How many times now have you promised yourself you are going to slim down and shape up? Actually, many of you probably did start on that diet, lost a few pounds then started to backslide a little – after all, the food choices were so boring – and then you got your second resolve that you were going to make this work. So back on the diet you went and slowly but surely you did lose a few more of those stubborn pounds but your heart’s desire is just no longer in it.
So what happens next? You end up quitting and go right back to your normal eating habits and in no time at all you are right back at the old weight again. Often you may even notice, you have actually gained even a few more pounds.
So what happened – where did you go wrong? Stop and think about this. You have spent your entire life following a consistent plan of eating habits and all you did was gain weight. What makes you think when you go back to it again, why assume old habits are going to elicit any different outcome?
Starting A New Pattern Of Behavior For Success
Ask any doctor how many of his patients actually lost a lot of weight and kept it off all on just willpower alone. The percentages are so low you don’t even need all the fingers on one hand to check it off. Research has determined willpower alone has less than a 3% chance of showing a successful completion rate after 5 years. Using willpower as your sole means of support generally leads to feelings of deprivation (people tend to pick and choose items they think of as “skinny foods”). Eventually, boredom leads to binging and all their good intentions have been blown right out of the equation.
So what’s the magic ingredient that makes a successful diet work? Simply, it is learning to break bad habits and to conform to a new healthy life-long eating plan. All of this comes down to nothing more than a few changes in behavior. Sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But for most people, believe me, it’s not.
Incorporating New Behavior Patterns Into Your Life
Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight starts with a new set of instructions, not just great intentions. Spend some time teaching and training yourself and your body some new daily habits. In the end, you will have trained your body to accept those habits, thus realizing your goals can be successfully reached. Here is some important tips to get you start.
Clear away all of the junk foods in your environment. This includes your house, your car, your desk or office at work and any of your other normal daily stops.
Make some new friends. Stop spending all of your time with the old group if all you ever do is sit around and watch TV or the movies, talk, hang out at a “local hot spot” and gorge yourself on food, beer or soda, ribs, wings, cheese curls or chips.
Add a few new activities to your daily life. You could join a local sports team – whether it is coaching or as a player, a bowling league, camping or hiking club, dance troupe, golf club or just anything wherever your interests lie. Other than achieving a whole new group of friends, you automatically receive the benefit of exercise without the feelings of hopelessness and boredom common to a structured exercise program.
Adopt a new family member – add a dog to the family if you are responsible enough to handle the care of another living being. Other than unconditional love and companionship from your new best friend, you can be proud to know you have saved a life from the local pound or animal rescue organization. Your new dog will reward you with another form of exercise, grab the leash and go for a daily walk. Keep a log of the days and times the two of you have spent together and don’t be too surprised if you eventually realize your time with the two of you is some of the best times in your life.
Keeping a food log or journal is another “must do” for the first two weeks so you can learn your normal daily routines. Most people are surprised when they start one as you unconsciously all day long grab a small bite here and another drink there. All of these cans of soda, cups of sweetened tea or coffee, the 2 or 3 bites which are your samplers as you are cooking, the snacks while you watch the game, a candy bar from the servomation machine at work and on and on. Every single time you put anything into your mouth, it must be logged with what it is, how much and what time. This log of foods and liquids is then used to identify where your strengths and weaknesses are. This will give you a better idea of what your goals need to be for success.
Set realistic goals for yourself. How old are you now? Just think, it took you that many years to get into the condition you are now in so be realistic and remember it is going to take more time than a few days, weeks or months to get it all back off. Realistic goals for exercise and food intake will ultimately let you realize your goals.
So just by setting yourself up a good strong consistent schedule of goals – remember, you don’t need to lose 150 lbs, you need to lose 10 lbs.. When those 10 are gone, set up a new goal for maybe 15 more lbs.. As you reach every one of your goals, reward yourself, just not with food. Buy yourself a new book, a massage or a trip to a day spa, pick up tickets to a local attraction you have wanted to see. Just pick something that is a reward for you. Each and every little achievement is just one piece of the whole puzzle. But with time and a few behavioral changes, you will soon see losing weight and keeping it off no longer has to be just a dream.