Many of my clients were initially overweight, not all, but most were. In fact, more than 60% of my clients came to me to help them lose weight. The other 40% is a mixture of people who want to live longer, who want to look sexier, who want to add muscle to their physique, or who just want to live a
healthy, energy-rich life.
Today, I'm going to focus on helping those people who want to lose weight, not because I think that the topic of weight loss is more important than other topics I could cover, but because I think I need to clear up a few false ideas that are circulating in the industry.
First and foremost, if you're overweight, there's a very good chance that you have a low metabolism! I know that might not be shocking to you. You may have already thought that you had a slow metabolism, but here's why I'm re-stating it...
Having a slow metabolism means that you can eat 'only a little food' and still gain more weight than your neighbor who eats far more than you every day of his or her life.
Your metabolism is basically a bunch of organs and glands that are responsible for regulating how your body burns food for fuel and how it converts that food into energy. These include the thyroid, pancreas, stomach, small and large intestines, and the colon.
When you have a slow metabolism there's a good chance that one of more of these systems is out of balance or just plain not working properly (and that's almost always due to improper living, disease, drugs, or a severe accident).
But there are more causes for being overweight other than having a low metabolism. You see, overweight people tend to eat when they're not hungry, they tend to have a larger appetite, they tend to eat "diet foods" more often (which are rarely conducive to weight loss as the label suggests), they tend to eat before they go to bed, and worst of all they tend to see themselves as being overweight.
Now you can clean up almost all of this mess by living a healthy lifestyle, or if you've read any of my books or listened to any of the audio programs my company has out, then you already know all the basics associated with living a lean, healthy lifestyle.
But the underlying problem that can never be cleared up simply with your actions, is the way you see yourself when you close your eyes.
My studies at the National Metabolic and Longevity Research Center have taught me that overweight people constantly think about their weight in a negative way, thus creating the undesired effect. It's true that you become what you think
about, and if you constantly see yourself as being fat, you'll never be thin!
Here's a tip...for the next 30 days (it takes 28 - 30 days to change how you subconsciously think of yourself) take a few minutes in the morning and picture a great looking, tight, sexy body from head to toe - then put your face on that body.
Do this exercise again in the mid afternoon, and then again right before you fall asleep at night.
Do this for 30 days and I guarantee that you'll experience a dramatic change in the way your body looks.
Thursday 30 October 2014
Menopause And Weight Gain
Talking to most women over 50 you will quickly find that menopause and weight gain are linked in their experience. It is very common to put on weight at this time and while some of this may be due to lifestyle changes, that does not explain why suddenly we develop a tendency to put on weight at different parts of the body, especially the abdomen, while any weight gained when we were younger tended to be centered on the hips.
The truth is that hormonal changes do have a part to play in this, although the process is not completely understood. At menopause a woman stops ovulating, her monthly menstruation periods end, and her body produces much lower levels of the female hormone estrogen which is responsible for the ovulation process. Low estrogen has been shown to cause weight gain in animals and it almost certainly is the reason why our bodies change shape. While women of childbearing age store fat in the lower body, after the menopause they store it on the abdomen instead, like men. This leads to a greater risk of heart disease.
At the same time, both men and women tend to find muscle turning to fat as they grow older, and the metabolism slows down. This means that if you do not adjust your eating habits you will probably find that your weight increases. A person of 60 just does not need as many calories as a person of 40.
Hormone therapy with estrogen is sometimes prescribed to control menopausal symptoms. Many women will be surprised to hear that studies have shown that hormone therapy does not cause weight gain. Some women experience bloating and water retention in the early stages of hormone therapy but this is usually temporary and they have not gained any fat. Hormone therapy can reduce the risk of heart disease by preventing the changes in storage of body fat around the abdomen and lowering cholesterol. However, hormone therapy has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in some studies.
If you find that you are gaining weight around the menopause, there are several things you can do.
- Eat a healthy, low fat diet with plenty of fiber, avoiding sugar.
- Take regular exercise. As people get older their physical activity levels naturally drop. Work often becomes less physically demanding, there are no kids to run around after, we take less active holidays and do things more slowly. 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day will help to balance out the effect of this.
- Maintain your muscle strength and mass. Use weights for arm muscles and walking or cycling for legs.
- Accept the changes to the shape of your body. If you are not overweight, but simply have a thicker waist and slimmer legs, that is fine.
Consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program if you have any medical conditions or your fitness levels are low. Your doctor can also help with symptoms of the menopause and weight gain.
