Fun ways to lose weight (no, really!)

Losing weight is rarely described as fun. Painful. Burdensome. Frustrating. Those are words that are usually describing trying to lose weight. It is the process that usually gets people, not the results. But hey, the results often get people down too. Quite often these words of frustration put weight loss on the back burner while you eat a bowl of fudge ice cream to calm the emotions.

Now I hate to say that it is all about losing weight. The general key to overall health is to find your healthy weight. But in our country many are in the overweight category. So what is the big deal? Who does not like a little extra dough? Being overweight is more about just pant size. Did you know that health care costs can skyrocket for those who are overweight? You see, there are many negative effects to your health when you are overweight that can increase frequency of doctor’s visits and an increase of preventable health problems like hypertension, heart and joint problems and cholesterol increases.

And what if I told you that you could get a cheap health insurance quote by being healthy without any preexisting conditions? Yes, my friend. It is all true.

But the best part about this is there are some fun ways to lose weight and stop losing your money to increasing health care costs. Here are some simple AND fun ways to lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight.

  • Learn how to cook. This may seem counterproductive that learning how to cook would help you lose weight, but hear me out. If you truly get into cooking and understanding food, it gives you a different perspective on what you are eating. If you knew what was exactly in a Twinkie, it might make people think twice about what they eat. (No offense, Twinkies. You have a time and a place.) Learning how to cook from scratch lets you replace unhealthy fats for other flavorful food. In essence, knowledge is power. And it gives you the power to make the right choices. And cooking is fun. Nothing can describe the satisfaction of creating a delicious meal from scratch. Good for you body and good for the mind.
  • Take ballroom dance lessons. This one is two fold. Not only is this activity a killer workout, but it can help you in the romance department. (Hey, every lady loves a man that can dance.) Ballroom dancing has become a magnet to those looking to get killer bodies, or those who are looking to get healthy. Just watch last season of “Dancing with the Stars” and you can watch the weight melt of former big girl, Kirstie Alley. She and hoards of other celebrities on the show are crediting the ballroom dancing for their svelte figures. Granted you will not be dancing 8 hours a day, but the extra work out will help. AND, the big plus- it is FUN. Not ready to take a partner? Grab your friends and make fools of yourselves at a Zumba class. You will burn double the calories just from laughing so hard.