Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time. - Mark Twain

    習慣就是習慣，誰也不能將其扔出窗外，只能一步一步地引它下樓。 ---馬克。吐溫

    Let's be honest: Losing weight isn't the easiest thing in the world. All our best intentions end up doing nothing.

    老實說，減肥絕不是世界上最容易的事。我們最好的愿望（減肥成功）往往都會落空。

    And I've tried just about every diet plan out there, from the various low-carb diets to Weight Watchers （which isn't bad, actually） to the Abs Diet to Slim Fast to low-calorie to low-fat and more. I've tried a bunch of exercise programs too, believe me.

    我也試過基本上所有的節食計劃，從各種低碳計劃、減肥中心的計劃（實際上它的效果還行）,到Abs節食手冊、快瘦，再到低熱量的、低脂的等等等等，我都試過。我還上過各種減肥鍛煉課，真的上過。

    My weight-loss efforts these last couple of years have been hit-and-miss, as I've struggled to find something that works for me. Recently, I think I've been hitting upon some pretty simple concepts that really work, for me at least.

    幾年來，我減肥的努力總是毫無成果，我也曾費盡心力去尋找一種適合我的減肥方法。最近，我想我終于領悟到了一些減肥的基本觀念，雖然它們都很簡單，但至少在我身上是有效的。

    You might have read the Zen Habits Meal Plan, which is actually a pretty good plan. But let me take some of those concepts and simplify them a little more, for some （almost） easy ways to beat your weight-loss struggles. These are mostly the same concepts, but I'm reporting what has been working for me as I experiment with the meal plan.

    也許你看過《Zen Habits食譜》--它確實是一本不錯的書。但我還是想用我領悟到的觀念把它簡化一下，這樣能讓你在減肥的時候少做些掙扎。這些觀念大多是相似的，但是我會用我親身體驗這個食譜的感受，來說明一下它們都是怎么樣在我身上起作用的。

    Let me be honest again: even with the concepts below, weight loss isn't going to be easy. But at least these tools will make it a little easier, a little simpler, and they really do work.

    不過還是有句忠告：就算是知道了下面這些觀念，你的減肥之路也不會變得多輕松。但至少了解這些可以讓這個過程變得輕松一點點、簡單一點點，更何況它們真的是很有效。

    I've lost 15 pounds in the last few months, which isn't rapid weight loss but is actually a very healthy rate of loss. I recommend gradual weight loss for everyone. At the rate I'm going, you can lose 50 pounds a year. I don't need to lose 50 pounds anymore （I did at one time, but only have about 20 pounds to go）, but after I lose the rest of the unwanted bodyfat, I'm going to focus more on building a little muscle （something I'm actually doing now but it's not my main focus）.

    過去幾個月里，我一共減了15磅，減得不算快，但是確實不會傷身體。我希望所有人都能循序漸進地減肥。以我減肥的速度，你一年里能減掉50磅。我現在是沒有必要再減50磅了（以前倒是真的有過，不過那個時候再減20磅就可以了）,不過當我把多余的肥肉減掉以后，我就會去更多地去鍛煉我的肌肉（這是我現在正在做的，但絕不是我的主要工作）.

    Never eat more than you can lift. - Miss Piggy

    永遠不要吃到讓你都走不動。 --佩吉小姐

    1. Focus on gradual loss.

    I mentioned this above, but it's important. Too many people focus on trying to lose weight fast - 10 pounds in 4 weeks, 20 pounds in 2 months, etc. It's not healthy, and it doesn't work, because even if you are able to lose that much weight that fast, you haven't learned sustainable eating habits that will last you a lifetime. The key is to figure out an eating pattern than will work for you for the rest of your life. Again, if you focus on losing 1-2 pounds per week, you will lose between 50-100 pounds per year. You just have to be willing to wait a year, but trust me, a year goes by pretty fast these days （I think it's inflation or something）.

