How long did it take you to gain weight? It didn't come on
overnight, a week, month or probably in a year. Just as
you gained it over time, you'll lose it over time too. How
unrealistic is it to expect that we'll lose weight in a
short period of time. Long-lasting changes rarely occur
overnight. I've lost weight hundreds of times in my life.
The problem is that I could never maintain my weight. Now,
I've maintained it for over six years.
In working with my clients, a successful strategy in losing
weight and keeping it off is to make one small change at a
time. Do you reach the top of a staircase by a giant leap?
No, you rise to the top one step at a time. The same for
weight loss is to make small changes and allow them to
build success one after the other. Before you know it,
those changes create a momentum of success that move you
forward to your weight loss goals.
1. Eat slowly and calmly. Enjoy the tastes and textures.
Put your fork or spoon down between every bite. Intersperse
your eating with enjoying the company of others joining you
for the meal. Your brain has a delay to your stomach by
about 20 minutes when it comes to the feeling of fullness
and satisfaction. If you eat slowly enough, your brain
will catch up to tell you that you are no longer in need of
food.
2. Eat only when you're hungry. Sounds easy but can be
challenging to differentiate between your head hunger and
hear your stomach truly growling. It is amazing how often
we eat out of boredom, nervousness, habit, hobby,
recreational sport, or frustration. Unfortunately for some
of us that struggle with weight and food issues, we have
actually forgotten what physical hunger and the cues feel
like. Next time, wait until your stomach is growling before
you reach for food. If you're craving a specific food, it's
probably a craving, not hunger. It's probably your head
that's hungry rather than your stomach. If you'd eat
anything you could get your hands on, chances are you're
truly physically hungry.
3. Out of sight, out of mind. The other day I found a
surprise lurking in my refrigerator. It was a holiday
treat from Thanksgiving that got pushed behind other items
in the refrigerator. I didn't see it so I'd forgotten
about it. At this point, it was petrified and looked
awful. Seeing this Thanksgiving goodie that I'd kept that
looked delicious in November to its current appearance was
disgusting. It sure put the food choice into perspective.
If you don't see it, you aren't tempted. Even further, if
you don't buy it or bring it home, you aren't tempted
either. Keep your trigger foods out of your radar.
4. Empower yourself with the trash. Huh? My husband
brought home leftover food from a work function he
attended. It was not the best nutritional choice for
anyone. Rather than keep it around, I threw it away. It
felt so empowering to throw away the unhealthy food item.
I was putting the health of myself and my family first over
the temporary pleasure of eating undesirable food choice.
You and your health are more important than any fleeting
food fix
You don't have to undertake all of the changes in your
lifestyle all at once. You've done that before. Did it
result in long-lasting change? Probably not. Try
something different. If you want different results, try it
in a different way. Small changes build to big changes.
Before you know it, you'll step on the scale and see your
goal weight. Small changes can equal big success.
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Cathy Wilson is a weight loss life coach. Cathy lost 147
pounds six years ago. Her passion is helping clients
achieve their weight loss and life goals. Cathy works with
clients to create a weight loss life plan that is
customized to each client. Cathy is a member of the
International Coaching Federation, International
Association of Coaches, and Obesity Action Coalition.
Visit Cathy's website:
http://www.LoseWeightFindLife.com
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