7 tips for setting your new year’s weight loss resolutions

One more year is coming to a close, the pads come out and the resolutions begin. January is actually the busiest time in the fitness and gym industry. February and March are probably the quietest with most people having given up on the weight loss and fitness effort…well until the bikini time comes around again. Setting New Year’s weight loss resolutions is no different than setting other goals. Your goals need to S.M.A.R.T, in other words: Simple-Measurable-Achievable-Realistic-Timely, but most importantly you need to have the desire and willpower to work hard towards your targets. In this article we share 7 tips for setting your New Year’s resolutions in such a way so they are achievable and realistic.

1. Set life goals

Instead of making a resolution list of the things you want to do make a list of the things you want to have and/or achieve in your life. For example a resolution list of the things you want to do could look like this:

Resolution List 2012

1. Lose weight

2. Join the gym

3. Change my job

Instead think ‘what do I want to have in my life’? For example:

Life Resolution List 2012

1. Look good and feel healthier

2. Be happier in my job

3. Be less stressed

Then think how you can achieve each one of them. Weight loss and exercise can then be a process of achieving to look good and feel healthier but is not the end to all means. In addition, there are other ways to achieve your goal such as eat healthier, or cut down on takeaways and sweets.

If you just concentrate on losing weight you will join the gym and get the next diet regime in the hype of the times. Then you will soon lose sight of why you are torturing and depriving yourself from food. No surprise most gym memberships are sold in January to never be used again by February with maybe small exceptions when preparing for the bikini season.

2. Compare your list with last years

What did your resolution list look like last year? Do you automatically list the obvious things which are expected to be in your list? For example I used to be a smoker and for about 10 years in the top of my list was I will cut smoking. Smoking was bad for me and I knew I had to give up so every year I expected myself to try and stop smoking and then feel depressed as I had failed myself.

In addition think why you didn’t follow your last year’s resolutions. Did something affect you? Did something change? Finding the reasons why you didn’t do what you wanted last year it may be a way to help you avoid the same mistakes or help you plan for this year.

3. Be realistic

Christmas and New Year can be emotionally charged times. The end of an era and the beginning of a new one it can make us make decisions based on emotions and not reality.  Don’t forget to also ask yourself if you are realistic in what you want. My resolution could well be finding a gold bucket at the end of a rainbow but no matter what I do it may not quite reach fruition.

4. Get off the diet wagon.

Another problem with concentrating with dieting is that you are likely to grab the next diet regime, book etc that looks good. Does it work? You may lose some weight in a few weeks but you will have to stop dieting at some point and then what? Have a break until the next diet or is it that you never stopped.

The weight loss industry is a very lucrative business and it does bank on the fact that you are looking for quick solution. I will go back to my first point which says make life goals and not a dieting commitment. Therefore, weight loss would be part of the life changes you want. Undoubtedly not everybody can do it by themselves, however try to pick that weight loss solution which will help you to learn about healthy eating, give you tips for your everyday life and support in what you are trying to achieve.      

5. Get support

Studies have actually shown that people who have support tend to lose more weight and adhere to diet regimes. Support which comes from your immediate family environment is always the best. However, if for any reason you can’t make that work support could come from friends, weight loss buddies, and even weight loss clubs and online weight loss services.

There are plenty of choices out there so you can find the one that works for you.

6. Move everyday

Physical activity and exercise is a bonus for your health and weight management. Make a pledge to move every day. You don’t have to necessarily pay big monthly subscriptions to a gym. Make a pledge to move a little bit every day.

Go for a walk, or run in the park, go shopping and walk around the shops, have a spring clean, play a game with the kids, have a swim and so on. All you need is commitment and imagination.

7. Start living

Once you set your life goals and resolutions all you have to do is start living. This is my new year’s mojo. Stop dieting and start living. I am sure I’m not the only one who says that but I am loving it.

How to lose pregnancy weight?

We got the following question from a reader: How can I lose my post pregnancy weight? I gained 50 lbs during pregnancy and gone through a miscarriage. I want to lose my tummy fat but not my girls and need some tips to stay motivated.