The truth is that hormonal changes do have a part to play in this, although the process is not completely understood. At menopause a woman stops ovulating, her monthly menstruation periods end, and her body produces much lower levels of the female hormone estrogen which is responsible for the ovulation process. Low estrogen has been shown to cause weight gain in animals and it almost certainly is the reason why our bodies change shape. While women of childbearing age store fat in the lower body, after the menopause they store it on the abdomen instead, like men. This leads to a greater risk of heart disease.
At the same time, both men and women tend to find muscle turning to fat as they grow older, and the metabolism slows down. This means that if you do not adjust your eating habits you will probably find that your weight increases. A person of 60 just does not need as many calories as a person of 40.
Hormone therapy with estrogen is sometimes prescribed to control menopausal symptoms. Many women will be surprised to hear that studies have shown that hormone therapy does not cause weight gain. Some women experience bloating and water retention in the early stages of hormone therapy but this is usually temporary and they have not gained any fat. Hormone therapy can reduce the risk of heart disease by preventing the changes in storage of body fat around the abdomen and lowering cholesterol. However, hormone therapy has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in some studies.
If you find that you are gaining weight around the menopause, there are several things you can do.
- Eat a healthy, low fat diet with plenty of fiber, avoiding sugar.
- Take regular exercise. As people get older their physical activity levels naturally drop. Work often becomes less physically demanding, there are no kids to run around after, we take less active holidays and do things more slowly. 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day will help to balance out the effect of this.
- Maintain your muscle strength and mass. Use weights for arm muscles and walking or cycling for legs.
- Accept the changes to the shape of your body. If you are not overweight, but simply have a thicker waist and slimmer legs, that is fine.
Consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program if you have any medical conditions or your fitness levels are low. Your doctor can also help with symptoms of the menopause and weight gain.
Mediterranean Diet Information
Mediterranean diet is basically the dietary traditions followed by the people of Greece, Spain and southern Italy who live around the Mediterranean Sea. It has been studied by an American Dr Ancel Keys when he landed in Greece in 1945. He discovered that the people of Greece and Spain had longer life expectancy and didn’t have any major health problem.
Their diet mainly consists of lots of food from plant sources freshly eaten minimally processed, locally grown, and seasonal and very little food from animal sources
Foods mainly are fresh fruits, vegetables, sea fresh fish, herbs, bread, grains, nuts and seeds, non refined oils like olive oil which is 25% to 35% of fat consumed and low consumption of saturated fats, moderate consumption of cheese and yoghurt, honey and fresh fruits for desserts, lots of fresh fish and non refined cereals.
Vegetables consumed should be at least 1 pound and red meat consumed sparingly only. Lots of physical activity and consumption of wine if taken should only be 1 glass for women and 2 glasses for men daily with meals.
Fruits are mainly grapes, raisins olives, avocado, strawberries, raspberries, currant, blue berries grapes, black olives, orange, apple, pear, figs, pomegranates, dates, passion fruits, cherry, apricot, grapefruit, peach, prunes, quince, bergamot and plums.
Vegetables are spinach, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, white peach, bell pepper, carrot, beetroot, tomato, onion, shallots, scallions, green onion, celery, eggplant, capers, cucumber, lemon, Zucchini, white and red cabbage, mushroom, grapevine leaves, artichokes, potatoes, sweet corn and gherkin.
Grains are mainly pasta, couscous, rice, polenta, bulgur etc.
Legumes are carob, peas, beans, lima beans, chickpea and lentils.
Herbs and spices used are anise, basil, bay leaves, borage, peppercorns, garlic, chilies, chamomile, chervil, chives, dill, fennel, lavender, marjoram, mint, nutmeg, oregano, parsley, sesame seeds, rosemary, sage, savory, sorrel, tarragon, and thyme, vanilla, mahaleb, red saffron, masticha, cinnamon, clove, coriander, cumin and caraway.
Cheese used are mainly from sheep and goats milk - bocconcini, edam, feta, halloumi, kasseri, kefalograviera, kefalotyri, roquefort cheese, mozzarella, mitzithra, manouri, manchego, peciino toscano , mascarpone, parmesan, and pecorino, anthotyro, xynotyri, ladotyri, anevato and batzos.
Nuts are almonds, fennel, poppy, sesame, pistachio nuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pine nuts and chestnuts.
