This Year millions of people will be unsuccessful with their new years resolution weight loss goals. One of the main reasons why people fail is that they are not well prepared and have no strategy for accomplishing their weight loss goals. Having the proper tools is just one of the strategies for success.
Making a Plan to Lose Weight
The first step in losing weight is the actual decision to do it. Many people procrastinate this step. "I'll start my diet next month" or " I'll wait till after the Holidays" are some of the excused that are common. That is the "goal", how you are going to get there is the key! If you decided to take a vacation you can't just say I want to go to the Bahama's and find yourself there magically. You have to plan how you are going to get there, where you will fly out of or if you will take a boat. You also have to plan your lodging, transportation once you are there, maybe even your meals if you are smart. Any goal requires a plan to achieve. Weight loss is no different yet people try to achieve weight loss goals without a plan every day. You need to decide how much you want to loose and what you are going to change in your life to achieve the desired results. As everybody knows the definition of insanity is: "Doing the same thing and expecting different results". Whatever your lifestyle is currently must change. It probably needs to change permanently if you don't want to gain weight back later. Many people rely on fad diets that exclude different food groups or rely on pills or other unnatural supplements that only work in the short term. In order to permanently lose weight, you must have a viable and demonstrated methodology in place. This includes a reduced calorie, well-balanced meal plan, regular physical activity and a way to keep track of your progress. Losing weight is about 80% of what you eat. Exercise accounts for 20%.
A Food Diary Is the Most Important Part Of The "Plan"process.
You should know that this is probably one of the most important steps to successful weight loss. I do not know a successful company that does not track what it spends and makes. You really need to track what you are eating and how many calories each item is. Keep it as simple as you can because if you don't you will not keep up with it daily. The reason this is so important is because of the 80/20 rule. Even if you never keep track of your exercise calories spent (which you should), you can still get to your weight goals with an accurate food journal. There are apps on phones or the internet to research what calories are on various foods. Some of the apps like Calorie Counter, can tell you nutritional information for entrees at popular restaurants. Some restaurants are even listing nutrition facts in the menu. I believe TGI Friday's is now showing nutrition information on their menus, according to my wife? If you don't have a smart phone I recommend getting a small pocket or purse size calorie reference book. You can find them at the big book stores. Just remember to KEEP IT SIMPLE and find ways to make it easy and quick. If it becomes a burden you will likely stop doing it. Record the date, time and food eaten with quantity before each meal. You can also include a simple detail of physical activity for each day including the type of exercise and duration.
You are either going to start losing weight or not. The best part about failure if you are keeping a journal is that you can now analyze the data you have been keeping track of. You can likely figure out why you are not being successful. You can make adjustments in your calories and find out what calories per day works best for your progress goals. Remember if you cheat this information is now useless! You have to be as accurate as possible. You will find that the journal will keep you honest and make you more able to hold yourself accountable for your lack of success. Unrecorded food binges can make up 30 to 50% of your daily caloric intake.. Your just cheating yourself!
Start your new diet today! Even if you just "fell off the wagon" with the one you were on. Don't wait till tomorrow. There is no time better then the present. Decide on a plan and just do it! But don't forget your Journal.
Health Nut Chuck.
Charlie Paxson
http://healthnutchuck.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment