I’m sure many of you have experienced this at some point in
your weight-loss journey:
You’ve just found the solution to losing the excess weight
and keeping it off continually. You figure out what to eat on the plan charted,
buy the groceries needed to follow it, and implement the exercise regime it
recommends. You follow the program rigorously for a month and you lose some
weight. You feel better and love how your clothes fit.
Then something dreadful happens, such as the end to a
relationship, job issues, or events taking place left and right. Before you
know it, you start snacking uncontrollably. After your snack-cident, then comes
the wall of shame that leads you into a ditch of hopelessness and self-doubt. Feeling
like a failure, you ditch your nutrition regime and fall back into your old
unhealthy habits. The weight you lost soon comes back, along with a little additional.
Why does this keep occurring in your voyage?
Drawback #1: We enjoy
things that are new and exciting. It can be fun to start a new diet and
exercise routine. We get to experiment with new recipes and new workout practices.
However, once the initial enthusiasm wears off, we have a habit of getting uninterested.
Drawback #2: We also
are apt to have short attention spans. We want immediate results that don’t
require a lot of anguish on our part. Anguish isn’t always physical pain. We may feel sore after a tough workout, but
we also can get annoyed with having to avoid fries and spending the time
preparing healthy meals.
Drawback #3: If it
were possible to lose a huge quantity of weight in a short amount of time and
keep it off for the rest of our lives, none of us would be in this situation in
the first place. Continued, healthy weight loss and maintenance takes time, stamina,
and perseverance.
Here are six tips on how to develop a method that will stop
you from engaging in that unhealthy pattern and help you in the long run reach
your goals:
1. Look at the Big
Picture: Recognize the wish for originality
and meet these needs in other areas in your life before the freshness of the
diet and/or exercise routine wears off. For instance, you could try a new activity
or hobby. Also, look at the rest of your life and what realistic, maintainable
changes you need to make to meet your goals.
2. Sustain Mental
Stamina: Think of weight loss and upkeep
as a marathon rather than a dash.
3. Be Realistic with
Yourself: Accept your weaknesses.
For example, if you know that an upcoming picnic with friends and it will be
hard to stick to your meal plan, work around it by planning ahead. Ponder what
you will eat beforehand and figure out a way to avoid the sugary desserts. Remember
that being healthy is hard work and doesn’t come effortlessly and you may not
always like the process. Anticipate rough times when you are bored of your meal
plan and feel like defying or feel bitter about having to work out because you
just don’t feel like it that day.
4. Celebrate Your
Successes: We have a tendency to
prosper and succeed at goals when we are commended. Instead of giving yourself
a label like “failure,” when you go off-plan, tell yourself it is okay and
accept that you’re “a work in progress.”
5. Cultivate a Strong
Support System: Many people find
that they are more successful with long-term weight loss when they involve
others in the process. How could your significant other, family, or friends
support you in your goals? Could your share healthy meals or exercise together?
If you’re feeling like missing your working or eating something you shouldn’t,
could you call them to help you get motivated to stay on track?