Fish and fillets are herring, salmon, trout, tuna, anchovies, sardines, mackerels, cod, and carp. Sea foods like octopus, clams, mussels and squids are also eaten.A wide variety of these foods consumed daily has been found to be very good for the heart as well.
Their diet mainly consists of lots of food from plant sources freshly eaten minimally processed, locally grown, and seasonal and very little food from animal sources
Foods mainly are fresh fruits, vegetables, sea fresh fish, herbs, bread, grains, nuts and seeds, non refined oils like olive oil which is 25% to 35% of fat consumed and low consumption of saturated fats, moderate consumption of cheese and yoghurt, honey and fresh fruits for desserts, lots of fresh fish and non refined cereals.
Vegetables consumed should be at least 1 pound and red meat consumed sparingly only. Lots of physical activity and consumption of wine if taken should only be 1 glass for women and 2 glasses for men daily with meals.
Fruits are mainly grapes, raisins olives, avocado, strawberries, raspberries, currant, blue berries grapes, black olives, orange, apple, pear, figs, pomegranates, dates, passion fruits, cherry, apricot, grapefruit, peach, prunes, quince, bergamot and plums.
Vegetables are spinach, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, white peach, bell pepper, carrot, beetroot, tomato, onion, shallots, scallions, green onion, celery, eggplant, capers, cucumber, lemon, Zucchini, white and red cabbage, mushroom, grapevine leaves, artichokes, potatoes, sweet corn and gherkin.
Grains are mainly pasta, couscous, rice, polenta, bulgur etc.
Legumes are carob, peas, beans, lima beans, chickpea and lentils.
Herbs and spices used are anise, basil, bay leaves, borage, peppercorns, garlic, chilies, chamomile, chervil, chives, dill, fennel, lavender, marjoram, mint, nutmeg, oregano, parsley, sesame seeds, rosemary, sage, savory, sorrel, tarragon, and thyme, vanilla, mahaleb, red saffron, masticha, cinnamon, clove, coriander, cumin and caraway.
Cheese used are mainly from sheep and goats milk - bocconcini, edam, feta, halloumi, kasseri, kefalograviera, kefalotyri, roquefort cheese, mozzarella, mitzithra, manouri, manchego, peciino toscano , mascarpone, parmesan, and pecorino, anthotyro, xynotyri, ladotyri, anevato and batzos.
Nuts are almonds, fennel, poppy, sesame, pistachio nuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pine nuts and chestnuts.
Fish and fillets are herring, salmon, trout, tuna, anchovies, sardines, mackerels, cod, and carp. Sea foods like octopus, clams, mussels and squids are also eaten.A wide variety of these foods consumed daily has been found to be very good for the heart as well.
Measure Your Progress
An extremely important part of your fitness program is being able to measure your progress.
Body fat testing is not painful, nor is it expensive. You can get it done at most any gym or fitness center. Simply ask if they have an expert who can measure body composition.
It's also a good idea to take ‘before and after photos’ and post them somewhere you'll see them every day.
But most importantly, measure 5 - 10 different aspects of your progress.
My most successful clients measure everything in their life that's affected by their weight loss, normally on a simple scale from 1 - 10, such as:
- their daily energy level
- their attitude
- the way they feel when they look in the mirror
- the way they fit into their clothes
- the compliments they get from people
- their level of mental focus
- their waist, hips, and thigh measurements
- their body weight
- their body-fat level
- their endurance in their workouts
- etc, etc, etc...
Make a long list of ways you can measure your progress - but be sure to include things that are truly important to YOU. If having loads of energy is important to you, then you should be measuring your energy level every day to see if your diet and/or workout routine are doing their job.
On the other hand, if you already have a lot of daily energy, than you might not want to measure that - you might prefer to measure other things that are more important to you at your current stage of life.
Take time to design your list, then chart your progress in a daily journal every day for each of the categories on your list. Then take an average for the whole day, and write that average at the top of your page.
Body fat testing is not painful, nor is it expensive. You can get it done at most any gym or fitness center. Simply ask if they have an expert who can measure body composition.
It's also a good idea to take ‘before and after photos’ and post them somewhere you'll see them every day.
But most importantly, measure 5 - 10 different aspects of your progress.
My most successful clients measure everything in their life that's affected by their weight loss, normally on a simple scale from 1 - 10, such as:
- their daily energy level
- their attitude
- the way they feel when they look in the mirror
- the way they fit into their clothes
- the compliments they get from people
- their level of mental focus
- their waist, hips, and thigh measurements
- their body weight
- their body-fat level
- their endurance in their workouts
- etc, etc, etc...
