You may think you can’t do this without surgery or drugs. But AFS (AFitSpot.com) is here to tell you it IS possible, and even likely that you will succeed. Whether you have ten pounds or a hundred pounds to lose, the outcome is completely in your control. We are here to help you.
“Diet” feels like such an ugly word. We associate that word with deprivation and discomfort. And “exercise” isn’t far behind for most of us in terms of negative feelings. But if we re-frame our thinking, we can actually have a pleasant experience on our journey of healthy weight loss. If we focus on eating healthy foods in general, and on being as active as we can – in general – we can transform our experience and ourselves.
Unfortunately, there is no “magic bullet” for weight loss. Even bariatric surgery isn’t a cure-all; most people who have the surgery re-gain about 60% of the weight they initially lose. Diet pills, in addition to the health risks they pose, are known to cause rebound weight gain when their effect starts to wear off. The proven method for safe and effective weight loss is simply to create a calorie deficit and thereby lose weight at a rate of one to two pounds a week.
The weight loss formula is simple, but we understand that people’s lives aren’t. Maybe you can’t work out at the gym for an hour every day. Maybe you can’t tolerate a low-fat or low-carb or extremely low-calorie diet. You don’t have to. But you do need to step up your activity – even in small ways – and make sure the calories you take in are fewer than the calories you expend.
We believe the best way to become more active is to start out slowly, and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your exercise. Trying to run a mile after months of inactivity only sets you up for failure. Keep your experience fresh by trying out different activities – walking, swimming, biking – at your current fitness level and expand as your fitness increases. Experts agree that you have the greatest chance of keeping up activity when you do what you enjoy doing the most. For you that may mean dancing, kayaking, yoga, or playing a sport. Whatever it is, embrace it and know that it’s an investment in YOU.
Eating healthy can be a challenge for even the most well-intentioned among us. At AFS we believe that following – in general – a calorie-conscious diet of whole grains, good fats, and very limited refined carbohydrates is the best way to feel good and lose weight. Of course, weight loss will occur no matter what you eat, if you reduce your calories to below the calories you expend. But your experience will be drastically different in terms of hunger and overall well-being if you make healthier choices.
AFS does not endorse any particular diet, just a general focus on healthier, less processed foods. Your choices may vary from day to day, just as your ability to stick to your goals may vary from day to day. Our belief is that when you make more healthy choices than unhealthy choices, you’ll experience a “virtuous cycle” and you’ll become ever more motivated to choose what’s best for your body.
|