    1. 循序漸進地減少體重。

    前面我提到過這一點，那是因為它太重要了。太多的人都追求快速減肥--4周減 10磅，2個月減20磅，等等。這樣做不僅不健康，而且沒有太大的作用，因為即使你能夠很快地減掉那么多體重，你也沒有學會可以受用終生的可持續的飲食習慣。所以，關鍵是能找到一種飲食方式，能讓你在你以后的生活中一直受益。再說一次，如果你能認真地花一周時間減掉1-2磅，那你一年之內就能減掉50- 100磅。你只需要花一年的時間來等待結果，但是相信我，現在的一年過得是很快的（我想是通貨膨脹或者其它的原因吧）.

    2. Focus on nutrition.

    Exercise is important. You have to do it. It has wonderful benefits. But if your focus is on weight loss, the most important factor is what you eat. Don't ignore exercise, by any means, but if you focus on exercise and think you can eat whatever you want, you're wrong. You have to focus on nutrition （what you eat） and use exercise as a way to supplement the calorie burn and to get your body looking how you want it to look （not to mention as a key way to get healthy and feel great）.

    2.注重營養攝入。

    鍛煉很重要，你一定要鍛煉，它會讓你受益很多。但是如果你的重點是減肥，最重要的因素就是你的飲食。無論如何不要忽視鍛煉，但如果你只是鍛煉，而且認為你可以想吃什么就吃什么，那你就大錯特錯了。你一定要注重營養攝入（或者說你的飲食）,然后把鍛煉當作輔助熱量燃燒的手段，從而讓你的體形朝著你希望的樣子發展（更不用說它還能讓你健康、使你感覺舒暢）.

    The reason: you can change how many calories you take in to a much greater degree than you can change how many calories you burn. Thirty minutes of exercise, for example, can burn less than a medium McDonald's fries. Lose the fries, and you've done in a few seconds what would take 30 minutes of exercise to accomplish.

    原因：你最大限度地轉換攝入熱量的程度，遠比你轉換熱量的數量重要得多。打比方說，鍛煉三十分鐘能轉換掉相當于一個中號麥當勞炸雞的熱量。忍住不要吃炸雞，你只花幾秒鐘的時間，就能起到鍛煉三十分鐘的效果。

    3. Become aware of your hunger.

    This is one of the key things I've been learning. Many times we are not conscious of how hungry we are. We ignore our bodies because we're too busy thinking about other things. As a result, we only eat when we're famished, and that's not a good time to eat, because you don't make healthy eating decisions when you're super hungry. Your blood-sugar level is too low, and your body just wants a quick sugar fix - a donut or some cookies or white bread or a Coke will be much more appealing than a salad or healthy sandwich on whole grain bread.

    3.關注你的饑餓程度。

    這也是我領悟到的關鍵之一。很多時候，我們不知道我們有多餓，因為我們太忙了，顧不上關心自己的身體。結果，只有到了餓極了的時候，我們才去吃東西。而這個時候不適合進食，因為當你極度饑餓的時候，你就不會健康地進食。你的血糖水平很低了，所以需要快速地補充糖分--這個時候，面包圈、餅干、白面包或者可口可樂鐵定比沙拉或者全麥面包做的三明治更吸引你。

    Learn to listen to your body, and be aware of your hunger when it's in its early stages. This is a key skill to weight loss, something the other plans don't tell you about. They tell you what to eat and when, but don't teach you how to use your body's signals to learn to eat healthier.

    試著關注你的身體，在剛開始餓的時候就感知到它。這是減肥的一個重要技巧，一般在別的方法中都不會提到。它們會告訴你吃什么、什么時候吃，但是不會教你去感知身體的信號，從而吃得更健康。

    4. Eat when you're hungry, not famished.

    When you first feel the hunger, that's when to eat. Don't put it off until the hunger builds into an insatiable monster. When you start to get a little hungry, eat a snack. You don't need to eat a full-on meal … just some fruit, some crackers, maybe some low-fat dairy （cheese or yogurt or cottage cheese - although I prefer soy yogurt）, oatmeal, some nuts, dried fruit, etc. Just something to tide you over until you feel hungry again, or until you can eat a bigger meal. Keep healthy snacks at your desk or in your car or wherever you go. I like to pack some in the morning.

