3 Simple Ways to Get on A Path OUT of Obesity

More people in the world today are suffering from obesity than from hunger. In fact 65% of the world’s population live in a country where being overweight and being obese kills more people than people who are underweight. Obesity is becoming the fastest-growing and most troubling health problem in the world. So what can you do about it?

Here are 3 important steps to introduce lifestyle changes:

1. Start moving. Get up and walk or do some easy stretches for 10 minutes twice a day. Slowly begin to increase the time you devote to exercise so that you’re doing at least 150 minutes of movement a week. Get one of the new devices that track your steps to help you be motivated. Or get a dog that requires walking religiously! Or ask a friend or family member to "work-out" with you so you have some accountability. If you have kids, take an evening stroll with them which will enhance bonding while encouraging more physical activity (plus you're instilling positive habit patterns for them).

2. Reduce the stress. Take time out every day to quiet your mind and allow yourself to shift from thinking to just feeling and being. Enjoy a 5-minute break by closing your eyes and pay attention to your thoughts without judgment. Just let them float by.

Other ways to change your stress levels is to take a beginner yoga or qigong class, learn to meditate, take tai chi or try my free audio 3MinutestoDestress.com. (Download it to your computer or phone and listen a couple of times a day. It will help you relax your mind and encourage your body to function more optimally by reducing anxieties, fears and worries for a mental reset.)

3. Don't even think about dieting! Instead, change your habits so that you eat more healthfully. Rather than cutting calories, consider being more mindful about your food choices. Introduce more vegetables, fruits, nuts and salads into your daily regimen. Avoid processed foods and GMO-grown produce. Stick with whole foods and, if possible, locally grown. Eliminate sugar which has been shown to be eight times more addictive than cocaine and has absolutely no nutritional value. Read labels and avoid high fructose corn syrup and other sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners. Go cold turkey and get that sweet poison out of your system. Within a week, you’ll not only feel better, you'll begin to lose weight and what you eat will taste better. If you must have some sweetness, choose honey or stevia.

The last piece of advice is to recruit friends and family to support you. Get rid of toxic friends who might be “feeding” your insecurities and choose to be around people who will be encouraging and will help you adapt a new approach to well-being. You can do it and choosing to do so is extremely empowering. And that’s the biggest fact about obesity is that you have the power and potential to change it...one step at a time!