Think Thin and Healthy
By Nancy Adler
Everyone has his or her own excuses. When trying to improve their lifestyle and diet, most people do fine until something happens — whether it’s work pressure, family issues, or something else. Whatever your personal issue, the pattern needs to change if you want to be successful.
I find that the one major mental block to weight loss is wanting too much, too fast. Blame it on our instant-gratification society. Weight loss is too slow to satisfy most dieters.
Losers want immediate results. Even though it took them years to gain weight, once they decide to lose weight, they have no patience for the recommended 1-2 pounds a week.
But you’ll get the best results when you lose weight slowly. I try to remind my clients that when they lose weight too quickly, they’re often losing usually water or lean tissue, not fat.
When you lose lean tissue, metabolism slows down, making it even harder to lose weight. Scheduling a metabolic Testing session is extremely helpful . It will really help you to identify if your resting metabolic is slow or fast. This way you can have a customized eating plan that is targeted just for your body’s metabolic blueprint.
Get that overweight mentality out of your head and start thinking like a thin person.
If you want to be thin, picture yourself thin. Visualize your future self, six months to a year down the road, and think of how good you’ll look and feel without the extra pounds. Dig up old photographs of your thinner self and put them in a place as a reminder of what you are working toward. Ask yourself what you did back then that you could incorporate into your lifestyle today. I advise you to think about activities you would like to do but can’t because of your weight.
Make a list of smaller goals that will help you achieve your weight loss goals.These mini-goals should be things that will improve your lifestyle without wreaking havoc in your life, such as:
●Eating more veggies and fruits each day.
●Getting some kind of exercise at least 30 minutes a day.
●Drinking alcohol only on the weekends.
●Eating low-fat popcorn instead of chips,
●Ordering a side salad instead of french fries.
●Being able to walk up a flight of stairs without gasping for breath.
We all need support, especially during the tough times. Find a friend, family member or support group you can connect with on a regular basis. Studies show people who are connected with others, whether it’s in person or online, do better than dieters who try to go it alone.
I suggest that each night, you plan your healthy meals and fitness for the next day. Planning ahead is 80% of the battle. If you’re equipped with a detailed plan, results will follow.
Schedule your fitness like you would an appointment. Pack up dried fruits, veggies or meal replacement bars so you won’t be tempted to eat the wrong kinds of foods.
Make your health a priority by building such steps into your life, and ultimately these healthy behaviors will become a routine part of your life.
Weigh in regularly and keep journals detailing what you eat, how much you exercise, your emotions, and your weight and measurements. Studies show that keeping track of this information helps promote positive behaviors and minimize the unhealthy ones. Simply knowing that you’re tracking your food intake could help you resist that piece of cake!
Journals are a form of accountability … that help reveal which strategies are working. When you are accountable, you are less likely to have food dissociations, or be ‘asleep at the meal.
Give yourself a pat on the back with a trip to the movies, a manicure or whatever will help you feel good about your accomplishments (other than food rewards). Reward yourself after you have met one of your mini-goals or lost 5 pounds or a few inches around your waist, so you recognize your hard work and celebrate the steps you are taking to be healthier.
We all know that change is hard and it is especially difficult if you try to make too many changes, so start small and gradually make lifestyle improvements.