Firstly with a pregnancy is natural to put on weight and some of it to be extra fat. Extra fat stored can be up to 2kg in a full term pregnancy (without overeating). The body stores the extra fat to make sure that there is adequate energy for the mother and the fetus. Due to the hormonal changes which take place and all the processes of a pregnancy there would be changes in your breasts and rest of your body such as water retention. Going through a miscarriage can be hard both emotionally and physically. I don’t know how long ago you had the miscarriage but if it was recent you will find that your body is still recuperating and recovering from it.

You mention that you would like to lose weight from your tummy but not from your ‘girls’. In very simple words breasts consist of glands, fibrous tissue and fat. Weight pregnancy and hormonal changes are amongst factors which influence their size. An increase in the size of your ‘girls’ could be a combination of those factors. With losing weight you will lose fat tissue from your girls, unfortunately there is not a way by which you can stop fat from being lost from a specific place. However, as some of the changes may be due to hormonal changes that have taken place in your body due to pregnancy and miscarriage, it may mean that they may keep to a larger size. There are some exercises you can do to condition the ‘chest’ muscles which can slightly give the impression of fuller breasts and also help to keep the ‘girls’ from going south. Moreover, some studies do suggest that the belly area is usually the first place to lose the fat.

Secondly, I would recommend you deal with ‘emotional eating’ as part of your attempt to lose weight. By following just a weight loss diet you may lose weight, but unless you tackle the root of your weight gain or you’re eating behavior, the cycle will keep on happening.

My first suggestion is to allow yourself to heal and recover from the miscarriage both emotionally and physically. Counseling or going in a support group can help to deal with the loss and the emotions of a miscarriage. You may have done this already, or you may have been offered the support you needed to get through the situation. As I am not aware if you have I am including it in my suggestions.

In terms of Weight loss Motivation

This is probably the point in which most people struggle. Regardless to what some diets may promise weight loss does not happen in the speed of light and is not easy. Understandably a lot of people get bored of monotonous diets, may not see radical results fast or lose momentum all together. What can you do?

1. Be realistic and prepared. Even if you starve yourself in the 1^st week you may lose some fat but it will mostly be water, glycogen (sugar store) and some protein. Also if you starve yourself your metabolism will slow down and your weight loss will decrease. Set you weight loss goals in a realistic level. In the 1^st week you may see some results but they may not be huge and you haven’t lost a great deal of fat. The body takes around 2 weeks to adapt fully to changes. Aim for 0.5 – 1kg max of weight loss per week.

If you start a weight loss plan expecting fast miracles or setting your targets too high you will be setting up yourself to fail.

2. Be positive. Start a weight loss plan thinking that you can do this. If you are starting thinking that I cannot keep my motivation and I will struggle then you will struggle as you have set your mind on that tune already.

3. Do you really want to lose weight and why? Have a long thought and debate with yourself if you really want to lose weight and the reasons why. Right those reasons down in a piece of paper. When in doubt read what you written to remind yourself why you are doing it. It will help you be strict with yourself as well.

4. Keep your diet varied. Don’t deprive yourself or go hungry. You can still have a treat or have interesting meals and lose weight. Some specific diets do offer variability. You could use ideas from such diets in terms of menus or as a basis. Such diets are the 17 day diet and the Dukan diet (see also quick weight loss diets). I would not recommend following a very low carbohydrate diet and very high protein at the level these diets recommend. However, they do consist of different phases and in some ways breaking a weight loss plan in small chunks can help with boredom and luck of motivation. You can take the principles and some menu ideas from the diets and adapt it according to what suits you.

See also: Weight loss motivation

In terms of Diet and Exercise

Aim for a higher protein – lower carb diet. An example of such diet is the zone diet or a modified Mediterranean diet. I find the ‘New high protein diet’ book by Dr Charles Clark and Maureen Clark quite good. It has a number of recipes and lists of foods for meals which you can choose from. If you are not a person to follow an organized diet to the letter the book can be quite useful. I got this book in the UK and it is fairly cheap but you should be able to find it through the internet if in a different country. This is a suggestion, as there are a number of high protein recipe books or recipe sites in the internet from which you can pick up meal ideas.

