The following tips can help you achieve your desired weight loss and maintain a steady, healthy diet that's right for you.
Find a diet you can live with. Sure, you can probably lose weight by eating cabbage soup three times a day, but who can stick to such a diet for long? No matter what diet you choose, make sure it includes a variety of food. A good rule of thumb is that if you can take a client to lunch and still stick to your diet, it's one you can stay on for the long haul. This I can do, I can stick with the healthy meals, but it's the snacking that does it for me. I know I snack out of habit/boredom/stress and very rarely hunger. I need to combat the urge to snack.
Remember where you started. You know those photos you hate? The ones where you look your heaviest? Now's the time to dig them out and start thinking of them as your "before" pictures. Visualize what it'll be like when you can put your "after" pictures next to them. They are embedded in my brain!!!!!
Make a list of things you'll do when you hit your goal weight. Don't just make a list of one-liners -- get into some detail. If one of your goals is to visit old friends you've been ignoring, think about where you'll "happen" upon them, and what you'll say when they remark about how good you look. Try to add to your goal list everyday. At the very least, go over it and pick the one goal you're looking forward to the most that day. Use that image as motivation to keep going. Maybe this could be something I keep on my desk, so that when I start to think about snacking I can write down a goal instead? I don't want anyone else reading it though - hmmm.
Find a "diet buddy." Being accountable to someone else can help you through some rough spots. Hearing someone else's struggles will help you come up with suggestions for them that will help strengthen your resolve. And when you're feeling down, someone else who knows what it's like just might say the thing that gets you going again. Lorriane <3
Avoid known trouble spots. If you consistently overeat in certain situations, stay out of those situations. But you always go out with your co-workers after work on Friday? Well, if that's your downfall, you just have to decide whether "tradition" is worth your health. Look for people who want to start an after-work tradition that doesn't revolve around eating and drinking. I can't escape my desk! Need a strategy! See above!
Don't let a setback sabotage you. Everybody stumbles at some point. But the people that finally reach their goal weight are the people who pick themselves up, wipe the ice cream from their chin, and get back to their diet. Beat yourself up for about a minute and then drop it. Move on. Your goal isn't behind you -- it's right out there in front. Get going! Yep, this is me, I've failed I may as well eat a whole cake....
Make realistic goals. Your high school reunion is in six weeks (what a great place to make business contacts!) but you're not going unless you lose 45 pounds first. Well, if that's your criteria, save the stress and forget about going. If you do hit your goal, you'll regret it later when you realize that half the weight you lost was muscle, not fat, and since you can't keep up an extreme weight-loss program for the long term, the yo-yo effect will be horrible. Yes, the suggested one to two pounds a week weight loss sounds too slow, but think of it this way. At that rate you can safely lose 100 pounds by this time next year. Without suffering. I'd be happy to see even 1lb a week come off. *sigh*
BONUS TIPS
Whatever it takes -- no matter what. When you're serious about getting fit, let that be your motto. It'll be inconvenient to eat right at times, you'll want to just let go other times. But stay committed to the goal and visualize the results. Don't let anyone or anything stand in your way.
From another site:
Weight Loss 101
Sometimes we start losing weight, but we never finish. We ditch another diet. We throw in the towel on our exercise efforts. Maybe it's from outside pressure; sometimes we aren't ready to lose weight. Whatever the cause, it is not at all uncommon.
That doesn't mean you're destined for failure. Even if you've started and stopped 100 times before, this time doesn't have to end the same way.
By putting some important skills to use, you will find it a little easier to stick to your weight loss efforts than if you rely on sheer will alone.
Skill One: Reward Yourself
One of the best ways to stay motivated throughout your weight loss journey is to reward yourself with non-food rewards that you will look forward to and enjoy. It can be something tangible (a new book) or something intangible (no less important), such as a lazy Saturday of watching movies in bed. I need to think of things I can do to reward myself, they must be cheap, I can't get a day to myself or anything (Dh works weekends I work all week), ideas please! (If anyone's reading!)
By marking a goal -- say, each five pound loss -- you will begin to correlate reaching your goals with a pleasurable experience. When simply seeing the scale numbers change loses its "buzz," that special treat will keep you going.
Skill Two: Track Your Progress and Portions
Whether you keep a spreadsheet on your computer or simply jot down your stats in a notebook, keeping an eye on your progress will keep you motivated. You can track your weight, measurements, or BMI -- it is up to you. By looking back at how far you've come, you're less likely to revert to old habits.
Additionally, if you keep careful records, you will be able to catch slip-ups in your calorie counting or exercise habits that, left unchecked, could cause a major plateau or weight gain.
Careful record-keeping includes closely monitoring portion sizes -- what many say is the most important long-term weight management key. Over-doing portions of even healthier foods can mean the difference between long-term weight loss success and eventual failure. Keeping a food diary is the best way to keep on top of what you're eating. I wonder if calorie counting is an option - it caused me loads of grief as a teen and as a result I've never tried that, but I'm older and wiser now...
Skill Three: Master Emotional Eating
To achieve long-term weight loss success, you will have to come face-to-face with any emotional eating habits by asking some important questions: Do you overeat when you're angry? Do you splurge on an extra serving of dessert when you're feeling frustrated?
Being honest with yourself is the only way to get the true measure of your emotional eating triggers. Without facing them, you will always be less likely to be in control of your weight. Yep *raises hand*
Skill Four: Prepare for the Pushers
There will always be people who encourage you to go off your diet "just this once." That's not really a problem until "this once" becomes time and time again. If every time you see someone you go off the rails at their suggestion, it may mean you need to distance yourself or have a serious talk with about your weight loss efforts.
Peer pressure doesn't end when you get older; it's ever-present if your friends and family correlate enjoying time with you to eating with you. Plan non-food activities with loved ones and work hard to resist temptation when you're in an environment where food is part of the festivities. See desk comments above, this is true for me.
Skill Five: Remember, It's About Health, Too
In a Web poll, 65% of our site's visitors said they were losing weight for appearance's sake; only 35% said they were doing it for their health. To be honest, that surprised me quite a bit, considering how great an impact weight loss has on health and overall quality of life.
The thing is, your slimmer self will become your norm. The compliments about your weight loss will die down. Once you've worn that "new and improved" size for a while, the thrill of trying on the clothes in your new wardrobe will start to fade. Shopping outside a plus size store, if you're doing so for the first time, will be exciting only for so long (or until your credit cards are maxed out). So, if you ask me, it's not all about looks.
When motivation to stick to your new eating and exercise habits wanes, and a quick glance in the mirror doesn't do the trick, considering the many health risks of obesity probably will get you going. By maintaining a healthier weight, you are more likely to live a longer life with fewer medical problems. Wearing a smaller size is just the icing on the cake; a happier, healthier life is the ultimate reward. At this point in my life I am definitely thinking about the health issues. I'll be forty next year, I want to feel great in my forties.
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