If you’re a typical American, you’re in a rush.  Trying to get one more task done before you break for lunch.  Trying to squeeze in a quick workout on the way home from work.  Nuking another frozen dinner because you didn’t quite have enough time to get to the grocery store. 

The fitness industry has seen how busy you are and responded with 30 minute workouts, 20 minute workouts, heck ~ even a 6 minute workout DVD that will get you slim, “in no time!”  Doesn’t that all sound a little silly?  Here’s a sane way to reach your goals and stay there for good. 

Lose Slowly.  Yes, you can lose as much as 2 pounds per week but 1 pound is better.  The first week or two you’re on a diet you can expect to have some nice drops, even more than 2 pounds, but once your body stabilizes and the slog is on don’t expect more than a pound or so.  I know you’re wrinkling your nose at me but here’s why this is a good thing.  The more slowly you lose the weight, the more likely it is to stay off!  This is because you are making lifestyle choices rather than going on a crash diet that you know will pile right back on when you’re done.  Learning all things in moderation and floating down to an ideal weight will have the greatest long-term success.  WebMd has an article that addresses more specifics.

Eat slowly.  Are you browsing this post with a snack off to the side?  This is distracted eating and you might not even realize what you’re putting in your mouth.  A recent study in the British Medical Journal which surveyed nearly 3,300 adults showed that those who ate fast (and until full) were more than three times likely to be overweight than slow eaters.   Mindful eating is becoming a buzz word these days and is part of the slow food movement too.  For more information on how to slow down, go here.  

Improve Slowly.  You just started a walking program so you sign up for a marathon!  No!  You need to progress one step at a time.  If you’d like to try running;  first vigorous walking, then run/walk combos, then mostly running with walking breaks until you reach a 5K complete running workout.  Then you can start thinking about 10Ks, 1/2 marathons and the uber-goal, a marathon.  Same with weight training, you can’t just lay down and bench press 100 lbs.  You need to start with teensy weights and keep trading up.  Don’t stop the momentum, keep increasing your weights.  Before you know it, you’ll be pushing out those 100 lb. reps like nothing.  

While we all want insta-success with everything from our wallets to the jeans they go in, we need to stick to our Mom’s advice ~ one step at a time.  Planning for slow weight loss and gradual strength gains will help you avoid injury, improve your skills and incorporate great lifestyle changes that will last.  

Enjoy. Here’s a link to The Center for Mindful Eating with more on the subject.

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