The principles I usually suggest are:

1. Have a protein breakfast it will make you feel full for longer. If you can delay it as well by 30min can help in increasing fat burning. Examples of protein breakfasts: Scrambled eggs, bacon (not fried grilled) a slice of bread or cheese 2 crackers and avocado. Tuna with a bit of olive oil and lemon (or any seasoning you like but not mayonnaise/ketchup and avoid vegetable oils). It may sound like a lot of food but you will be surprised how much sugar and how many calories are hidden in a bowl of cereal. Plus with having carbs for breakfast you can get craving for sugar mid-day and so have snacks.

2. In general avoid takeaways, junk food, deep fried food and refined carbs (i.e. white bread, pasta, pastries sugars, and sweets), fizzy drinks and sugary hot drinks such as milky coffees and hot chocolates. In addition, avoid ready meals, margarine and hydrogenated oils such as vegetable oils and processed foods as they contain trans fats. Trans fat are not only fattening but also are harmful to health.

3. You can choose healthy snacks such as fruit, vegetable sticks, and dry fruit and nut instead of snack bars, crisps, cakes energy bars etc.

4. Eat loads of vegetables and salads with your meals. Example: instead of having a steak with potatoes/chips, have a steak with a nice sauce and salad + 1 slice of bread. This way you can reduce the calories you are eating, don’t feel hungry and is healthier. In terms of carbohydrate rich meals, if you can avoid them for majority of time do. If not then replace refined carbs with complex such as white pasta with whole meal, reduce the portion you are having and add vegetables or salad. Example: Instead of a big plate of pasta bolognaise with cheese, have 1/3 of a plate of whole meal pasta with bolognaise sauce and a big salad or vegetables with a bit of olive oil and seasoning/vinigraite.

5. Don’t skip meals. I would not recommend too many small meals through the day but also I would not recommend skipping meals either. Having 3 meals a day is a good place to be.

6. Reduce your calorie intake. Is not only what you eat but also how much you eat. In order to lose weight you must have energy deficiency. In simple words you should spend more calories than those you consume. This can happen by either reducing your calorie intake or increasing your calorie expenditure (for example with exercise) or both together. Women in average require around 1500 – 2000 calories. Reducing your calorie to around 1200 – 1500 should be within a healthy range. Calorie requirement and calorie expenditure does depend on physical activity, age, built among other factors, therefore do account for any physical activity etc. you may be doing when lowering your calories.

7. Exercises. Exercise does increase weight loss but also is good for health. As I mentioned earlier you could do a few chest exercises to boost your girls. Having an allover body workout for an hour a day, 5 days a week is always best, but is better to do the amount of exercise you feel happy with and suits your lifestyle. If all you want or can fit in your day is 20 min then that is better than none at all. If you don’t like doing standard exercises then you can do simple things such as walking instead of taking a bus, use the stairs instead of a lift, clean the house vigorously, go for a cycle, a run or a swim.

An idea is to join a class or an activity group. A group may provide you with the motivation to carry on with exercising and weight loss especially if you are achieving something new through the group. For example if you joined a swimming lessons group you could remain motivated in participating in the group by learning how to swim. What has been quite popular in recent years is pole dancing as part of exercising. Pole dancing can be very demanding for the body therefore you should be choosing a class which is appropriate for your own level and also exercise within your own abilities to avoid injuries. A class like that could be fun you can socialize and gain new skills and exercise at the same time. These are just examples as you should choose according to your personal likes and needs.

Before you take on any exercise or diet you should consult a medical professional especially if there are pre-existing health complaints.

The best way to keep the weight off for long term is to make these changes permanently. If you aim to get through the emotional eating pattern and change your whole behavior of eating then making healthy eating choices will be a lot easier. In addition, following a diet should not be just a remedy for a quick fix but making the changes in our lifestyle towards a healthier way. What I am saying is not that you should diet for the rest of your life. All I am suggesting is to change your food choices towards healthier choices, don’t overeat beyond to what your body needs and keep physically active. This way you are less likely to put on the weight again and decrease health risks, Everybody’s weight can fluctuate in their life time for a number of reasons, and we all go through days of junk food, or that bit extra. Having a general healthy diet your body does get conditioned to want a healthy diet and not too much of the junk food.

