If you struggle with extra weight the title of this article might have struck a nerve. The truth is, the dynamics of weight loss is pretty simple:
Burn more calories than consumed!
In a nutshell - that's all there is to it. So why is it so many people find it so terribly difficult to lose weight?
People that have extra weight, and maybe have their whole life, are experts on the subject of weight loss and dieting. Let me say that again. If you have struggled with extra pounds - most especially if it has been the majority of your life - you are a subject matter expert on weight loss. Why do I say this? Because you have probably done it over and over again. If you think back, you have probably lost the same 20, 30, 50, maybe more, pounds repeatedly, only to gain it back.
So if we are honest with ourselves, we know how to lose weight. The difficult part is:
Keeping it off!
Why do we work so hard, discipline ourselves so well, practically torture ourselves with will-power and deprivation of the food we love - shed the weight, or some of it, only to gain it all back - and quite often, more weight than we had before? Statistics show that 98% of dieters fail.
Of 100 people who go on a diet, only 2 succeed!
Why is that? What does that 2% do? Quite simply, it all comes down to habit change. When I work with clients that want to lose weight, one word we do not use is "diet". Because most people that go on a diet see it as a temporary fix to the problem. They follow some super strict regimen of consuming low calorie, low fat food - giving up the food and drink that they love. It's all about deprivation and will-power. And, if we were to be totally honest with ourselves, there's always that thought lingering in the back of all this that once we lose all the weight we can reward ourselves with pleasures we once enjoyed.
So what these 98%'ers are really good at and have a lot of strength in is will-power to give up their favorite foods....for awhile. And the problem with that is it's not sustainable. It's not realistic. It does not establish new healthier habits. After some time in this self-deprivation mode we will get resentful that we have to do this at all, and then it's not much longer before we want to rebel...next, we give up, gain it back, with some extra to boot.
So here is 10 tips to help you be among the 2%'ers :
Do not go on a diet. From the beginning make a commitment to a LIFEstyle change. Meaning a change for a lifetime!
Maintain an awareness that little steps make big progress. If you pull one sheet off a roll of paper towels every day - eventually you will get to the cardboard tube.
Accept that the amount of time it takes to reach your goal is meaningless. As long as you get there.
Establish accountability. A spouse, a friend, maybe work with a health coach. Someone who will support and encourage you, and sometimes with some tough love. Do not do this alone.
Respond to unhealthy food cravings, don't ignore them. Tell yourself "Okay, If I really really want a cheeseburger and fries tomorrow, I'll allow myself to have that" You will be amazed at how many times you forget about it the next day.
Step 5 is the biggest key to getting you to a place where you are managing food, rather than food managing you.
Actually do allow yourself the occasional indulgence. Celebrate that you are in control, and just because you have allowed yourself to have that decadent pizza, it does not mean you have fallen off the band wagon!
Get your sugar intake under control! Sugar rich foods and drinks are extremely high in carbohydrates, which become fat when not burned up for energy.
Get away from the low-calorie low-fat mentality. Fat does not cause us to get fat. Excess carbs does.
Focus more on healthy fats, like from avocados, peanut butter, and nuts. Avoid simple carbohydrates - candy, ice cream, milk chocolate, and lean more towards complex carbs - like potatoes, wild rice, dark chocolate, fruits.
These are the principals that put myself on a journey to not just losing weight, but completely transforming my health and life. As a certified health coach I have had the thrill and privilege of helping people just like you experience their own transformation.
If you would like to experience what it is like to work with a health coach, please take advantage of my offering of a a free full-on 45 minute coaching session - either by phone of video chat. We will discover where you are now, where you would like to be, and how we can get you there. Book your no-cost session here.
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