How To Lose Weight & Keep It Off For Good

Recently I helped my client to overcome a major issue. After losing 26 pounds for her wedding, she slipped a little ... 
With her permission, I'd like to share this story with you. 
So Natalie (not her real name) achieved a perfect vibrant body and looked stunning in her elegant dress. After the wedding, she went on a honeymoon with her husband, where they stayed at an all-inclusive resort. Exotic dishes, cocktails, desserts, fried food .... She tried it all. She also abandoned her exercise, except probably having some fun with her new husband.
Natalie had been working her butt off in the gym for five months, had been eating clean, and formed healthy habits. But after not exercising and letting herself eat junk, she had gained weight. When she came back home, she still did not want to exercise and could not stop eating chocolate and bread.
Then, after binging for almost two months, she reached out to me again. She'd gained a lot of weight and was unhappy with her body, energy levels, and a few other aspects in her life.
Why did she gain weight? 
That is what happens when we focus on one special occasion and not the long-term results. You're almost guaranteeing you'll gain it all back when you think just about looking good on your wedding day, school reunion or a pool party.
Because after the special occasion has passed, many people give up exercising and often binge.
How to prevent it
As I have mentioned in my ebook, if you want to prevent these problems, you have to concentrate on long term weight loss. But some people like Natalie are so focused on that one special occasion that they fall off the wagon once they achieve their goal. 
How can you focus on long-term weight loss?
1. Make a list of your life values. 
When people do this, health usually falls into their top-3 priorities. So they usually have this shocking revelation that the way they’re living their lives is not according to their true values. This will urge you to be more conscious about your daily choices.
2. Take small steps. 
When people try to change to a 100% "perfect" diet overnight, they sometimes find themselves buying Chicken McNuggets at McDonald’s. There is a different level for everyone. Keep making small incremental changes every week and remember that baby steps count as long as you've moving forward.
3. Develop healthy habits. 
Don’t be a weekend warrior who spends hours killing herself on a treadmill. You will get pain that will prevent you from going to the gym for the next week. Just focus on eating regular healthy meals and exercising consistently.
4. Don’t compare yourself to others. 
There are many advisers when it comes to diet and losing weight. Please note that they are on their own journey and what's right for them is not necessarily right for you.
5. Don’t take early inventory. 
Don’t weigh yourself every day, and don’t expect results overnight. You've got your whole life to achieve what you want. Do it slowly but surely.
I hope you can learn something from Natalie’s experience and that you can avoid these mistakes. When you focus on long-term, you feel at your best all year round, not just one month for a beach season.
Natalie is doing great now. She's been working on re-establishing her healthy habits and setting her mindset for long term success.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

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