Decided that eat less and exercise more was the way to go.
You mean the method every MD has been suggesting since...well..forever...actually works?
I also don't deprive myself of what I want.
That is also
excellent methodology. If you don't satisfy your cravings every once in a while, they just grow and grow until one day, you find yourself binging. Cravings are the only monsters I know of that grow when you
DON'T feed them.
I hope you find an exercise routine that is relatively easy to maintain.
I found my best results with mixing weight training (which builds muscle which in turn burns calories faster) and cardiovascular training (which helps your body run more efficiently). I'd mix upper body weightlifting with lower body cardio (like bike or walking), then on my next workout day, it would be lower body weightlifting with upper body cardio (or swimming). That way, you exercise the entire body without reducing any one part to pain or exhaustion.
I'd also examine my diet very carefully. I've done all kinds of things long term- I don't drink sodas, I've removed lots of processed foods and salt from my diet, etc. I've even been cooking more.
And cooking, paradoxically, is one of the best things you can do when trying to lose weight. You learn portion control, and you have
absolute control over ingredients.
In the interest of full disclosure, I've been fighting with my weight since I was 13, and every time I control my eating and boost my exercise level I drop weight. I just keep getting my routines interrupted. AND I
still have a problem with portion control- I eat healthy food, I just eat too much of it. I've been within 13lbs of my "ideal" weight, and I've been 100lbs over it.
So, best wishes and lots of luck!