I hope my answer is helpful to your enquiry.

How to stop emotional eating?

‘Emotional’ eating relates with craving specific foods according to our emotions. There are many theories on why people ‘emotionally’ eat such as deal with specific emotions, feel better, to avoid dealing with a situation by eating and so on. It is an individual thing. There is also a difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger. Studies suggest that physical hunger starts slowly and intensifies with time and can have physical symptoms such as stomach ‘growls’, hollow feeling, headaches or nausea and any food will do.

Question:
Hi,
my name is Shantel. Let me start off by telling you I’m in the military and that’s where my problems have stated. I’ve always been an average size 8, 135 pounds; that’s how I was when I entered basic training in April 2010. During basic I fractured my pelvic bone and was put on limited activity. I did what I could to pass basic and then I did what I could to pass Advanced Individual training (AIT) but when I got to my duty station in Fort Drum I started packing on the pounds. Because of how I “pushed through” all my training I’ve also ended up with cartilage tears in my hips, knee problems and back problems and I was again put on limited activity. Right now I’m a size 13 and 170 pounds. I have a hard time giving up my “comfort foods” because of the stress and depression I have because of my weight. My self esteem and motivation are really low at this point and I need help finding a cheap, low impact way to get back in shape.

Answer (by Hara Hagikalfa)

From what I can gather from your email your body has been under a lot of physical and mental stress the past year. The first thing I would recommend you do is take things slowly and give your body a break. Military training can be hard and is not always ‘body’ friendly. One of the aims of military training is to achieve high levels of fitness and prepare people to deal with extreme circumstances. Such training can put considerable strain and stress on the body and it can result in injuries or increase risks. Although is not wise to push yourself through injuries, as you may have discovered, you should credit yourself for showing determination and puling through such hard task.

I gather that while on your basic and advance training you were extremely physically active and you did stay in good shape. If I am right to say when you moved to your duty station your physical activities decreased radically especially with having further injuries and complaints. It is quite natural to put on weight or have decreased fitness levels when stopping exercising, as your body is used to burning larger amounts of calories through physical activity and also with losing muscle mass you can decrease your metabolic rate (rate by which you burn calories).

The points I can suggest that need addressing are your psychological/emotional state and your fitness in respect to the injuries and health issues. Below I have summarized a few weight loss tips and some more information for these things.

In respect to emotional state

Understandably you have been under a lot of stress and strain this last year having to deal with completing your training and all the high demands involved with it and having to deal with all the injuries you had. As I said earlier a good starting point is to give credit to yourself for all your achievements and concentrate in recuperating and relaxing. I understand that you feel down about your shape and you have low self esteem and depression. However, you have achieved a lot of things and have worked hard through this year and a lot of the problems with putting on weight are due to the physical injuries, which by all means are not easy to have to deal. Therefore, you should feel proud of yourself for all you have done and not a lot of people would have gone so far.

Sometimes emotions and eating can create vicious circles. I have put the bellow diagram to explain what I mean.

Diagram 1. A cycle of ‘emotional eating’. ‘Emotional eating’ can be triggered from both positive and negative emotions. A number of theories have been developed to explain the reasons people ‘emotionally eat’. For example ‘emotional eaters’ will eat foods to maintain a positive emotion or to escape/deal a negative.

If there is counseling available in your duty station I would strongly suggest that you do use it. Having counseling does not mean that you can’t cope, or there is something wrong with you. When going through some hard and stressful situations it does help to talk about it. Counselors are professionals and can point you to the right direction in dealing with your feelings and the situation and making changes in a way that friends and colleagues may not have the skills to do.

Keep a diary of all the foods and drinks and calories if possible, you have for a week and right in it the emotions you feel before, during and after you had that food. ‘Emotional’ eating relates with craving specific foods according to our emotions. There are many theories on why people ‘emotionally’ eat such as deal with specific emotions, feel better, to avoid dealing with a situation by eating and so on. It is an individual thing. There is also a difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger. Studies suggest that physical hunger starts slowly and intensifies with time and can have physical symptoms such as stomach ‘growls’, hollow feeling, headaches or nausea and any food will do. Emotional hunger tends to be a craving for a specific food and tends to start suddenly. You can ask questions to yourself to help you such as do I crave a specific food? Do I have any physical symptoms of hunger? Do I feel full but still want to eat that food? If I have a glass of water does hunger subside? (Thirst sometime can feel like hunger).

