When it comes to successful weight loss that stays off forever, habits are a big part of the puzzle, you are most probably aware of some of the habits that have prevented you from successfully losing weight in the past, but even though you may know what they are, it is not always easy to swap them for new healthier ones.
When you go on a diet you change what you eat and often how much exercise you do, but what happens when you reach your target weight and stop doing those things? Unless new habitual behaviours have been introduced to replace the old ones (which is never going to happen unless these new habitual behaviours are things you are happy doing) then the chances are all the weight you have lost will gradually go back on. You 'go on a diet' and then come 'off a diet' but what about the habits that led you to become overweight in the first place?
There are some core principles involved in making the lasting changes needed to be able to balance the way you eat with still being able to enjoy all the things you love. These are what help you determine exactly what is going to work for you, so you will be able to lose the weight you want and understand how to apply this knowledge whenever you need it in the future, knowing that you are completely in control of your weight at all times. How would that feel?
Which of these could be your defining habit for 2015 making it the year you successfully lose weight, feel amazing and achieve that life changing success you've always wanted.
1. Portion Control
Portion control can and has made a huge life changing difference for many people when it comes to successful, permanent weight loss. It's very easy to apply, easy to stick to and easy to get into the habit of, which is a definitive point in permanent weight maintenance. It is also the easiest way to be able to balance your Everyday Foods and your Sometimes Foods so that you really don't have to miss out on those treats that you love so much.
2. Keeping a Food and Exercise Diary
Next to portion control, keeping track of what you are eating and drinking is another big game changer. It's not everyone's favourite thing to do, but those who develop this habit (and you have to bear in mind, new habits take around 3 weeks to develop into habitual behaviours) have on record been the most successful at losing weight and then being able to maintain that weight loss going forward. By keeping a food diary you can learn so much about yourself, about the foods themselves, about how certain foods make you feel and much more.
3. Falling in Love with Exercise
Many many people's lives change significantly after discovering a love for exercise, not only from a weight loss point of view but also from a healthy balanced lifestyle perspective. Exercise, although not a massive game changer when it comes to weight loss, comes into its own in the weight maintenance game. The impact it can have mentally on improving mood, motivation, a sense of accomplishment and overall healthiness on the inside can become quite addictive, and you are never too old to become addicted!
4. Planning and Meal Preparation
A great deal of weight loss success can stem from becoming more organised and getting into the habit of planning and preparing your weekly food intake as much as possible. I have found this to be the biggest defining habit with people who are very 'time poor' and their dietary habits, and consequential weight gain, was determined most of the time from eating unhealthy, quick processed foods. With gradual changes in planning and preparation of meals, snacks and shopping this problem can be easily eliminated.
5. Finding Healthy Substitutes for Favourite Foods
This is also another big defining factor in weight loss success. By going in search of healthy alternatives to some of your most favourite 'unhealthy' foods, along with acquiring a baseline knowledge on food, nutrition and how it affects your body, significant changes in daily eating habits can come about with very little effort, which not only leads to weight loss but usually to finding out that you actually prefer the healthy substitutes in the end. Win Win!
For me it was falling in love with exercise and portion control, please feel free to leave your comments below and let me know if you have experienced any life changing habits which have led to your personal weight loss success, or if you are still working at it, if any of these habits sound like they might be something that could work for you.
Here's to an amazing 2015 for everyone, I look forward to helping you in any way I can.
Visit http://www.foundationsweightloss.com for more information on Foundations Personalised Weight Loss Programmes.
If going on a diet worked, everyone would be the weight they want to be, and never put the weight back on, but many people do. There is something missing in the 'dieting' process, and Foundations Programmes aim to provide that missing piece so you can be the weight you want, and know how to stay that way easily and happily forever.
Start losing weight with me today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_A_Masters