How often have you told yourself that you are on a diet, that you are sick of carrying around those extra pounds? Once a month? Once a week? Once a day? Are you really ready this time? Many people say they want to lose weight and improve their health, but when are you truly ready to make a change? Losing weight is a challenge and any new weight loss program or change in lifestyle will most likely fail if you are not prepared for the challenge. Improving your health and losing weight require some lifestyle changes that take time and effort. Although it takes some effort, anyone can do it, the key is to prepare yourself. Here are a few tips to help you start off and stay on the right track. Get ready to change your life…
- Are you emotionally ready? Check in with yourself and make sure you are committed to the changes and struggles that will lay ahead. The magic cure for weight loss has not been found yet and unfortunately, it still takes some effort on your part. Be sure you are ready for the challenge before you begin. Try to start at a time when there is no other challenging or stressful situations that you will have to deal with. Ask yourself if this is something you really want to do. Realize that there are some sacrifices you may be making. You may be missing out on family time so that you can exercise. You might have to miss your weekly outings with your friends at the bar in order to start changing your habits. Are you really ready? Summer is a great time to start because people are generally more relaxed and motivated. If you are not ready to commit, don’t fret. Just wait it out and assess when the time will be right. I believe waiting may be the best thing to do because when the time comes, you will be that much more committed to the cause.
- Make an exercise schedule. Any realistic weight loss plan will include some form of exercise. When will you do it? Do you need to secure a babysitter in order to go to the gym? It is easy to say “I will start going to the gym next week” but a lot harder to execute, especially on top of all the demands of daily life. If you are planning to exercise in the morning before work, will you get enough sleep? If you will schedule your workouts for the afternoon can you be sure to avoid afternoon meetings or last minute assignments that would cut into your gym time? Write down the days and times that you will absolutely commit to exercise and record what exercise you will do and how long it will last. If you will attend exercise classes be sure to get a schedule and find a way to squeeze the ones you like into your schedule. Once your exercise routine becomes habit, it will be a natural part of your schedule.
- Start small. Success comes easier to the tortoise than the hare. You will meet your goals eventually if you stick with a realistic plan. Don’t expect everything to change all at once. Changing your habits takes time, it is a process. It is much more realistic to start out going to the gym three days a week rather than everyday. Start small and reward yourself for meeting those goals, it will be more likely that you’ll stay on track.
- Buy a new water bottle and make it your new best friend. We all know it, and we all hear it on a regular basis: drink more water. It is especially important when you are trying to lose weight. Water helps you feel full, cleanse out toxins and stay hydrated. I recommend buying a new water bottle or washing out your old one to help you get a little bit excited about it. Your water bottle should go with you everywhere, and will serve as a constant reminder to drink up. When it is empty fill it up. When it is full, drink it down. I prefer the stainless steel water bottles because they fit into my purse just right and I don’t have to worry about plastic leeching into my water. Just find one you like, that you will want to carry around with you everywhere, fill it up and drink it down!
- Plan. Planning is essential for you to reach your goals. As I said above, you need to write out a schedule for your exercise plan. You should also have a general idea about the kind of foods you will eat and when. Will you eat breakfast at home? When will you have snack times? Does your job allow you adequate time to sit down and eat? Will you pack a lunch the night before? What about dinner? What kinds of snacks will you have on hand in an emergency? I recommend writing down your plans, as opposed to just thinking about them. The act of writing gives us more of a feeling of commitment. Having a plan in place can help prevent you from getting overwhelmed and giving up. I especially recommend you have some go-to snacks on hand. These should be snacks that you feel pretty good about so when you have the munchies or can’t hold out before dinner, you have some “safe” foods to fall back on. That way, you don’t have to blow your whole diet, or feel guilty about veering off of the diet plan.
- Practice. This is a great way to train yourself to not become totally discouraged from a little setback, it will help you feel like you are in control. Here’s how I “practice”. Before I commit to making a change, I make a plan and decide to practice for a day or a week. For example, I am currently “practicing” reducing the amount of calories I eat each day. I start the day by reminding myself of the practice and planning how I will do it. However, I emphasize that it is just practice before the real thing, so if I slip up it is not a big deal. While I am practicing, I am more aware of what works and what does not, without being hard on myself for not meeting my goals. It allows you to prepare for your weight loss program and begin judging your actions in a more objective way. After this kind of practice, you will be less likely to give it all up if you make a small slip up during the real deal and , more importantly, more forgiving of yourself.
- Aim for health. The words you choose when thinking and talking about your new changes are important. Your focus should be on overall health, not losing 18 or 22 pounds. While losing some weight may be a desired outcome, you are more likely to stick with the plan if you take on a more holistic attitude. With your focus on health, you should to try to get enough rest, drink lots of water and eat the right foods because they are good for you, not because you have to.
- Most importantly, be kind to yourself. Love yourself everyday, no matter what shape or size you are. Forgive yourself for your mistakes and setbacks. You are making these changes because you want to be healthy and feel good about yourself. You can do it!
Just follow the aforementioned points with focus and dedication and you will see the results with your own eyes in due course that it would be difficult to recognize your new posture but do take care not to yield to temptation at the sight of your favorite food so do read custom keto diet reviews online to keep yourself motivated.