By keeping a diary you can see when do you eat emotionally, which foods do you chose, what time of the day and what emotions are linked to which foods and do you really feel better or worse? By understanding how you eat and what you eat it will be easier to break the cycle of emotional eating and give up on ‘comfort’ foods.

Tips to break emotional eating

1. To start off substitute ‘comfort’ foods with healthier options. For example if you are craving sugar, chocolate etc sweet foods have a fruit or some dry fruit and nuts. They will still provide you with the sweet taste but the will be a lot healthier and less calorific. Do keep in mind that dry fruit and nuts do contain a lot of calories so just have a handful. If you can’t get over the craving for a particular food then have only a small portion of it. Try to keep comfort foods (i.e. chocolate) in portion small portion bags and if you must have some then have only 1 small portion. It is best to try and dissociate feelings from food slowly. So when you feel you can try replacing the craving with a cup of tea or another activity.

2. This brings me to the next tip. When you feel emotionally hungry try doing another activity which will make you feel good. For example have a pampering bath, or go for a walk, do your hair, read a book, talk to a friend. What will work will be entirely up to you. Whatever you do, try not to linger on the negative emotion or thoughts. For example if you feel low because you don’t fit in a dress don’t start lingering in the thoughts of you wished you looked like you did before, and that you don’t like your body etc. If you don’t fit in the dress plan for things in the future for when you do fit in the dress and do something to take your mind. Make a list of alternative activities that you can do that make you feel good and take your mind of negative thoughts. These could be knighting, gardening, crafts, making a personal journal, making cards, drawing, walking, playing cards etc. An idea could be taking on a hobby. Why not try different classes, languages or flower arranging, or ball dancing (always check with your doctor if a physical activity is recommended for the injuries). Put the list on fridge door and carry one with you, so when you feel like eating pick an activity from the list.

3. Try to deal with the emotions. This is where I will say again that if you can do some counseling then do. There are techniques to self help and self deal with emotions however, due to my knowledge limitations in that aspect I could not recommend one over another or give you that guidance. If you do have access to someone who can advise you further then do. You can replace the behaviors but unless you find the root of what makes a behavior happen it will not disappear. If you feel low you may not comfort eat but unless you find the reason why you feel low and deal with it this won’t change.

In terms of following a diet to lose weight.

Do take one thing at the time and do not overload yourself with expectations and goals. If trying to cut down on comfort food and dealing with cravings is too much doing try to follow a weight loss diet as well at the same time.

In general I would suggest lowering your calorie intake by 500 – 1000 calories to start off. From your food diary you can see how many calories you consume per day. You can make simple changes such as minimizing snacks or replacing them with healthier options, such as fruits, nuts, vegetable sticks or some protein. Try to minimize or avoid completely sugary and fizzy drinks (that includes some ready juices), sugary milky coffees and hot drinks, sweets and biscuits.

Reduce your carbohydrate intake by reducing bread, pasta, potatoes, pastries and rice. Increase the amount of protein you eat such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. Some dairy can be very high in fat, do have then but in moderation. You will find that you can reduce your calories without being hungry with these small changes. A steak with a sauce and big salad can still be very tasty but with a lot less calories that if you had chips or potatoes with it.

Have a protein based breakfast. Protein can make you feel full for longer. Carbohydrates can make you feel craving for foods, so if you have protein can also help with craving sugars and comfort food.

Avoid takeaways, fried foods, readymade meals and processed foods they can contain a lot of trans fats. They are high in calories and not the healthiest. You could keep a treat once a week if it is too hard to give them up completely or be quite calorie strict when eating them. If you have to have more than one takeaway per week then has a very small portion. It is not the healthiest way but taking slow steps is better than none at all.

Avoid sandwiches for lunch. If you going to work every day then take a packed lunch. Examples could be an omelet and salad, some tuna and salad or some vegetables and maybe a slice of bread with it, or just opt for a salad, or a baked potato with tuna or soup from the canteen.

