Changing Behaviors for Successful Weight Loss
Everyone initially declares they want to lose their weight fast. Realize your motivation and behavior needs to be in line with your goals. Dietary regimes aimed at your pace for weight loss must be aligned to the appropriate diet plan, but the problem is in adopting the new eating plan. Old habits die hard as the saying goes and never more noticed as with food choices. Craving all subside when given adequate time allowance coupled with building up the body as a whole; nutritionally to promote balance.
The best diet plan in the world will not be of benefit if you do not make a concerted effort to start eating healthy nutritious foods as opposed to comfort foods and giving in to cravings.
Basic Steps to Increase Success in Losing Weight
1. Keep a food journal, recording daily what you eat, supplements taken and how much you exercised.
Getting started and making a commitment is the hardest part of change. Once you make your mind up to do something, for many individuals it’s a done deal. The point is to have an honest intent to ride out the adjustments in your daily routine until the new one becomes comfortable. After a few weeks or less, new habits are formed and by now the body welcomes these changes and wants them to continue. As the body becomes stronger and functions improve, so to will your attitude and desire to achieve your goals; mainly because it is becoming easier and most importantly, you recognize how much better you feel. More energy, less pain, and health issues are improving.
2. Routines and habits may need to be altered. A few years ago I did a fast for a week where I did not eat any solid food only fresh juices. I discovered that eating was really a habit. I wasn’t hungry but at certain times in the day it was time to eat or something to do. Eat only when you desire the plainest of foods. Watch out for social events and feeling that you need to go along with the crowd. Remain confident and your friends will admire your resolve as will you.
Evening seems to be the hardest for people wanting to snack. Air popped corn is a freebie but only if you are not on a restricted diet for gut complaints. A small amount of plain yogurt with some berries is a healthy choice that promotes health. Non sweet fruit is allowed and raw veggies. Drink herbal teas that relax and get you ready for a good nights sleep. They also help curb cravings. Examples include Valerian, St. John’s Wort, Skullcap, Camomile and Lemon Balm. It is best to try and replace certain habits with non fattening ones. Choose a cookie that is suitable for a diabetic or any non sweet version that lets you have your snack with tea or coffee. Puffed brown rice products are filling and very low in calories. The idea is not to suppress entirely but to substitute; otherwise you may become very unhappy until a new routine has taken hold.
3. Learn to eat for the enjoyment and the nutrition that is in your meal. For instance, many times my husband will exclaim happily, “Lots of veggies” which means there is probably 6 or more in the dish. This does not include a salad. He has learned to eat healthy and becomes excited when the meal includes a wide variety of ingredients. The good news is the body assists you in this process. It wants the good and it wants an abundance of nutrients. Make no mistake the body is brilliant!
Eat more slowly, chew your food, eat at the table, eat with the family and don’t talk and eat at the same time. Most of us have been told this since we were young. Change the way you eat. Make the meal time special. Be grateful for the abundance before you. Don’t watch TV or work on the computer or read during the meal. Observe the healthy lovingly prepared meal before you and notice all the special qualities and nutrients in the food. Be proud of how well you are feeding yourself and your family. Take the time to taste and savior your meal.
4. Reward yourself for successful weight loss or at least pat yourself on the back. You should be really proud of yourself for making the necessary changes in your life that bring you back to the more vibrant you. Mark the occasion in some small way by either going out or buying yourself something. Think of how we felt back in school when we use to get gold stars for achievement. Make a note on your food journal where you were really proud of your dietary intake that day – or the week that you lost the amount of weight you were hoping for.
Maintaining your weight loss is something to be even more excited over. You have conquered what you set out to do. Remember what it took you to decide to change your lifestyle and why.
5. Be positive about your life and the changes you’re making. Do not beat yourself up over a weak moment where you ate something you shouldn’t have or didn’t achieve your goal for that week. Guilt is a useless emotion. Avoid feeling sorry for yourself that you are not like the chosen few that can eat anything they want and not gain weight. Realize that most of these people do change as they age and can’t eat everything they desire without gaining weight. And they are also accustomed to eating a certain amount without gorging themselves. So it comes down to the mass of the population that are not skinny and the reasons for this. How and why a person has the excess weight they currently want to shed, does not need to be explained. The reason for the change is what matters and all the benefits that will follow.