Make a long list of ways you can measure your progress - but be sure to include things that are truly important to YOU. If having loads of energy is important to you, then you should be measuring your energy level every day to see if your diet and/or workout routine are doing their job.
On the other hand, if you already have a lot of daily energy, than you might not want to measure that - you might prefer to measure other things that are more important to you at your current stage of life.
Take time to design your list, then chart your progress in a daily journal every day for each of the categories on your list. Then take an average for the whole day, and write that average at the top of your page.
Make Your Body More Flexible and Curvy With the Help of Meridia
Because of an unorganized life style and unhealthy eating habits many people are loosing control over their weight. Crave for hunger when combined with high calorie food is the path leading to obesity. Obesity has now become the formula for disaster. It leads to cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and other serious health problems which can have drastic impacts. Apart from determination something more is required to wrestle this conflict of bulge. Nowadays, the pharmaceutical industry has come into the picture of weight loss. Meridia emerges as an effective weight loss drug in the deserted anti-obesity market.
Meridia is also known by the name of reductil. It is the brand name for sibutramine. It is recommended for the people who are seriously obese and not for those who want to loose just a few pounds. Meridia falls in the same class of various other anti-depressants. It works on the chemicals present in the brain. By increasing the levels of serotonin, nor epinephrine, and dopamine in the brain, it decreases the appetite and helps reduce weight. Cautions should be taken while consuming this medicine as meridia has been shown to considerably increase the blood pressure in some patients.
Meridia is available in 15mg and 30 mg. It is usually taken once in a day with a full glass of water. One should avoid taking the medicine during late hours in the day as it may cause insomnia. In case you miss a dose, do not double it. It can affect your health.
Medical studies have proved that meridia when taken with a low-fat diet and regular exercises, helps reduce weight faster. Losing around four pounds during the first month of taking meridia is a good indication.
Before consuming meridia, one should always consult a doctor. Your doctor will be able to judge better whether meridia is suitable for you or not.
Some of the common side-effects associated with the intake of meridia are
• Dry mouth
• Headache
• Constipation
• Trouble sleeping
• High blood pressure
• Increased heart rate
Meridia is not advisable for people who have heart disease, gallstones, glaucoma, liver disease or kidney disease.
Avoid taking any other medicine during the time you are consuming meridia. It may react with other medicines and result in a condition called serotonin syndrome. Such a condition would require immediate medical attention. The symptoms of serotonin syndrome are anxiety, restlessness, unconsciousness, fever, poor coordination, sweating, weakness etc. Consult your doctor before taking any other weight loss product, anti-depressants, cough suppressants or migraine medicines.
The field of technology has made it easier for you to purchase meridia sitting in any corner of the world. One can purchase it online without having any personal contact with the seller. Just an online form including your personal details and medical history has to be filled up. The pharmacist will ship the medicine in lesser time.
Loosing weight has been made easier and simpler through meridia. Follow your weight loss plan and feel the change in yourself.
Meridia is also known by the name of reductil. It is the brand name for sibutramine. It is recommended for the people who are seriously obese and not for those who want to loose just a few pounds. Meridia falls in the same class of various other anti-depressants. It works on the chemicals present in the brain. By increasing the levels of serotonin, nor epinephrine, and dopamine in the brain, it decreases the appetite and helps reduce weight. Cautions should be taken while consuming this medicine as meridia has been shown to considerably increase the blood pressure in some patients.
Meridia is available in 15mg and 30 mg. It is usually taken once in a day with a full glass of water. One should avoid taking the medicine during late hours in the day as it may cause insomnia. In case you miss a dose, do not double it. It can affect your health.
Medical studies have proved that meridia when taken with a low-fat diet and regular exercises, helps reduce weight faster. Losing around four pounds during the first month of taking meridia is a good indication.
Before consuming meridia, one should always consult a doctor. Your doctor will be able to judge better whether meridia is suitable for you or not.
Some of the common side-effects associated with the intake of meridia are
• Dry mouth
• Headache
• Constipation
• Trouble sleeping
• High blood pressure
• Increased heart rate
Meridia is not advisable for people who have heart disease, gallstones, glaucoma, liver disease or kidney disease.
Avoid taking any other medicine during the time you are consuming meridia. It may react with other medicines and result in a condition called serotonin syndrome. Such a condition would require immediate medical attention. The symptoms of serotonin syndrome are anxiety, restlessness, unconsciousness, fever, poor coordination, sweating, weakness etc. Consult your doctor before taking any other weight loss product, anti-depressants, cough suppressants or migraine medicines.