In terms of physical activity

Undoubtedly increasing your physical activity/exercise can help with feeling better and losing weight. First do consult your doctor regarding what exercises you can do. I can give some suggestions but you must check that any exercise you take does not contradict with your injuries. I would assume that with your injuries you would have been seen by a physical therapist (such as a physiotherapist) to carry out a rehabilitation program with you. Any exercise you do should be in line with the stage in your rehabilitation. If you have not been seen by a physical therapist then I highly recommend consulting one. I would presume that such services would be available to in your duty station or through the military? It is important that any injuries are rehabilitated accordingly in order for structures to heal properly and correctly and not increase risk for further or future injuries and health complaints.

If your doctor / physical therapist have some further exercises to advice, do as they suggest. Alternatively you can check with them for the following:

1. Pilates is a low impact exercise and it can help with conditioning the abdominal and back muscles. Pilates have been suggested as treatment for back pain. There are not a lot of studies available but those who are do seem to show positive results. They may also be beneficial in reconditioning your hips and upper legs. In rehabilitation for hip cartilage tears exercises which increase hip range of motion can be recommended. Often hip flexions sitting on a gym ball are also recommended. However, it does all depend on which stage of rehabilitation you are and what does your physical therapist will approve. Do not by pass them as you could cause more injury if not appropriate for this stage!

2. Static cycling and not in a high level could be good. Again do check with a therapist that they are appropriate for your knees. Moreover, you can try swimming or hydrotherapy if you can have access to it. Body weight resistance in the water decreases however, you still have the resistance of the water, so you can work out without putting too much pressure on your back, knees or hips.

3. Static upper body exercises. You could do a variety of upper body static exercises given that you do not add pressure to your back. Things such as bicep curls, weight exercises for triceps, chest and shoulders should be safe as long as you perform them according to your level of fitness and ability, perform them correctly, and after a suitable warm up session.

One of the issues with home exercise suggestions is performing exercises correctly and to your own level. If you have access to a trainer, do ask them to show you how to perform the exercises to ensure you know the correct technique. Especially if you have previous injuries as they could be more harm if not at the appropriate level or technique. Sometimes it may be enough to have 1 session with a personal trainer who can shape exercises to a daily program and show you how to do them, and then carry on by yourself. Finally, with starting any new diet it is wise to check with a medical professional especially if there are any pre-existing medical complaints.

I hope this answer is of some help to your inquiry. If you have any further questions please do contact me.

How to tackle common weight loss problems

Today we are bringing together a number of problems or issues with people who have undergone weight loss.  These are common problems that truly affect them. These problems have been there for ages, and those who aspire to lose weight have over time encountered at least one or two of them.

Unfortunately a lot of individuals give in to these problems and eventually give up on their weight loss plan. Depending on how you view it, we can say that there is nothing wrong with the strategies by taking the view that the challenges we encounter along are just simply tough.. The question now is, “how can one tackle common weight loss problems?”. Let’s check them out.

Fear of Exercise

Have you heard of that? Some people actually fear or loathe exercise, but since exercise is part of the plan they must carry on. What they do though is to skip sessions, or even totally give up on that part of the plan. Of course, you are only setting yourself up to fail. Fear of exercise is based around our thinking. Pre-programmed thoughts lead to you to think that exercise is tiresome, is hard, is painful, requires time, and has little effect. All of these negative thoughts serve to generate lack of action and a feeling of malaise.  So what you need to do is to accept the importance of exercise and to appreciate the beauty of it, instead of fearing it.

Experience exercise and feel it. Sometimes we haven’t really tried working out and yet we are already complaining!  Keep in mind that exercise gives you more energy and more strength. Some people do exercise to help them stay awake and keep active, so exercise has benefits that you can feel, and of course that includes weight loss. To appreciate the beauty of it, there is no need to visit the gym. Instead focus on small exercises that you can do at home.  A brisk walk perhaps or a simple leg raise is good. Try to do them at your own pace, don’t go beyond your comfort level, just go steady. Soon enough you’ll see  and experience the benefits.

