Before you can get started
you need to decide to make it happen. This is what
trips people up the most. Most people know that to
lose weight they should eat less and exercise more.
However, it's not what to do that's the issue but
how to do it. How do you eat less and exercise more?
By educating yourself
and making sure you have all the proper behavioral
"tools", you can make positive changes and
continue to improve your health day after day!
1. Plan Ahead:
Without a plan, you won't
know where you're trying to go. You may have all the
information in the world; make the right food choices,
increase your exercise intensity, etc, but if you
don't plan, your great intentions will go right out
the window. Let's start with food and feeding your
body what it needs. Is it low carb, low fat, or low
calories? And if it is low calories, how many calories
do you need? These are all questions that can be determined
by seeking out the help of a professional for example
in ourforum
to determine the best bet for you.
2. Learn
to Grocery Shop:
This one is right in line with planning ahead. Your weight
loss efforts really start before you make any meals in your
house. They start at the grocery store and if you don't
know what to look for, the secrets marketers use to sabotage
your good faith efforts and you'll struggle when faced with
the 50,000 products that fill grocery store shelves. Need
some assistance? It's hard for any individual to filter
out the right information from the myriad of nutrition advice
that is available as books, DVDs or online. Take the guesswork
out of it and consult a nutrition expert for tips, tools,
and strategies to take with you for life! The experienced
nutrition experts in our forum can get you started and give
you the right pointers, however, if you can afford it a
personal nutrition advisor is always preferable.
3. Realize there is no magic
bullet.
Many folks become discouraged
when beginning an exercise or weight loss program because
they expect a magic bullet, or overnight success. But starting
a simple exercise program or reading a "diet"
book won't cure a 30 year ice cream or soda addiction. Small
steps each day mean big changes in the long run; nothing
will happen overnight and it's important to continually
encourage yourself. Unhealthy habits weren't created overnight
and they won't be changed overnight. You need to work towards
improving your habits day after day.
4. Understand Motivation.
Why do you want to lose weight?
People often give very general reasons for wanting to lose
weight, such as "to look better", or "to become
healthier", etc. These reasons aren't specific enough.
If you ultimately want to change behavior, you need to dig
a bit deeper so you can find something to really help you
to commit. "Lose weight", for example, is very general
and is not likely to keep you motivated to continue for the
long haul. Weight loss sounds good until Friday at 5 PM rolls
around and it's time for you and your friends or co-workers
to go out and "kick back" after a long, hard week.
Remember, you need to find the fire within, the motivation
to drive you daily, to reach your goals.
5. Self-Monitor.
One
of the most valuable tools you have at your fingertips is
to self-monitor behaviors. Self-monitoring is the observation
and recording of a specific behavior. Self-monitoring can
be as detailed as writing everything down regarding that behavior
(i.e. specific details, date, time, location, emotions, etc)
to as little as placing a checkmark on a calendar indicating
that a desired behavior was achieved. Many times people are
not aware of their own behaviors and self-monitoring can increase
awareness. Self-monitoring can be useful to gather a baseline
for behaviors or as an 'as needed' measure when struggling.
Try writing down everything you eat and drink day after day;
this alone can help you achieve your weight loss goals.
6. Problem-Solve.
A study conducted at the University
of Florida showed that individuals who used behavior change
and problem-solving strategies when losing weight did better
at maintaining weight loss than those who merely used behavior
change strategies. Problem solving requires identifying
the real problem that is preventing you from reaching your
goal. Next create possible strategies to overcoming the
problem, based on your current lifestyle and likelihood
of success. Choose one strategy to implement and evaluate
its success at overcoming the barrier and work on this strategy
daily until it becomes a habit.
It is important to recognize
that not all strategies will be successful. Various strategies
can be created to ultimately identify and correct a problem.
Also remember that just because something works for one
problem, does not mean it will work for every problem. Seek
out the best solution for each problem you face. Long hours
at work, social settings, traveling for business, etc.;
each present different challenges to your weight loss efforts,
and will require unique strategies. Be creative.
7. Work with a friend(s) or spouse.
Social support has been shown
to improve the ability to lose and maintain weight loss.
Use this to your advantage. Get a group of friends, family
members, or co-workers together to get on a plan and work
towards a goal. It's much more likely that you make time
for exercise if you know you are meeting other people; it
is just another way to be held accountable. At the very
least, get a friend to train with; this will help both of
you when trying to push and break through to the next level.
8. Train like you mean it.
Don't go through the motions
when at the gym, on the track, or wherever you exercise.
When you're in the gym, go hard or go home. If you're spending
more than 60 seconds between sets, you're wasting time (remember,
our goal is weight loss here). Just like step 1 suggests
planning ahead for your nutrition program, you need to do
the same with your training. Pick up a little spiral notebook
and plan out your workout so you don't go into the gym blindly.
Don't be afraid of the weights, but the combine them with
some form of aerobic based exercise as well.
9. Learn to Read Food Labels.
While this doesn't seem like
rocket science, losing weight permanently requires an understanding
of the proper portions of food and, not only that, but also
the quality of the nutrients and calories. First rule of thumb
is that the nutrition information given is for ONE serving
and the amount of this serving (e.g. 1/2 cup, 1 cup, etc)
is listed at the top of the label.
10. Eat Breakfast!
You've clearly heard that breakfast
is the most important meal of the day, right? Well, if not:
it's true! Not only has research shown that those who eat
breakfast regularly consume higher levels of many nutrients,
but it has also shown time and time again that those who eat
breakfast daily have lower body fat levels and body weights!
And, get this, you'll be more physically and mentally alert
all day! Sounds like a panacea to me, don't skip this important
meal.
There
are always going to be an endless amount of barriers to changing
eating and exercise behaviors. But to be successful in any
area of life, you need to step out of your comfort zone and
have a change of mindset. It's very easy to stop at a fast
food restaurant or order a pizza for dinner, instead of taking
10 or 20 minutes to prepare a healthy meal. But the time to
make a change is now! Don't let another summer go by with
you "hoping" you were in better shape.
