Make Weight Loss Happen

You want to lose weight but can’t make it happen. You know a healthy diet and exercise equals weight loss. But still your weight stays the same, or even goes up. So what’s wrong?.

You are taking in too many calories, not exercising enough or both.? Eating too much is the first matter to address. Are you comfort eating or boredom eating? Comfort eating can have many reasons, from a short term emotional difficulty to self esteem issues. You need to look at the problem yourself, with a friend or maybe find professional help.

Boredom eating is easier to manage. Don’t get bored. Simple, isn’t it? Well moderately simple anyway. Just think of three things to do every day. One you really like doing, one you don’t mind doing and one you hate. Start with the one you don’t mind doing. That’s not too bad and you won’t put it off and start boredom eating instead. Then do the one you hate. No point in putting that one off, because when it’s finished you can do the job you really enjoy and end on a high. As long as the jobs take a reasonable amount of time and you space them out you have avoided a lot of boredom eating and achieved something as well.

But there is still a problem. High calorie food is in the fridge, just waiting to be eaten. Well, get rid of it. Keep only healthy food in the house, fruit, green vegetables, oily fish, lean meet, low fat dairy products. At least if you now have a relapse you are eating fewer calories. You could also try drinking water instead of sweetened drinks.

Your family will need to be supportive here, but if you are overweight they are probably the same, so a collective effort could well help everyone.

So now that’s out of the way you must think about exercise. Walking is easy and can be enjoyable. But it’s cold, it’s raining and you’ve just sneezed three times in five minutes. Tough, don’t moan. Just go.

The best way to walk every day is to do it with a buddy. Not a family member, your walking must be non negotiable. There is one thing that really works. Agree that any day you back out, for reasons other than broken limbs and acts of God, your buddy gets five dollars. That way buddy turns up hoping for five bucks and you go out to save money. Never fails.

When you eat you think you do so because you are hungry. But it is not your stomach causing the problem, it’s your mind. You may decide that your aim is to lose a stone in three months. Fine, you have decided to lose weight and you have a goal. But then the comfort and boredom eating kicks in and you fail in your goal. So you feel you are a failure and carry on eating. That’s the old way. You don’t need just a goal, you need a system and that’s what you now have. If there is no unhealthy food in the house and your walking buddy stands to cost you five dollars a day the system is in place. Success in losing a stone in three months is inevitable. Keep to your system and you won’t be able to avoid it.

You can encourage yourself by making records of your weight. Make a note once a week. A couple of weeks and you will notice a difference. Then watch the pounds fall away as you head for your three month goal. Easy, isn’t it?

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