HANG ON TO YOUR NEW YEAR'S WEIGHT LOSS RESOLUTIONS!
One of the most popular New Year¹s resolutions is to lose weight. Many people however, have strayed from their path to a slimmer future even before the temperatures start to drop.
Here are 10 top tips to help you help you stay on track.
1. Make sure that you are losing weight for yourself first and for the right reasons.
2. For long lasting motivation for weight loss (or any goal) you must have or get the 4 P's : PATIENCE, PERSISTENCE, POSITIVE THINKING AND A PASSION FOR YOUR GOAL.
3. Set realistic goals for your goal weight and your rate of weight loss. Diets that result in rapid weight loss or that have a limited range of foods or that leave you hungry or feeling deprived, should also be avoided. Then set weight ‘sub goals' for more frequent successes and reward your achievements. For example, aiming to lose 20 kilos is too large a chunk to consider. Shoot for 5 kilos at a time.
4. Aim for a balanced, varied food intake, allowing for occasional indulgences and meals out.
The Australian Healthy Cooking Guide includes lots of easy, tasty recipes (including desserts and cakes) and a realistic, flexible weight loss plan including a 2- week menu that you can tailor to suit your needs.
5. Vary your menus, foods and recipes to avoid boredom otherwise you may go looking for excitement elsewhere. A chicken salad wrap may be a healthy lunch, but eaten every day could lead you to detour down the lolly isle at the supermarket. You can maximise variety by planning your menus and shopping list in advance.
6. Focus on the positives. For example, rather than dwelling on the foods or drinks you have to cut back, focus instead on what you can eat more of, the new recipes you want to try and how much better you will feel and what you will be able to do, when you're slimmer.
7. If you can¹t stop once you start, throw out or give away those high kilojoule temptations like chocolates, biscuits, cakes or chips. Having them there is tempting fate. (If it's not in the fridge, you can't eat it.) Remember... "Out of sight, Out of house, Out of mind, Out of mouth".
8. Gain greater insight into your eating habits by keeping a food diary and then plan ways to manage your eating better. You may find that you eat when you are not hungry but when you are triggered environmentally (e.g. when the TV adverts appear) or emotionally (e.g. when feeling bored or depressed).
9. If you are stressed when you get home from work, instead of opening a bottle of wine or chocolate bar, take the dog for a walk to let off some energy or run a hot bath to help you relax. If watching TV bores you then change the channel, pick up a book or go for a walk around the block so eating doesn¹t become a hobby.
10. Buy an outfit a size smaller than your current size as an incentive to lose weight then put it in a place where you will see it daily like on the back of your bedroom door.
Do you want more tips with getting and staying motivated?
Ask Caron for more advice and personal help and your FREE Chooz to looz book ‘Motivation- getting it and keeping it', when you attend your next appointment at the clinic or the equivalent eBook version of this book, following your next Phone/Skype consultation.