Goals for weight loss

As the new year approaches, many people will become anxious to improve their waistline and overall health. For others who have achieved their health goals, the holidays offer new challenges to avoid temptations and maintain their weight. On a recent television program, Barbara Walters commented about Victoria Beckham’s small size and asked her if she ever had a piece of cake or a chocolate to which Victoria replied “No.” Most people find the prospect of having this will power to be an impossible task. Is it really necessary to be this strict?

I think it is not necessary to avoid “junk foods” 100% of the time as Mrs. Beckham claims to do. But 99% of the time is probably a good goal. This is mostly because of the addictive nature of most junk foods. Even with the intention of having something in “moderation,” consuming these foods quickly becomes a daily routine. For weight loss or maintenance and preventing the diseases that most Americans are headed for, “moderation” is not a healthy goal.

These are some starting goals for people who are ready to lose weight, conquer disease, and gain health:

1. Say “no” to what the rest of the world is partaking in MOST of the time.

Someone who wanted to lose weight and had some chronic health problems told me that she was not interested in denying herself anything and not having what everyone around her was having. She was not ready to lose weight and gain health. We live in a toxic food world. There are plenty of high calorie, low nutrient, cheap foods available on every corner and at every major event. To lose weight, fight disease and live healthy and well you have to say NO to 99% of these things! Reaping the rewards of good health means following the behaviors that produce it.

2. Visualize and practice the behaviors the new healthy you does (even if you are currently not healthy) on a daily basis.

The more you are able to do the things that will result in health, the easier it becomes and the more you will associate those things with who YOU are. For example, you know that another birthday party for a co-worker awaits you at your office. At this party will be the common party foods: greasy pizza on white flour crust, trans-fat and sugar laden cake and corn syrupy drinks. All of these foods, you know, are obesity promoting foods. How do you deal with that problem? Visualize before the event how you will deal with this temptation. See yourself taking a club soda and having a plate of fruit salad you brought from home. See yourself as the person who cares about your health. The more you practice visualizing yourself doing the healthy thing before the event, come prepared with healthy options, then follow the healthy behavior the easier it becomes. You will eventually even prefer those healthy foods over the ones offered. And you will be a healthy example to those around you.

3. Find ways to exercise on a daily basis.

Does exercise ever become a joy and not a chore on a to do list? Sometimes, especially when you find activities you enjoy. But for most people there will always be a day where it is just a chore. But if you label yourself as a runner, biker, walker, exercise it will be hard to skip physical activity on most days. Physical activity can happen in many ways that doesn’t involve getting suited up for a run or a trip to the gym. Parking your car far from the entrance to the store, taking the stairs, raking your leaves, playing with your kids, and washing all the dishes by hand can all count towards daily activity. The same visualization principle applies here. If you see yourself as an exerciser it becomes more difficult to skip it. Reading fitness magazines are also good motivators. Pretty soon you want to get up off the couch and do what those happy looking, healthy people in the magazines can do!

4. Be prepared for when hunger hits.

Don’t wait until you are ravenous to eat and hope that you will stop at a reasonable portion. Oftentimes hormones kick into overdrive if we wait too long to eat and our ability to gauge when we are full is skewed. Have an emergency snack on you at all times for when those times that your meal will have to be delayed. Some nuts or nut/fruit combo can help to tide you over. Eat throughout the day, but listen to your hunger cues and don’t eat simply because it is “time.”

5. Get enough sleep.

Poor sleep or reduced hours of sleep have effects on the hunger/satiety cues our body gives us. People who get more sleep have hormones that function more normally and allow them to gauge their hunger better. Being sleep-deprived means you will likely gravitate towards high calorie foods for an “energy boost” when what you really need is more sleep.

6. Take care of yourself.

Most people know that stress can lead to overeating. And stress doesn’t have to mean being very busy. It can be created from boredom or loneliness or feeling a lack of purpose. A recent Oprah featured a woman who lost weight simply by connecting with people over the internet. Some college students gain weight because they don’t have the busy activities from high school and so eat out of boredom in college. Find a social network of people to call for those low times, volunteer for those days when there is “nothing to do” and put more time into developing your passions.

While there are likely many other factors that play into maintaining a healthy body weight, this should be a good start!

Tagged as: weight loss goals