For a variety of reasons (such as the start of a new year), many people are determined to lose weight. Perhaps an attempt at weight loss has been made before. Possibly some weight was lost and then it was regained. Maybe no weight was lost at all. Will this attempt at weight loss be different? It can be if the approach to losing weight is realistic.

Call it human nature, but we often set ourselves up to fail because we take on too much at one time. We tend to want everything to happen quickly. The goals we then make are too numerous and not practical. We become overwhelmed and give up. Mapping out a strategy that we can live with the rest of our lives is the key to losing weight permanently and safely.

Goals
Just saying that we need to lose weight and exercise is not good enough. We all know what we should do; we simply need to do it. Pick both short term and long term goals and write them down. One goal may be to no longer eat in the car. A second goal may be to exercise on a regular basis. We need to write this down in our appointment book. We make appointments for everything else and exercise should be no different.

Self Monitoring
For a short while, keep a small notebook handy to record your food intake. In all the hustle and bustle of life, it is easy to snack so much that the pounds just seem to come from nowhere. It may help to determine exactly where our excess food intake is coming from by tracking what we are eating, how much, and even our mood when we eat it. Self monitoring will help create an awareness of our eating habits. In addition, we will learn to distinguish between physical hunger and psychological hunger, which may decrease the chance of eating spontaneously.

Social Support
Sometimes it is easiest to make changes when we are not in it alone. Selecting someone to help us work out a plan to keep on target is like having a checks-and-balance system. If one person has more difficulty than the other staying on course, provide support and encouragement. Keep the focus on something other than food for rewards and motivation.

Be Forgiving
It is highly unlikely any of us can follow a healthful diet or exercise program 100% of the time. But, isn't it great if we do that at least 90% of the time? If we miss a day of scheduled exercise, acknowledge it and set up a plan to get back on track. If we overindulge on food, that doesn't mean we have failed. Just don't make excuses. Get back on track as soon as possible and celebrate the success in doing that. We are not perfect and striving for perfection is a sure way to become discouraged.

Copyright© 1999-2006 Kevin Kelly, LRD. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.

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