Weight loss methods, programs, and packages are available in plenty. There are many fad diets, products that help with quick weight loss, and success stories of different people. But one should understand that these things by themselves do not make people lose weight. The most fundamental thing is strict adherence to the program born out of dedication and will power. A conscious effort should be made for a long-term weight loss schedule and it has to be sustained. This involves a change in lifestyle and health habits.
Ways to Show the World YOU CAN!
People who wish to lose their weight need to consider these points:
Make a Commitment: A long-term program requires a clear focus of the goal and a strong commitment to achieving it as it takes both mental and physical strength to remain committed.
Be Intrinsically Motivated: You need to have an inner motivation to take up a weight loss program. You can’t employ anybody else to do it for you, can you? Make a list of things and schedules you need to carry out in any situation. You can even seek the support of a motivator (could be your spouse or friend), who can check on you. The support can even be a short note stuck in places that you are not likely to miss.
Set Yourself a Goal: Setting realistic weight loss goals helps in monitoring the goals better. The goal should be a statement of the process, the time limit, and the outcome. The process throws light on the execution and the outcome explains the final result. For example “I will lose a minimum of 1 kg by exercising regularly within a month from today.” Goals that are smart can be summed up in the acronym SMART which stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Goals that are all of these have the power to succeed.
Start Small: Begin with making small changes in your habits. Pay attention to portion size and a restricted helping of food. Keep introducing changes every day. Instead of focusing on cutting down unhealthy foods, focus on adding healthy choices of food to your diet.
Create Support Network: Studies reveal that social support network accelerates success, particularly for women. A group of friends together can embark on a weight loss regimen and check on each others’ progress and give moral support to those who are lagging behind. This method tends to give much greater success than when you are in the struggle alone. Think of the goodness in the program and enjoy the tough tasks together.
Reach out for Healthier Foods: Always select healthier alternatives. Initial efforts may be hard and unsatisfying. Nevertheless, stick to your mission. Strive hard to include a variety of foods without sacrificing taste, health, and nutrition.
Be Active: While dieting and exercise together contribute to weight loss, the latter adds more benefits. They keep you in good stead, strengthen your cardiovascular system, and streamline your blood pressure. Studies prove that people who exercise regularly are able to sustain their weight loss goals over a longer period of time. If you cannot get into a formal exercise regimen on a regular basis, increase your physical activities to burn more calories, all in a day’s routine. For example, going up the stairs without opting for elevators, getting up and walking around during the commercial breaks while watching your favorite TV shows, cycling instead of driving, and taking up a few household chores on yourself could prove useful.
Avoid Excuses: Planning and perseverance are necessary to stay on target. Do not feel ‘helpless’. Persevere hard to make the best use of situations. When you are expecting an office party, getting the menu in advance can help you plan and select the healthier options from those. Be resolved to say a firm ‘no’ to things that come in the way of your dieting mission.
Forgive Yourself If You Go Off-track: Once in a while if you happen to go off-track on your weight loss regimen, learn to forgive yourself and not feel guilty about it. You need to just stick to your schedule and go on. If not, the guilt and depression may completely stop you in your tracks. Very often, it is this depressed state of mind that becomes detrimental to your success. A guilt-free mindset helps you get back to your groove in a focused way much faster.
Change Perspective: A changed outlook, which involves looking at our life in a different perspective altogether, will help us change our lifestyle and establish good food habits. Many of the lifestyle activities and the kind of foods that we are used to are not deliberate choices we have made. Most of them were passed on to us from our childhood or the result of the influence of people and situations. Let us review our personal challenges of our weight loss mission to make suitable changes.
A commitment means a promise that we make to ourselves. Keeping up these promises is the foundation for achieving our weight loss goals too. Improving our health recharges our battery and consequently develops a sense of “I CAN” in us. Small health investments can go a long way in building a healthier future.