Emotions and Thoughts Affect Everything in Our Life
Negative feelings never serve us – no matter what they are about. The emotions attached to these feelings will draw circumstances and events to match whatever you are putting out. Therefore the opposite is true. By maintaining a positive outlook and not allowing old dramas and hurts to preoccupy your thoughts, you will attract happy feelings, luck and people who have these positive qualities. This is another new habit to create that will benefit you forever in all areas of your life. Once thought to be esoteric has now been proven with science. Our brains are the strongest transmitters on the planet and can affect matter. Numerous studies were done demonstrating how just our thoughts could change water. Using loving thoughts produced beautiful crystals and hate thoughts changed the water to a murky consistency. Your body is 70 % water so imagine what your thoughts are setting you up for.
Find good things to say about yourself and all the many positive attributes you possess. Avoid negative people and events. Keep your short goals in sight and the long term ones will take care of themselves. Consider two pounds a week and where you will be after 6 to 12 months. If you lose too quickly the body and tissue cannot adjust and will surly hold onto what you eat when returning to eating more calories.
Habits May Need to Be Replaced to Help with Compliance
As much as we may think or have been told, not everything in life centers around food. Food is eaten for sustenance so we can go about our life doing all the tasks we set out for ourselves. Some of these will be immensely pleasurable while others are obligatory. Eating food should not become an occurrence that takes up a great deal of time. In other words, eating every hour or two is not required for body maintenance. This statement does not reflect those who are eating healthy and very light every couple of hours for healing or changing body composition for sports related activities. This is about eating far more than the body can utilize – calorie input and output.
Habit Association
Certain activities like watching TV and eating junk food with beer or pop would be an example of required change. You may have eaten a wonderful diet throughout the day and yet this would sabotage your goals. It would most certainly slow them down. After an evening meal it is an especially good time to take a walk or do some light exercise to pick up the metabolism. Movement will help burn more calories, than would otherwise be stored from hours of inactivity. Avoid alcoholic beverages as noted above with meals when wanting optimum weight loss.
Take up a new activity or an old one that you enjoyed. The social aspect is one the best perks. Being around people having fun helps any endeavor. Try going to events like a baseball game, a play, concert or a ballet. Go roller-skating, take walks or hikes. Swimming is a year round sport that is available to most communities as is playing tennis or racket ball with a friend. Another activity that could be humbling and rewarding is to volunteer your time. It could be once a month or once a week.
Weight Loss Maintenance
Be prudent of the fact that you are now making change in accordance with your new priorities. Upon reaching the weight that is natural for you, the calories required for this new weight will be less than when you were overweight. Maintain certain health promoting supplements that are not routinely in your diet. Always consider the appetite center is only being triggered when it is looking for something that the body needs for functioning and restoration.
If you find yourself gaining a bit a weight such as 3 extra pounds – take if off before it escalates. It is easy to reduce a few pounds. In many cases it could be done in one week. But if you wait until you start hitting 10 pounds and so on, you may start to feel overwhelmed and not in a positive space. You will be upset with yourself for gaining the weight and may start adopting a defeatist attitude. Pay attention to this occurrence and do not undo all the incredible work and achievement you have brought to yourself. Food is not worth it. I have yet to speak to someone who feels great for eating something they know is not for their highest good.
After a protracted period of time, control is not the issue it once was. You have spent weeks and months eating in a way that serves your whole being. You have raised your consciousness in the way of energy output and in your future desires and goals. Eat a wide variety of foods that complement your traditional cuisines keeping in mind healthy food choices. Try other styles of cooking to entice your palette and promote interest in cooking well but more diversified. The fun part is the new clothes to show off the renewed you.
* Refer to the Previous 2 Posts for Complete Theme
Best Tips for Staying At the Right Weight (1 of 3)
Best Tips for Staying At the Right Weight (2 of 3)
Best Tips for Staying At the Right Weight (3 of 3)
Copyright © 2016 – All Rights Reserved – Michelle Honda Ph.D.
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While close attention was given to the accuracy of information in this article, the author accepts neither responsibility nor liability to any person with respect to injury, damage, loss or any circumstances involving alleged causes directly or indirectly related to the information in this article. The sole purpose is to educate and broaden ones awareness. This information is not meant to replace medical advice or services provided by a health care professional.
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