The wrong concept of dieting

People starve themselves to lose weight or sometimes skip breakfast. Some people also change diets drastically. Others think that supplements are enough or fad diets are the best. All of these will definitely not help you.  When it comes to dieting, a balance approach is  needed and there are actually some good practices to follow.

Skipping meals or starving is not a good idea at all. It slows down metabolism and gives you less productivity. Additionally today everything is created as being simple and fast,  but this development is not beneficial to dieting. These kinds of diet will only slow you down and build up a lot of calories. The best diet  consists of low calories and high fiber. They may come from complex carbohydrates in fruit and vegetables, good oils, protein, etc. These form the optimum diet plan, so using  fad diets or supplements will not give you significant results.

Remember that you are no superman and that applies to changes in your diet. So lower calorie intake or a change in your preferred diet should be gradual as this way you’ll be able to manage  the change. If you try and hasten matters along you have a high chance of failure. So go slowly and steadily.

Lack of motivation

Lack of a weight loss motivation is a common factor in why people fail. Understand that motivation will not always be present. That’s why you will have to find ways to keep yourself motivated. A good way to do it is to have a friend to constantly remind you. He, or she, may share the same endeavors that you have, so you can both give advice to each other. Other ways include ensuring you entertain positive thinking that all will right in the end. People worry so much about their weight that they end up doing nothing about it.  They have wasted all their time worrying. That’s why you should focus on small things that makes you happy and make  you feel good. It could be a small goal to reach such as  joining 5km runs or similar. In fact, to keep active with regular exercise is one way to motivate yourself and obtain relief you from stress.

Boredom

Lastly a common issue is boredom. Boredom is a very great time for temptation. You may eat, or you may slouch around etc. When you are bored you are prone to these things. The best advice is to stay active and yourself occupied. Never allow yourself to be placed in a lonely or boring position for a long time. Keep going, move about and reach out to your goals.

How to achieve permanent weight loss results

Permanent weight loss maybe something that many people dreamed about or wanted to have, but despite of the abundance of weight loss plans and programs in the market, the success rate remains small. One reason for this is the weight loss plan that people choose. In the majority of the cases weight loss diets and products have their focus on short term and not long lasting results. In achieving permanent weight loss results, you should be able to identify the factors that you need to improve and the factors that will help you lose weight and keep it off. It could be either a problem on your weight loss plan or it could be mainly because of you.

It’s your choice

Weight loss is a goal that most people take for granted. They think that anyone can lose weight by using some moderate or extreme measures. This is one common misconception that makes weight loss even harder to achieve. A person who is willing to lose weight should have the determination to make the decision and be devoted to it until the end. Like any successful journey or any success story, a person must have strong commitment and willingness in order to reach their goals. This is technically the first step one must overcome. Right now you should make this decision and proceed if you really want to lose weight.

Find a plan that works for you

With the hundreds of plans out there, what plan could work best for you? The answer is actually none. No plan will help you unless you make it your very own and use it for long term basis. We are talking about permanent weight loss here. All those famous diets or weight loss plans that claim rapid weight loss indeed offer results (some of them and not all), but most people can’t stick to them for long term. This is because they are usually accompanied by negative side effects and people just quit and lose their hope.  What you need to have is a plan that you can follow, that you like and can stick to it. Good plans that can be used long term are those that involve healthy eating and activities. You don’t have to be a vegan to do so, in fact there are a lot of nutritious and savory foods and diets out there, Mediterranean diet is one to mention.

A plan that is safe

Rapid weight loss focuses on either diet restrictions, or replacements and supplements. Most of them are associated with a lot of health risks. A fast weight loss diet cannot be used for long term results due to the adverse effects it creates later when you stop the diet. Nevertheless, if you have created your very own diet, or if you have selected a diet that you think is safe, it is best to still contact your doctor and inform him all about it. You would like to have a plan is safe and also good for you.

A plan that offers result

You should of course choose a plan that would yield results. The best way to have results is to go for slow and gradual weight loss. Since we are talking about permanent weight loss, you should go for a diet that will help you decrease your calorie intake gradually and at the same time give you ideas on how to burn more fats.

