Weight loss seems so simple: eat fewer calories than you expend and you will lose weight. But ask any of the 50 million individuals who are attempting to lose weight each year and they will tell you it is not that easy. It's not just changing what you eat and exercising. It feels like battle. After all, you are tackling the 10-year daily visit to the vending machine, the 20-year snacking while watching TV habit and the real doozy, the "dinner's-not-complete-unless-I-eat-something-sweet" conviction.
If you want to kick those bad habits that prevent you from eating fewer calories than you need, be prepared to understand and change your behaviors.
First, understand your motivation. Why do you want to lose weight? If you do not have a reason that is truly meaningful to you, then you will have a tough road to climb. People who attempt weight loss because they feel they should, but aren't invested, won't be able to make the necessary permanent change in behavior.
If you can't identify a reason, brainstorm. Write down every possible reason why you want to lose weight, set it aside for a day or so. When you return to the list, write down why that reason is important to you. (What will it do for you specifically?) When you've identified your top three and you feel strongly about them, it's time to get started. If you still struggle, put the list away and return every couple of days, adding answers and revisiting old ones until you have identified your reason why .
Once you have identified the very specific reason, hang onto it. Make visible reminders. The reminders could be pictures of yourself, your kids or a swimsuit model or a pair of pants you would like to fit into. When you feel like giving up, try on the pants. Notice how they fit, where they are still tight and where they have gotten looser. Now imagine what it will be like to fit into them again.
On an index card write one sentence summarizing your motivation. Carry the card with you. When you don't want to go to the gym, read the card several times. Tell yourself that if you don't feel like exercising tomorrow, you'll give in; but for today you will stick with it. The next time the scenario comes up, play the same game with yourself. Identify your motivation for giving up. Is going home and sitting on the couch, watching TV or going to the mall really worth it?
We are our own worst enemies. Despite working hard at changing our behaviors and making efforts to make it happen, we subtly tell ourselves things like, "I hope I can do this," "I've been good; I deserve to take a day off" or "I blew it today; I might as well write today off and start fresh tomorrow." The problem with these thoughts is they are all negative. Telling yourself you hope you can do this indicates uncertainty, and there is some element that is not within your control. Remember weight loss is possible. Direct your thoughts positively and keep your motivation in sight.
Put exercise in the same perspective as the rest of your life. A lot of people think of exercise as something extra in their lives - something that happens when they have the time. If exercise is never a priority, you will always identify things that bump it off the to-do list.
Instead, think of exercise as part of your life. We all have things we have to do each day - go to work, pay the pills, do the laundry, etc. We do these tasks because there is a price to pay if we don't. Treat exercise as though it's obligatory. When you wake up each day, plan your exercise as just something else that needs to happen.
Do you give your best to your job, family and friends but never devote anything worthwhile to yourself? Use these behavior changes as an opportunity to put yourself first. Remind yourself you are taking steps toward a healthier, leaner you. If you do not see changes in your body or on the scale immediately, be patient. Weight loss will happen when you remain committed to your goal.
