| Weight loss plans come in all shapes and sizes. | | | | imperative to take a few minutes to learn what |
| Some are fad diets that are too restrictive to | | | | your vision is. What is important to you that you |
| follow more than a couple of weeks, while others | | | | will be able to achieve with weight loss? Write this |
| are provided by professionals that make | | | | vision down and plaster it everywhere so you |
| customized plans for us. All of them give us some | | | | always see your end goal and it will always help to |
| guidelines on what we should and shouldn't eat to | | | | motivate you further when times are tough. |
| ultimately reach our weight loss goals. No matter | | | | 3. Self Talk - is yours negative or positive? |
| how many food plans we try, healthy or | | | | Unfortunately it's true that we are our own worst |
| unhealthy, there are some fundamental things you | | | | critics and like hearing any critic it often leads us |
| must know in order to be successful in a weight | | | | to failure because we believe the critic is right. |
| loss program that, believe it or not, have nothing | | | | Furthermore, we start to believe things are true |
| to do with food. | | | | that are absolutely not true. For instance, if a child |
| 1. Readiness- Are you ready to make change in | | | | is told they are a klutz from an early age they will |
| your life right now? How would you know? The | | | | likely always think they are a klutz. We believe |
| reason many weight loss plans fail is because | | | | what we are told repeatedly. |
| people are not truly emotionally ready for change. | | | | What do you tell yourself? One common |
| In order to have true lifelong weight loss you | | | | statement I hear a lot of these days is, "I can't |
| have to commit to trading your old habits in for a | | | | eat carbohydrates because once I start I can't |
| new, healthier lifestyle. This has more to do with | | | | stop". This is a belief that you have set up from |
| readiness for change than a desire to shed | | | | constant defeating self-talk and once you believe |
| pounds- there is a big difference. The good news | | | | it then no doubt you will act it out. However, |
| is, as you start on the journey to change these | | | | there is no scientific reason why a person would |
| old habits you will be amazed how much better | | | | not be able to stop eating after having a bite of |
| you feel physically, psychologically, and emotionally. | | | | carbohydrates. Your belief makes it your reality. |
| This is the place where the people who have | | | | So whenever you hear yourself say I can't do |
| experienced long term weight loss have entered | | | | something or any other self-defeating talk. Stop |
| and want to stay. When you are truly committed | | | | yourself and change the sentence to a positive. |
| to changing your lifestyle you will achieve lifelong | | | | For example, I realize that carbs have been a |
| weight loss and so much more! | | | | challenge for me in the past but I can eat a |
| Ask yourself a few questions. Are you ready to | | | | portion and put the rest away for later. Keep |
| make permanent dietary changes for you and | | | | working on your own positive reinforcement by |
| your family? Are you ready to start exercising | | | | being gentler with yourself and tell yourself all that |
| regularly? Are you ready to defend your new | | | | you CAN do. |
| lifestyle changes to those who are undermining | | | | 4. Be prepared for change. All weight loss |
| your efforts? Don't fret if you aren't completely | | | | programs require us to change a habit yet no one |
| ready to dive into change. This is the stage to | | | | warns us about the process of change. The first |
| keep up the learning process by reading articles | | | | thing to know is that the beginning of change is |
| and gathering information. You will know when the | | | | difficult and uncomfortable. This is because it |
| time is right and that will be when you answer an | | | | forces us to get off autopilot and focus on our |
| unequivocal "Yes!" to the above questions. | | | | new behaviors. Luckily it takes about 21 days to |
| 2. Developing a vision. When I ask people what | | | | make a new habit and the uncomfortable part |
| their goals are for a weight loss program the | | | | goes away and our new habits become autopilot. |
| answer is always, "to lose weight of course", or | | | | For example: Imagine you get your dream job |
| "to lose x amount of pounds". It is crucial to have | | | | and it requires that you have to get up at 5:30am. |
| another more, heart-felt reason to lose weight | | | | Yikes! You normally get up at about 7:30 am. So, |
| other than losing pounds and appearance. This is | | | | what do you think will happen that first morning |
| because when times are tough, and they will be | | | | when the alarm goes off at 5:30? You aren't |
| during any change process, you will need a | | | | going to feel so great and your body is going to |
| heart-felt or internal reason to lose the weight to | | | | beg you to get back into your warm bed! This will |
| keep you motivated. Losing weight for | | | | go on for about 2-3 weeks until your body stops |
| appearance is ok but it is an external reason and | | | | fighting you and realizes this is the new habit. The |
| will not help to keep you motivated for long. | | | | same thing will happen to you when you change |
| In the past my clients have chosen things like, | | | | eating and exercise habits. Just expect a little |
| being able to play with their kids, running a | | | | resistance and keep going. Your new healthy |
| marathon, backpacking trip they have longed to | | | | changes will eventually become your new habit. |
| go on for years, and a big motivator is often a | | | | You just have to keep at it. |
| health condition. I call this your vision. It is | | | | |