Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Lasting Changes, Lasting Weight Loss

Some people think that it is hard to lose weight. According to the research, it really isn't out of reach. Most people, if they put a little effort into it, can lose weight just fine. The hard part is keeping the weight off. Why is it so hard? There are probably a lot of reasons, but I would say the biggest issue is that people do not make lifestyle changes. By that, I mean that most people make changes to lose weight and don't see those changes as permanent. Folks, you have to make permanent changes in order to permanently change your body.

So now you might be thinking that it is a little too daunting to make lifestyle changes that last forever. Don't get bogged down by the huge number of pounds you want to lose, the many things about your diet that need to change, and the time you will have to spend exercising. Start thinking about ONE thing you can do TODAY that you're pretty sure you can live with. Just keep working on that ONE thing until you feel ready to try another thing.

Yes, this process may be a little slow. Ask yourself this, "Do I want to lose a bunch of weight fast and then gain it all back 6 months later because I can't continue the radical diet and exercise, or do I want to take my time and be a new me forever?"

Don't wait for the New Year to make a resolution. New Year's resolutions were meant to be broken. If you're serious, just start now. You'll need to find the right thing for YOU to start with, but here are some ideas for getting started:

1. Walk for 15 minutes during my lunch break every day that I work.
2. Take the stairs every day at work.
3. Start wearing a pedometer at least 3 days per week and aim for 10,000 steps.
4. Start each day with a healthy breakfast.
5. Add more fruit to my diet.
6. Add more vegetables to my diet.
7. Every time I dine at a restaurant, box half of my meal before I start eating.
8. Reduce my sugary sodas, fruit juices, sports drinks by one, each day.
9. Switch to 100% whole grain bread.
10. Replace one fried meal each week with something grilled, baked, or broiled.

What are you going to change TODAY?

3 comments:

  1. This is exactly what I teach my patients and how I'm down almost 30lbs myself! Excellent advice!
    This is Nikki by the way

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  2. I really like this "little by little" approach. It adds up!
    KM

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  3. Well yesterday morning I decided I was too tired to go to the gym before work, so I reset my alarm to sleep a little longer. In my stupor, I messed up the alarm and ended up being almost 30 min late for work. It doesn't pay to decide not to go to the gym!

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