About Ali Weight loss

Hi, Ali here! Thanks for dropping by Ali weight loss.net.

Ali

This site has loads of tips, advice and more importantly support, for all of you who are trying to lose weight. All my knowledge and views come from hours upon hours of research, health-conscious friends, and of course my own personal experiences regarding weight loss, health and fitness.

Losing weight (or the attempt to do so) can be a very trying experience. This is also true for those who are doing so under pressure of low self-esteem or an important event coming up, who often then turn to dangerous crash diets and the latest fads (hey, they work for the skinny and gorgeous celebs, right?) in an attempt to get themselves feeling and looking better as quickly as possible.

These diets usually involve some form of starvation or extreme dieting, leading to misery. People with already poor self-image feel worse about themselves as the diet becomes almost like a form of punishment for being overweight. Those who actually do manage to lose weight quickly find themselves gaining back all the weight and often more as soon as their diet ends, even if they make honest attempts to be healthy and sensible about eating and exercise.

Yes, I’m afraid you heard correctly I said exercise. Unfortunately, there seems to be some sort of widespread violent aversion to the idea of any for of exercise. Since when are people allergic to healthy food and going out for a walk or the like? Our bodies are designed to move. Plain and simple. If we don’t move, our bodies don’t function properly, whether excess weight builds up or not. If you are a stranger to the gym then you may want to check out this useful post: Exercise where do I start?

Perhaps then, this is less about just weight loss and more about overall health and well-being. While there are people who have real hormonal or medication problems which cause them to gain weight almost no matter what they do, it has been my experience that the large majority are simply unaware of how to care for themselves properly.

If you fall into this category, it is nothing to be ashamed of. There are so many misconceptions about health and nutrition that it can be extremely difficult to know who to trust. In fact, there is no need to trust me on this, try my suggestions for yourself. My suggestions on aliweightloss.net are not likely to be the easiest or quickest ways to lose weight or gain tone, but the results are more likely to stick with you once you follow through.

I will also cover the topic of fasts and cleanses. Some people use these ancient practices as methods for quick weight loss. I do not advocate this. Fasts and cleanses can be wonderful, enlightening experiences and yes, they usually result in rapid weight loss, but they can be dangerous when not done carefully and the weight loss will not last if there is not also a fundamental lifestyle change.

Of course, I understand the appeal of a relatively quick and painless solution to weight loss. I’ve been there, struggling to get rid of pounds that just wouldn’t seem to go away. I absolutely love food. But I would give it up in an attempt to look and feel better. You know what, for a short while I would be convinced that I had succeeded. I would revel in my flat stomach and skinny thighs, and wear my favorite revealing clothes with pride. I even loved the feeling of my stomach being empty, despite my body’s protests.

And then I would reach that time of the month. Or be faced with going out to dinner on a date. Or a friend or family member’s birthday. Holidays, events, whatever. I would break my starvation diet, and upon the first bite of food find myself spiralling quickly out of control. It would be like I was actually incapable of stopping myself from shoving every bit of food I could see into my mouth, no matter how much I screamed at myself to stop.

The next few days or even weeks this would continue, and I would watch my stomach, thighs and arms expand all over again while my self-confidence plummeted. My favorite jeans would feel tight, and my sexy body-hugging dresses and tops would be left lonely in the closet again.

After a couple of weeks of this, I would smack some sense into myself and make up my mind to stop this awful cycle. I wanted to fit into my clothes and feel good about myself again. Sometimes I would try to make changes to my diet, or ease myself into eating less or at least better. Every time I would end up back at the same crash diet, starving myself skinny. It went on and on and on, doing who knows how much damage to my body in the process.

It’s such a painful cycle to be stuck in. Not only is your waistline and dress size fluctuating constantly, your sense of self-worth gradually gets worn down further and further each time your weight goes back up. To make things worse, these unhealthy habits make you feel tired, headachy, and sore. This sometimes gets to the point where you are unable to function fully, and could interrupt your daily activities.

So why do people do this to themselves? It’s easy for outsiders to judge when they’ve never been there themselves. Unfortunately, even some people who have experienced it judge in an attempt to cover up their own struggle. First of all, it is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. This is your struggle, in any case. This is about YOUR relationship with YOUR body. Take charge of that relationship.

While support is so important in having a pleasant and successful health and weight loss journey, you are the only one who can truly make up your mind to do it. If you’re being spurred by a feeling of necessity because someone made a negative comment, or you want to wear your favorite skinny jeans again, you are at the start of finding the deeper motivation that is often needed to really make a change. You need to take a moment to think about the reasons for which you’d really like to lose weight.

Think about the things that got you to where you are now, are you overweight, out of shape, or just generally unhealthy? Can you pinpoint why? If you can’t right away, that’s okay. Just keep it on your mind, and don’t fall into self-deprecating thoughts and emotions. These sorts of attitudes may give you short-term motivation, but I’ve found that they consistently wear you down over time, and eventually can defeat you. If you feel that you’re unhealthy because you’ve been too lazy to go out and exercise or cut down on certain foods, don’t stop there Ð the point of this exercise is to dig deeper and find out WHY you’ve been so lazy. Why was your motivation lacking?

It may seem like a waste of time to reflect like this, and I know most people are unwilling to do it. This is unfortunate, because it does seem to really help people find the focus they need to follow through. Knowing what has prevented you from reaching your goals before will, as with anything else, help prevent them from stopping you again! You can narrow down what motivates you and what holds you back so that you know clearly what you’re working for, why you’re doing it, and what tends to hold you back. This is all invaluable information to someone changing their lifestyle.

There are a variety of ways you can do this. You can start carrying a small notepad around with you where you can brainstorm ideas as you try to pinpoint what it is that motivates you and what holds you back (this notepad may also come in handy later), for one. You could also talk about this with family and friends, just to get ideas out there and have their support at hand. You don’t need to do it any of these ways, though find what works for you. It could be going for a walk and thinking, or just reflecting for 5 minutes before bed. This is about you, so do it your way.

Remember why this is important. You don’t want to be held back anymore, and you certainly don’t want your efforts to be for nothing. Even if you don’t want to include your family or friends in your reflection, it’s a good idea to let them know that you’re planning a lifestyle change for the better, and you’d appreciate their support. You’ll maybe have to change your diet and daily routine around a bit, because you don’t want your family or friends to become alarmed, they might also want to join in your lifestyle change!

Anyway, I hope you like the website and weight loss tips, and good luck in reaching your ideal weight!

Kind Regards,

Ali