Ileen Kaplan carried arround an unwanted 10 pounds for years until she started practicing one weight-loss tip that we have all been hearing for years: Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
She’s living proof that it works.
“I tried everything to get rid of those 10 pounds,” said Ileen, 49, of Elmira, New York. “I ate low-fat snacks. I worked out three times a week. I lost weight, but it always came back.” Then, after reading magazine articles that described how small lifestyle changes can produce big results, she decided to find out if little things really do count.
“I started parking the car at the far end of the parking lot instead of in the closest spot,” she says. “I used the stairs instead of elevators. I made two trips carrying the groceries instead of one.”
She didn’t even notice what was happening until her clothes got so loose that it prompted her to step onto the scale. “I couldn’t believe it—those 10 pounds were finally gone,” she says. That was more than 3 years ago. The weight has stayed off ever since.
She still works out and eats healthfully. The key to keeping off extra pounds, she says, is to take extra steps whenever possible.
“I shifted my attention from thinking about what I should or shouldn’t eat to thinking about how great I feel when I move my body,” Ileen says. “Now I see even the littlest things, like walking a quarter-mile to the supermarket, as opportunities, because they feel so good.”
WINNING ACTION
Let your feet help you achieve your goal weight
Throughout your day, look for opportunities to incorporate extra steps into your routine. If you’re expecting a lengthy phone call, take the call on a cordless phone and walk around while talking. If you use public transportation, get off a stop or two before your destination and walk the extra distance. If you need to use the rest room at work, go to another floor—and take the stairs. The possibilities are endless.
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