5. Setting realistic goals
There's so much talk about weight loss that it sometimes seems like losing weight is no big deal. Yet there's no easy, effortless solution for losing those excess pounds. To lose weight, you have to change your lifestyle habits: you need to make healthy food choices, watch portion sizes, and stay active.
Set realistic goals, give yourself time, and focus on your progress. In particular, focus on improving your quality of life and health, instead of only measuring success in terms of pounds lost.
How?
- First, do it for yourself! Don't do it to please others, because the changes won't last.
- Set realistic weight loss goals. Losing as little as 5-10% of your initial body weight is often enough to help prevent or control a number of diseases.
- Start with a change that doesn't require much effort: eat at regular times, add an extra serving of fruit per day, use less sugar in your coffee, etc. The idea is to encourage you to reach other goals, not the opposite.
- Once the first goal has been reached and thoroughly integrated into your lifestyle, move on to the next goal. If your next goal takes a lot of effort, give it another chance before going on to the next step.
- Notice all the benefits of your new lifestyle habits. Often, when we eat better and we're more physically active, we generally feel better about ourselves and we have more energy. That makes it easy to smile!
Small changes, sustainable results
It is much smarter to lose weight slowly and gradually, rather than dramatic short-term weight loss that is regained just as fast. We don't put on 20 pounds (9 kg) in just a week, so it is not realistic to try to take it off that quickly. The thousands of fad diets out there are always doomed to fail because they demand too many changes, too fast. Discouraged, you give up and return to your old ways.
Are you ready to set realistic goals? Come and try My Healthy Weight Assessment!
