No matter how many quick fad diets you try, there is still only one tried and true method that works to lose weight and keep it off for good, report doctors at the Mayo Clinic. Most quick weight-loss plans are designed to provide results, but the ways and means are not sustainable. There is no trick to maintaining a steady and healthy weight once you've mastered the basics.
Step 1
Set a realistic goal and make a commitment to follow through on achieving that goal. Many diets are sabotaged because the dieter shoots for a weight that is not possible given the person's genetic makeup, body frame and lifestyle. Use the healthy weight guidelines provided by a source, such as Dr. Steven Halls' ideal weight calculator created for MetLife (see Resources), to come up with a realistic weight to shoot for. Make up your mind once and for all that you will get there.
Step 2
Take time to figure out where you failed in the past. If your self-image is low and you don't feel you are competent, perhaps you need some self-esteem boosting from your friends. If you realize you eat when you feel sad or angry, perhaps you should consider counseling to find the source of your unhappiness and deal with that rather than resorting to old habits.
Step 3
Visualize the results. See yourself slimmer and feeling better. Buy an outfit in the size you hope to be and hang it where you'll see it every day. Enlist the support of a friend or support group that also can see your success and lean on them when you feel discouraged. Put as many motivational objects, people and sayings in your line of vision as possible.
Step 4
Get out the cookbook and become willing to try new foods that haven't been a part of your daily intake. To lose excess pounds and maintain a slimmer figure, you must reduce your calorie intake with foods that you enjoy. Deprivation is one of the biggest saboteurs of weight-loss plans. Habitually include your new food favorites in your daily meal plan. Include fruits and vegetables that you love, as well as low-fat dairy, lean meat, fish and whole grains.
Step 5
Move every day. Weight will stay off if you incorporate additional movement in your day. You'll be able to eat more calories and enjoy larger meals if you exercise regularly. Find a sport or activity that you really enjoy and do it most days of the week. Walking briskly for 45 minutes, four days a week, can burn up to 1,700 calories in a week, report Mayo Clinic doctors. One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories. So instead of eating 500 fewer calories a day to lose weight, you can realistically cut 250 calories per day if you add walking to your routine.
Step 6
Make the changes permanent. If you consider that you are on a quest to live a better life and improve your lifestyle, you will have greater success than if you look at your diet as punishment or as a diet that you must endure. Revel in the changes as they happen and acknowledge that you are a strong, confident, happy person who lives a healthy life.
Tips and Warnings
- Eat often. Successful dieters break up their calorie intake into five or six small meals. That way, you can remain satiated at all times while keeping your metabolism working at top speed. Coming up with new and exciting ways to break up your 1,200 or 1,500 calories can be fun and challenging, bringing you more satisfaction than you imagined.
- Don't let a slip into old behaviors sabotage your efforts. If you get blue one day and devour a gallon of ice cream, let it go and resume your new, healthy eating pattern the next day.
Member Comments