When you decide to lose weight, you must summon courage and motivation. Bonnie Matthews, wellness warrior blogger for “The Dr. Oz Show,” says her incentive to lose 130 pounds was her father; he had three heart attacks before he was 45. When motivation sparks your desire to drop the pounds, you must pair it with a healthy attitude if you want to succeed. Weight loss requires environmental adjustments, behavior modification and a positive outlook.
Patience
Recognize that permanent weight loss takes time. You may be disappointed if you only drop 1 or 2 pounds a week, but you are building a foundation that will last a lifetime. You may lose inches some weeks – but not pounds. You could even gain weight, yet change your body fat ratio. When you experience a plateau, change your exercise routine or tweak your diet. Matthews says the thought of dropping 130 pounds was overwhelming; initially, she just focused on weighing less than 200 pounds.
Self-Love
You must put yourself – not your spouse, work and the laundry – first. Invest the time and energy necessary for positive changes. If you really want to lose weight, that should be your top priority and affect all your decisions throughout the day, according to Franklin Antoian, founder of iBodyFit. It should determine where you are having lunch and how you’ll spend your free time. Commit to working out and planning healthy meals. Forgive yourself for gaining weight in the first place. Use the past as an impetus to keep moving forward.
Small Steps
Focus on smaller goals, especially at first. Buy a gym membership and commit to going three times a week for a month. Walk for 20 minutes on a treadmill. The achievement will empower you, prompting you to increase your activity and make it part of your daily routine. Don’t try to change your eating habits all at once. You could remove sugary sodas and fried foods the first week and cut salt consumption the next week. When you begin to feel better, you’ll be mindful of making healthy choices. Minor accomplishments will build confidence and spur you forward.
Drive
Keep your eye on the long-term goal. Continually push yourself. Decide that you will need to work hard. Adapt the attitude that these healthy lifestyle changes are not just for a few months, but for your lifetime. Pat yourself on the back at every turn. Focus on the fact that you would rather lead a healthy life than sit on the couch and eat ice cream. Reflect on the reasons you embarked on this journey in the first place.
Food Awareness
Successful dieters learn all they can about healthy food choices and don't give in to fast food temptations and commercial inundation. Develop a conscious approach to the types of foods that you put into your body. Make up your mind that you will eat fresh, whole foods, fruits and vegetables. It takes time to prepare meals ahead of time, but you are investing in your health.
Exercise Acceptance
Matthews says she had a fear of white sneakers. She associated them with thin, healthy people and didn’t feel worthy of joining them. In order to lose weight, you have to adopt a positive attitude toward exercise. Healthy weight loss requires movement. If you dread exercise, you will soon abandon your routine. Find activities that you enjoy. Make a conscious effort to move more throughout the day.
Member Comments