The field of technology has made it easier for you to purchase meridia sitting in any corner of the world. One can purchase it online without having any personal contact with the seller. Just an online form including your personal details and medical history has to be filled up. The pharmacist will ship the medicine in lesser time.
Loosing weight has been made easier and simpler through meridia. Follow your weight loss plan and feel the change in yourself.
Make Way For A Healthy Life With Phentermine
Gaining weight abnormally is a sign of an unhealthy health. It is a sign that a body is preparing to suffer from various health factors like heart disease, diabetes high blood pressure etc. On the other hand adjusting our life style with a heavy body can hampers our daily life a lot. We may tend to get tire out soon and fell like resting all the time. So it is very necessary to keep a check on our increasing weight and try to get keep fat at bay from our body.
Obviously, there are ways to keeps our health fit and free from over weight. A daily routine of balanced diet and a bit of work out in a gym can help us a lot in the long run. But following a right routine is a very tedious affair and keeping oneself attached to it daily is not always possible. This type of irregularities in a balanced health routine creates trouble in our body and fails to protect our body from being overweight and fatty. To overcome this type of problems effectively and with positive results, medical science proved that if a diet pill is added to one’s life daily, the problem of overweight can be solved to a larger extent. On that pretext, Phentermine diet pill proved to be very productive. Satisfactory results are discovered from its users. Thus FDA trails approved it as an appetite suppressant way back in 1959.
Phentermine diet pills stimulate the hypothalamus gland in our brain and inhibit those neurotransmitters that urge us to have food at any time. Thus help us to suppress our appetite for a longer period. So that’s why it has been proved that much more improved results can be achieved if added it to one’s daily health routine.
As any other drug, usage of Phentermine also shows a few side affects. Headache, dizziness, dry mouth is common among them. But clinical trails proved that body gets used to it after a few days of its usage. It a doctor’s prescription drug and hence recommended to check a doctor for a proper dose and course as well.
Obviously, there are ways to keeps our health fit and free from over weight. A daily routine of balanced diet and a bit of work out in a gym can help us a lot in the long run. But following a right routine is a very tedious affair and keeping oneself attached to it daily is not always possible. This type of irregularities in a balanced health routine creates trouble in our body and fails to protect our body from being overweight and fatty. To overcome this type of problems effectively and with positive results, medical science proved that if a diet pill is added to one’s life daily, the problem of overweight can be solved to a larger extent. On that pretext, Phentermine diet pill proved to be very productive. Satisfactory results are discovered from its users. Thus FDA trails approved it as an appetite suppressant way back in 1959.
Phentermine diet pills stimulate the hypothalamus gland in our brain and inhibit those neurotransmitters that urge us to have food at any time. Thus help us to suppress our appetite for a longer period. So that’s why it has been proved that much more improved results can be achieved if added it to one’s daily health routine.
As any other drug, usage of Phentermine also shows a few side affects. Headache, dizziness, dry mouth is common among them. But clinical trails proved that body gets used to it after a few days of its usage. It a doctor’s prescription drug and hence recommended to check a doctor for a proper dose and course as well.
Make A Weight-Loss New Year’s Resolution And Stick With It All Year Long
Losing weight is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions each year. We all start with great intentions but after a few weeks, we fall back into our usual unhealthy lifestyle and the weight we did lose creeps back on. Let’s take a look at what steps to take to make sure we still stick to our weight-loss resolution at the end of December.
Determine your “Why” and write it down.
Think about the reason why you want to loose weight. Is it to look better in a bathing suit for that vacation in July? Is it to be healthier and get your risk for heart disease and diabetes down? Do you want to be able to enjoy a more active lifestyle? Do you want more energy to play catch with the kids? Be as specific as possible.
Now take out a sheet of paper and write down your big “Why”.
Set and write down sensible weight-loss goals.
The next important tip to being able to stick to your weight-loss goal is to set a sensible goal to begin with. You shouldn’t expect yourself to loose more than 1 to 2 pounds per week. Look for a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator online to help you determine whether you are underweight, normal, overweight, or obese. The higher your BMI, the more weight you can expect to lose in the long run. If you are in the normal range, but feel that you should lose weight, you may not want to aim for more than 5 pounds. On the other hand, if you are obese, than losing 50 pounds this year may be a good goal for you.
