Fit like a european: how should I change my lifestyle?

Eat less.

Abandon your car and start biking everywhere.

Treat meat as a side dish, not the main course.

Eat less and work out more. Go for an hour walk each evening.

“Eat food. Not a lot. Mostly plants.” is a great summary of the book “In Defense of Food”.

I have a simple tip. Don’t eat processed food. If your food comes from a box you are doing it wrong. You can have a steak. Put the Doritos down.

Buy a Wii Fit. It’s fun and motivating and will provide a non-boring way to get you into a workout routine. It is also useful for keeping track of your weight and progress easily.

I walk a LOT. I have no car.

Never, ever use an elevator.

Drinking water instead of pop, coffee, or other calorie filled drinks is an easy way to cut some extra calories.

Finding a buddy with the same weight loss goals is also a good way to stay motivated and have a support system if you feel you are about to slip up.

Is not about the quantity. Well, not predominantly at least.
Is about the quality of the food you eat.

Even if you just eat only a cheesburger in the whole day you won’t get slimmer.

@qashqai I’m not sure if I agree with that. Weight loss equals calories in vs. calories out, so if you eat just a cheeseburger in a day, you’re not eating tooo many calories (unless it is some crazy 2,000+ calorie cheeseburger from a restaurant. But I do agree with the message about eating better quality. It will give you more energy to do the other half of the weight loss equation. Excercise.

Weight loss is about calories, or quantity. Feeling well-fed is more about quality.

Eat quality food, and take the time to savor and enjoy it. Quality food tends to please us because of its flavors and textures, which do not necessarily contribute calories. Cheap food pleases us because of its salt and fat content, which satisfies cravings, and because of its quantity.

Don’t deny yourself food that makes you happy, but go for food that makes you VERY happy instead of food that just soothes you, and make yourself work for it. There’s an incredible Italian bakery in the North End of Boston, and I let myself go there whenever I want. But by the time I get there I’ve walked about a mile and a half, and climbed at least three flights of stairs, and that offsets the cannoli I eat—especially when I then have to walk a mile and a half and climb stairs again to get home.

No more fast food, buy healthy foods at the grocery store and stick to it.
Start walking as much as possible, every single day. You’ll feel much better.

If you want to get any video game, don’t go for Wii Fit (which doesn’t really motivate you to do intense cardio, which is one of the biggest keys for weight loss. Wii Fit is fun, but it really is more of a game than exercise). Go for Ubisoft’s My Weight Loss Coach. This is not a game, it is an application (for Nintendo DS, the iPhone/iPod Touch) that encourages you to eat healthy and exercise by means of simply walking. It comes with a pedometer and sets goals for you to walk a certain number of steps a day, which increases as you continue to use it. It teaches you how to eat healthy and how to do simple things during the day to live a heathier lifestyle. It also tracks what you eat (primitively, no calorie entering) and encourages you to eat properly.

There is no diet bullshit in this game, just the core basic thought that eating good food and walking more leads you to being healthier. I highly recommend using it, I use mine every day, it’s a cute little habit sitting down each night and logging my steps. I recently took one walk that was 10,000 steps! Wowzers!

The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy option. Walking and biking as much as possible is very European.

Eat lots more fruits and vegetables without butter or sauces and walk walk walk
(I like telling you what your should do instead of what you shouldn’t do. )

I’m trying to lose weight at the moment @deepseas72 I@m into my second day of ahrdcore dieting and it’s hell…all the cravings!!!I’ve just eaten 2 raw carrots and my mouth still wants something lovely sweet and simply gorgeous…anyway it’s tea time so maybe I’ll feel better afterwards….

I’m following a kind of Mediterranean diet of sorts fused with weight watchers…because i know it works and that’s part of my problem when i start a diet… I could be your online buddy if you want some mental/emotional support..

The only way I have easily lost weight is following the Compulsive Overeaters Anonymous Plan. The first 2 weeks are hell, but if you can stick with it, the pounds drop off fairly quickly. The first month you are not allowed any grains except for 3 tablespoons of oat bran in the morning. After a month you can add in whole grains, like triscuits. The other thing is you eat as many veggies as you want and a weighed out portion of protein, an extremely limited amount of fat and 1 piece of fruit in the morning. Absolutely nothing with sugar or flour ever…like I said, it’s tough, but it works and I always feel better when I eat like this and my skin looks better. PM me if you want more info.

Do not go with any form of “diet” that forces you to remove things you crave from your diet. It’s been proven that doing this will eventually lead to a break down over the cravings and overeating those “bad” things as a result. Eat what you want, in moderation. Also make sure you keep eating all day. When you neglect eating in hopes of taking in less calories you actually cause your body to start storing fat because it’s convinced it’ll starve to death. Several small meals/snacks a day of healthy foods are your best bets. Again don’t neglect the chocolate, etc. just keep it in moderation, neglect tends to lead to cravings which lead to excess.

Good luck :)

@adreamofautumn Eating in moderation works for some people, but others can’t control that and need to elimate what triggers them, sugar, flour, etc. After you eliminate those foods you don’t crave them anymore, at least for me that’s how it works. If I have a little, I tend to over eat and want alot more.

@miasmom understandable, i’m just reiterating what has been written. For the average person removal causes cravings for quite awhile until they don’t want it anymore. It’s during those craving times that most people lost it, they don’t even manage to make it past there to not craving anymore.

quality over quanity-i hope i spelled that right but im too tired to do a spell check-i use to hear this saying and think well…“i like reese cups” and all this other brand name junk and really it was an excuse then because those things actually tasted better but now all the companies make you pay more,give you less,and they dont even taste as good, if your going to eat chocolate,at least get the good kind and savor it, you dont have to eat like it’s a race is what i’ve learned,if you eat slower at every meal,sit at a table,use a fork/spoon/knife and dont watch tv or read while your doing so you pay attention naturally and naturally eat less-thats a fact. thats what europeans do-they see eating a meal as a special moment for family,friends, and pleasure

Eat quality foods and cut out all processed foods from your diet. Buy whole grains, such as beans and oats and gradually incorporate them into your diet. Also eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables. Switch from canola oil to olive oil and coconut oil as well.

You’ll feel better, have more energy and lose weight as well.