I don’t know about you but I get inundated with emails, social media posts and phone calls from companies trying to sell their latest weight loss solution. Wouldn’t it be great if you could lose weight just by swallowing a pill or sipping a shake and not even eating much food?!
Hmmm, I think I prefer to actually eat food and still get the results! I mean, food is nice right? Well, the right kind of food, that is. If swallowing a pill or sipping a shake solved the country’s obesity crisis, don’t you think GPs would be prescribing these left, right and centre?
Pass the chicken, pizza and ice cream I say! Of course I’m being a little facetious but you CAN eat healthy pizza and ice cream by the way!!
Anyway…back to weight loss. My opinion is that, unless you have a plan to start with, you will NEVER get long-term weight loss results, whether you go on a diet, swallow pills or just eat healthy foods.
OK, you may get some good results by changing your habits and eating more healthily or going to the gym a few times a week, but what about what’s going through your mind? There really is little point in starting a health kick if you’re mindset isn’t right. You will lose motivation and desire.
Let me ask you some questions:
So you want to lose weight?
- From where? All over? From your waist? From your hips?
- How much weight do you want to lose?
- By when?
- For what reason? A special occasion? For health reasons? For life?
- How are you going to do it? Starve yourself? Go on a diet? Run? Go to the gym?
- Will it be every day?
- How long will your workouts be?
- What foods will you eat?
- How big or small will your portion sizes be?
Grab a piece of blank paper and write down your answers to those questions as detailed as you can. Always make sure it’s what you want NOT what you don’t want. For example, write ‘I want to be 10 stone by 31st May 2014’ rather than ‘I don’t want to be overweight.’ A positive affirmation is measurable – you can’t measure ‘I don’t want to be overweight.’ Giving your brain a negative command just doesn’t work – try not to think of being overweight and you will probably think about being overweight (a bit like thinking of a pink elephant!).
However, thinking about being 10 stone by 31st May 2014, if you are currently 11 stone, is positive. Create a clear picture of what you want and get a sensory image of it.
As you continue on your weight loss journey, give yourself feedback. If it’s going well, continue. If it’s not, change it.
Healthy eating for life is about planning. Plan your weekly shopping and take a shopping list with you to avoid the temptations in the supermarket aisles. Don’t buy anything that isn’t on your list.
Fitness for life is about booking time with yourself. Book your workouts in your diary and keep to those appointments just like you would any other appointment. When given the choice, always choose the active option. Your body was not designed to sit for long periods. Avoid escalators too!
To summarise, start planning for the rest of your life TODAY – do it now NOT tomorrow. If you leave it until tomorrow, you won’t do it. Answer the questions above and write down how you are going to take action. Please DON’T go on a diet – they never work long-term.
If you want help with this, just let me know and I’ll try my best to get you on track.