I would also like to encourage you to consult with your physician before starting any weight loss program. He or she can give you an even better idea on a good goal for you.
Make a plan you can stick with all year long.
You know yourself better than just about anyone else. Most likely you’ve been on a diet or two (or more). So you already know what doesn’t work for you. You’ll be most likely to stick with something common sense making small changes that you can live with from here on. Eat healthier and consume fewer calories, but also get more active.
Set small goals along the way.
Look at where you are at now and at your goal for the end of the year. Now break it down into several small goals. You want to break your weight loss journey down into small chunks that seem more attainable. Focus on the first “mini” goal until you reach it and then move on to the next one.
Keep track of your progress.
Keep a journal and record what you eat and how active you are during the day. If you chase the kids around the yard for 20 minutes, record it. Writing these things down builds accountability. You’ll find yourself thinking, “If I eat that cookie, I’ll have to write it down. I better skip it”. Or if you haven’t been a couch potato all day, you may be motivated to take a quick walk around the block so you can jot it down in your journal.
Celebrate each small goal.
Remember those small goals you planed out? Make sure you celebrate each goal you reach – but not with food. Reward yourself with a new blouse, a manicure, or a good book. Pick something you truly enjoy. This will build some positive reinforcement that will keep you going until you reach the next goal.
Keep your “Why” in mind.
Don’t loose track of the big picture. Remind yourself daily of your big “Why”, the reason why you want to lose weight. Keep the sheet of paper with your reason for losing weight close by and read it every morning or every evening. This is another big motivator to keep you going all year.
Losing weight can seem like a daunting task, especially if you have a fair amount to lose and you are just starting out. Don’t let it intimidate you though. Take it one step and one pound at a time. Before you know it, it will be the December and you will be 5, 10 or 50 pounds lighter. I know you can do it!
Determine your “Why” and write it down.
Think about the reason why you want to loose weight. Is it to look better in a bathing suit for that vacation in July? Is it to be healthier and get your risk for heart disease and diabetes down? Do you want to be able to enjoy a more active lifestyle? Do you want more energy to play catch with the kids? Be as specific as possible.
Now take out a sheet of paper and write down your big “Why”.
Set and write down sensible weight-loss goals.
The next important tip to being able to stick to your weight-loss goal is to set a sensible goal to begin with. You shouldn’t expect yourself to loose more than 1 to 2 pounds per week. Look for a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator online to help you determine whether you are underweight, normal, overweight, or obese. The higher your BMI, the more weight you can expect to lose in the long run. If you are in the normal range, but feel that you should lose weight, you may not want to aim for more than 5 pounds. On the other hand, if you are obese, than losing 50 pounds this year may be a good goal for you.
I would also like to encourage you to consult with your physician before starting any weight loss program. He or she can give you an even better idea on a good goal for you.
Make a plan you can stick with all year long.
You know yourself better than just about anyone else. Most likely you’ve been on a diet or two (or more). So you already know what doesn’t work for you. You’ll be most likely to stick with something common sense making small changes that you can live with from here on. Eat healthier and consume fewer calories, but also get more active.
Set small goals along the way.
Look at where you are at now and at your goal for the end of the year. Now break it down into several small goals. You want to break your weight loss journey down into small chunks that seem more attainable. Focus on the first “mini” goal until you reach it and then move on to the next one.
Keep track of your progress.
Keep a journal and record what you eat and how active you are during the day. If you chase the kids around the yard for 20 minutes, record it. Writing these things down builds accountability. You’ll find yourself thinking, “If I eat that cookie, I’ll have to write it down. I better skip it”. Or if you haven’t been a couch potato all day, you may be motivated to take a quick walk around the block so you can jot it down in your journal.
Celebrate each small goal.
Remember those small goals you planed out? Make sure you celebrate each goal you reach – but not with food. Reward yourself with a new blouse, a manicure, or a good book. Pick something you truly enjoy. This will build some positive reinforcement that will keep you going until you reach the next goal.
Keep your “Why” in mind.
Don’t loose track of the big picture. Remind yourself daily of your big “Why”, the reason why you want to lose weight. Keep the sheet of paper with your reason for losing weight close by and read it every morning or every evening. This is another big motivator to keep you going all year.
Losing weight can seem like a daunting task, especially if you have a fair amount to lose and you are just starting out. Don’t let it intimidate you though. Take it one step and one pound at a time. Before you know it, it will be the December and you will be 5, 10 or 50 pounds lighter. I know you can do it!
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