Set your weight loss goals by doing what the elephants do.
It’s the beginning of the year and everyone who has a bit of poundage to slay has made the resolution to lose weight. Will this year be the year you lose it for good? If the elephants can do it – then so can we!
According to the San Diego Union Tribune seven elephants at the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park have a total combined weight loss of 11,314 lbs. So how did they do it? They made a few small changes. The elephants gave up treats, eat several times a day instead of only three meals, and increased their fiber intake by eating more hay. Workers get the elephants to move more by scattering their food around so the animals have to search for it. Zoo personnel also implemented an exercise routine by training the animals to walk laps around their enclosure. The packed soil around their acreage is even raked to simulate jogging on soft sand. All in all, it took the elephants eight years to lose all of this weight. They started this program back in 2000.
What can we learn from this? That small changes are the way to go. Give up your treats, eat small meals often during the day, add fiber to your diet and exercise daily. While you may not see instant results, you will lose the weight and keep it off in the long run – just like the elephants did.
Fun Stuff: Watch the elephants on the Zoo-cam or adopt an elephant.