    4.覺得有點兒餓的時候就吃，不要等到餓極了再吃。

    你剛一覺得餓的時候，就是該去吃東西的時候。不要拖延到饑不擇食的時候再去吃。當你有點兒餓的時候，就吃點零嘴。你不必非去吃一餐飯--只吃點水果、零食，或者低脂的乳酪（干酪、酸奶酪或者軟白干酪都行--我喜歡吃大豆酸奶酪）、燕麥粥、堅果或者果脯什么的。只要能撐到你再次覺得餓或者撐到正餐的時候就行。放一些健康的零食在你的桌子上、車里，或者任何你在的地方。我自己的話，每天早上都會包一包帶著。

    The corollary to this is to also allow yourself to eat what you crave. I know this is contrary to most advice, but I've found that it's important to listen to your body … not only when your body is hungry, but when your body is craving a specific food. I've also found that often your body just wants a taste of that food （see No. 13 below） and if you give your body what it wants, and really pay attention to the taste and texture of the food and how you feel after you eat it, you will probably crave that food less and less.

    也就是說，你可以想吃什么就吃什么。我知道這和大多數的建議都相反，但是我發現聽你身體的沒錯……不只是你餓了的時候要吃，就是在你很想吃什么東西的時候，也要吃。我還發現，通常你只是想吃那個東西的味道（見下面的第13條）,要是你滿足了自己的愿望，細細地去品它的味道、它的口感，享受那種吃后的感覺，你對這種食物的渴望就會越來越淡。

    5. Learn to eat until satiated.

    Again, pay attention to your body as you eat. If you eat mindlessly, you will most likely overeat. You'll just keep cramming food into yourself until you've eaten too much. We've all felt the pain of being overstuffed. Don't allow that to happen - be mindful of your eating, and of your hunger.

    5.吃到滿足為止。

    再說一次，吃東西的時候，留意一下你身體的感覺。你要是盲目地吃，很可能會吃得過多。你只是在不停地往嘴里填東西，直到你吃得胃脹。胃脹的痛苦我們都知道。不要只是為了吃而吃--吃的時候想想自己是在怎么吃，吃得有多飽了。

    A good habit to build is to eat slowly … and take pauses, so you can think about whether you're really still hungry … and drink lots of water during those pauses. This style of eating will allow you to stop eating when you're satiated （when your hunger is satisfied, not when you're stuffed） and allow you to be satiated by eating less. It's not easy at first, but once you've practiced it for a week or two, it will make a huge difference in the amount you eat.

    要養成細嚼慢咽的習慣--吃一吃再停一停，這樣你就能想一下是不是還覺得餓--同時多多地喝水。這樣吃飯就能讓你在覺得滿足的時候，停止繼續吃下去（這里是指當你饑餓感得到滿足的時候，而不是當你吃到撐的時候）,這樣吃飯還能讓你吃得更少但覺得滿足。我知道這不是一件簡單的事，但一旦你試著這樣做了一到兩周以后，你的飯量就會有一個很大的變化。

    Another thing: before you go back for seconds, stop and take a break for a few minutes. Drink some water, talk to somebody, ready, go do something, clean the kitchen a little. Whatever it takes. Often you'll find that you really didn't need the seconds. And then you've saved yourself a few hundred calories.

    還有，在你第二次回去吃飯之前，停下來幾分鐘，喝點水，和別人說說話，或者去做點別的什么事情，比如把廚房清理一下--不管做什么都行。通常情況下，你會發現你不會再想繼續吃飯了。這么一來，你就又少攝入了幾百卡的熱量。