Little Changes Add To Weight Loss, Part 3

     How long did it take you to gain weight? It didn't come on overnight, a week, month or probably in a year. Just as you gained it over time, you'll lose it over time too. How unrealistic is it to expect that we'll lose weight in a short period of time. Long-lasting changes rarely occur overnight. I've lost weight hundreds of times in my life. The problem is that I could never maintain my weight. Now, I've maintained it for over six years.

In working with my clients, a successful strategy in losing weight and keeping it off is to make one small change at a time. Do you reach the top of a staircase by a giant leap? No, you rise to the top one step at a time. The same for weight loss is to make small changes and allow them to build success one after the other. Before you know it, those changes create a momentum of success that move you forward to your weight loss goals.

1. Eat slowly and calmly. Enjoy the tastes and textures. Put your fork or spoon down between every bite. Intersperse your eating with enjoying the company of others joining you for the meal. Your brain has a delay to your stomach by about 20 minutes when it comes to the feeling of fullness and satisfaction. If you eat slowly enough, your brain will catch up to tell you that you are no longer in need of food.

2. Eat only when you're hungry. Sounds easy but can be challenging to differentiate between your head hunger and hear your stomach truly growling. It is amazing how often we eat out of boredom, nervousness, habit, hobby, recreational sport, or frustration. Unfortunately for some of us that struggle with weight and food issues, we have actually forgotten what physical hunger and the cues feel like. Wait until your stomach is growling before you reach for food. If you're craving a specific food, it's probably a craving, not hunger. It's probably your head that's hungry rather than your stomach. If you'd eat anything you could get your hands on, chances are you're truly physically hungry.

3. Out of sight, out of mind. The other day I found a surprise lurking in my refrigerator. It was a holiday treat from Thanksgiving that got pushed behind other items in the refrigerator. I didn't see it so I'd forgotten about it. Fast forward to how it looked today; it was petrified and looked awful. Seeing this Thanksgiving goodie that I'd kept that looked delicious in November to its current appearance was disgusting. It sure put the food choice into perspective. You aren't tempted if you don't see it. Even further, if you don't buy it or bring it home, you aren't tempted either. Keep your trigger foods out of your radar.

4. Empower yourself with the trash. Huh? My husband attended a work function and brought home some leftover food. It was not the best nutritional choice for anyone. Rather than keep it around, I threw it away. It felt so empowering to throw away the unhealthy food item. I was putting the health of myself and my family first over the temporary pleasure of eating undesirable food choice. You and your health are more important than any fleeting food fix

You don't have to undertake all of the changes in your lifestyle all at once. You've done that before. Did it result in long-lasting change? Probably not. Try something different. If you want different results, try it in a different way. Small changes build to big changes. Before you know it, you'll step on the scale and see your goal weight. Small changes can equal big success.

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