While I was battling constant (normal) hunger pangs, I was reminded that we are not created to starve ourselves. It’s healthy to eat when we are genuinely hungry.
So, for a diet to keep you satisfied, it must consist of good, nutritious food. This food must supply the nutrients you require in appropriate quantities and at appropriate times during the day. There isn’t the space in this hub to deal with this point in detail, so feel free to check this post for more information.
On the other hand, if your eating plan cuts your food intake too much for too long it will fail eventually, no matter how much willpower you may have. The program will simply be too hard to maintain. This is one of the most common reasons why dieters give up and go back to their old, unhealthy eating habits.
In addition, it is just not healthy to exist on starvation rations. A starvation ‘diet’ will ultimately damage your health. You may also binge on chocolate, chips, hamburgers and other high fat, high sugar, high salt, snack food in response. This can be the beginning of a yo-yo weight loss-gain cycle. This pattern of eating is especially unhelpful if a tendency towards type 2 diabetes is lurking somewhere in your medical history.
Finally, even if you do have the willpower to keep going on barely enough to feed a sparrow, your body will probably have other ideas. It’s very likely that your once-rapid weight loss will stall.
Some tips for a quick slim down
If you absolutely have to drop a pound or two by the end of a fortnight or so – from a standing start – a better way to slim down may be to:
• check your salt intake, particularly if you eat a lot of prepackaged meals. On average, the recommended amount is a maximum of about a teaspoon or 2400 milligrams per day. Have much more than that and you’ll bloat overnight. If this happens, consider whether your additional weight is fluid retention rather than fat.
• dress in a way that slims you down. Select underwear that fits well and doesn’t create the tell-tale panty or bra line under your clothes. Top them with loose, long line blouses, skirts and pants that make you appear taller and flatter a fuller figure. Best of all, wear what makes you look great and feel even better.
• amp up your smile. Stand tall and ‘own your space’. It’s amazing how far sheer chutzpah will take you, so fake it ’til you make it. Above all, get started on your new healthy lifestyle and don’t give up.
All the best!
Resources online
For more on how to slim down, you may like to check these online resources.
• Strip That Fat – Lose up to 10 lbs overall in just 2 weeks! If you would like to know more about this program, you can read my review here.
• Fitness Model Program – How to look like a fitness model without being one!
• Truth About Abs – How to lose stubborn belly fat, get flat sexy six pack abs the right way!
