Successful, long term weight loss is about more than intense workouts and clever diets. Modifying behavioral patterns is the underlying key to losing weight and keeping it off. Negative behavior patterns resulted in poor food choices, lack of exercise and weight gain, and engaging in different activities to bring about more positive behaviors can reverse your results.
Speak with your doctor before embarking on any weight-loss regimen to determine which course of action is best for you.
Group Format
Placing overweight individuals in a group setting can have a positive effect on behaviors concerning diet and exercise. Groups offer positive reinforcement, a sense of camaraderie and peers to be accountable to should you make poor choices.
Self Monitoring
Keeping an eye on yourself by being given parameters to follow is a good way to change behavior, reports the Diabetes Spectrum website. Participants are given weekly goals regarding caloric intake, fats and activities, and instructed to keep a detailed record of everything they do. This includes what was eaten, when it was eaten, how much was eaten and what nutrients were consumed.
Nutrition Education
Educating people about the realities of nutrition can go a long way to changing behaviors for the better. Many people honestly don't know the ins and outs of good nutrition because they were never taught. Learning about the food pyramid, consequences of poor eating, what nutrients do inside the body and strategies for eating out can help bring lasting change.
Protect Against Relapse
Learning about the specific, individual cues that lead to poor choices will help you avoid them. Learning to limit negative cues and create positive ones is the key to avoiding a relapse of negative behaviors. Keeping unhealthy foods out of sight is one strategy, as is keeping exercise accessories in a place you will see them regularly.
The Act of Eating
Changing the way you eat the food is a behavior that may help you think differently about food altogether, says EndoText.com. Eating slowly and mindfully in designated areas will help you enjoy and savor what you eat, which in turn may help to prevent overeating.
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