Don’t be afraid of failing

Most people don’t achieve permanent weight loss results since they readily give up when they fail. Right now, you should know that failure is a natural thing to happen. But not reaching your goals is not necessarily a good thing as well. The way to achieving permanent weight loss would vary and surely there would be inconsistencies and changes all the time. The best way to handle this is to adapt to these changes and learn from it in times of failure. That is why with commitment to your weight loss goals, you will develop your very own weight loss plan that would be effective enough, and that could easily adapt to change.

Basically permanent weight loss results would require some permanent changes and improvements in your lifestyle. You can choose a plan or create a plan on your own. You have the freedom to do so, just make sure that you stick with it and make sure it is guaranteed safe.

10 Weight loss motivation tips

We said many times that weight loss can be hard. There are many weight loss tips available to help you lose weight but despite this there are cases where you will get disappointed and quit. To achieve good results you need to have patience and power to overcome the problems that you will face in the process. This is the key for a successful weight loss. If you are motivated you will find the power to overcome the problems and continue. For this reason you need to be aware of these great weight loss motivation tips.

Weight loss motivation tips 1. Stop for a moment all your activities, sit down in a relaxing position, and think why you want to lose weight. Make a list of all the possible reasons you can think off and write them down in a diary. Once you have this list ready you need to make sure that you come back and read it once per week. This will help you be alert and reminded as to why you want to lose weight.

Weight loss motivation tips 2. Visualize your new self after a successful weight loss. When you want to achieve something one of the best ways to encourage your self is to visualize your success. This is also true for weight loss. Imagine yourself after losing weight. Think about how good you will feel in your new clothes and keep this picture in your mind.

Weight loss motivation tips 3. Depending on how much weight you want to lose it is better to break the task into smaller, easier to achieve milestones. If for example you want to lose 20 pounds, then you can break this task into 4 smaller tasks. Each goal will be for losing 5 pounds. This way will be easier to achieve and more manageable. It is much easier to target 5 pounds instead of 20.

Weight loss motivation tips 4. Reward yourself. When working in a big project one of the techniques that can keep you motivated is rewards. When it comes to losing weight you can set a reward for yourself once you achieve a milestone. As per the example above you can set from the beginning rewards when you reach each of the milestones. The reward does not have to be related with weight loss but it can be anything that will make you happy and satisfied.

Weight loss motivation tips 5. Keep track of your progress both in terms of weight you lose but also in how you look. Take photos of yourself at the beginning of your efforts and when you achieve a milestone. This improvement in appearance will be one of the greatest motivation tips that will keep you going. Be cautious though because sometimes the decrease in pounds is not reflected in your appearance. If you notice that there is not so much difference in appearance between the different photos then do not get disappointed. Continue your efforts and follow your weight loss plan and at the end the results will be visible.

Weight loss motivation tips 6. Get motivation from other people. There are many people that have managed to lose a lot of weight. These success stories are available in magazines, web sites, forums and TV programs. When you come across of such cases read them and if possible make a note of them in your dairy. Seeing other people succeed in this task will also help you and keep you motivated.

Weight loss motivation tips 7. Do not be shy about your efforts to lose weight. When you want to lose weight you should not be embarrassed but you should be proud of yourself for making this effort. When you are with friends talk about your weight loss goals with them and listen carefully on what they have to say. The advice and encouragement from friends and family can be of great help for you and will also help you stay committed to your goals.

Weight loss motivation tips 8. Music and TV. Music can make you feel better especially during the times that you are down or feeling depressed. Music can also help you lose weight in many ways. You can use music to accompany your exercises, which will accelerate your weight loss efforts and also if you like dancing then you can use music as a tool for losing more weight. Music can also keep your spirit and will power high.

Weight loss motivation tips 9. Approach weight loss as an opportunity to learn something new and push yourself to the limits. When trying to lose weight sometimes you need to push yourself hard to achieve your goals. You should take this opportunity and learn something from this that will make you stronger in character and will improve your self confidence.

Weight loss motivation tips 10. Finally you should realize that the main reason you want to lose weight is you. You are making this effort because you want to feel and look better. Any successes from this process are for your own good and no one else. You are doing something for yourself because your deserve it and because you can do it. Despite the problems that you may find in the way you should never give up. The problems should give you more power to continue until the end.