by Joan Inong

Created on: November 14, 2009

When most people hear the word "diet," they cringe. They think of diets as difficult, Herculean tasks that will require a lot of patience, persistence, time and money. In addition, the fad diets that exist today are unhealthy and probably will not give long-lasting results. So, why not try to lose weight without following a diet? Impossible, you say? Think again; a diet in moderation will have you wanting to start losing weight, naturally, now.

What is a diet in moderation?

This is a diet that does not require any special drink mixes or pre-prepared meals. You won't have to spend more than you already do on food, and you will not have to purchase a gym membership. In fact, you will only need a few, inexpensive exercise equipment that you probably already have at home.

A diet in moderation is a diet that allows you to eat what you want. The only catch is that you have to develop a sense of self control. This is the best part about this diet; you assert yourself as the controller of your own body. Think of it this way: some people who want to stop smoking cigarettes will keep a pack of cigarettes in their pocket just so that they can tempt themselves throughout the day. They measure their success by their ability to control their urge to smoke.

In a similar way, you will be able to eat whatever you want. You can have a slice of chocolate cake. You can eat buttered popcorn. You can also have a snack in between meals.

However, in order to keep eating this way, you will also need to exercise for at least one hour everyday. Half of this exercise time should be dedicated to stretching/toning exercises. These are usually accomplished by using toning bands or by doing stretches. The other half of your hour of exercise time should be dedicated to cardio workouts, including jogging or running. These will help strengthen your heart.

You will also need to keep track of the calories that you burn. Generally, you will want to burn at least 2,500 calories everyday, and sometimes more if you eat more. Adjust the amount of exercise that you do with regards to how much food you consume that day.

As you can see, when you follow a diet in moderation, you do not need to start counting calories. You just have to remember to know when to stop eating. You have to put yourself in control. And, you have to know how much exercise you should do everyday.

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