Weight Control: Operationalizing Your Plans

Written by Virginia Bola, PsyD


We have such good weight loss intentions. We emotionally beat ourselves up for lack of self-discipline, weakness, cheating. We swear to change, to put looks and health ahead of comfort and self-indulgence. We promise to change. We want, more than almost anything else, to berepparttar svelte, attractive individual we see in our own minds.

Before you run off, filled with enthusiasm for your latest, greatest, and final (you swear) weight control plans, slow down and takerepparttar 131344 time to operationalize your goals andrepparttar 131345 likelihood of your success will increase exponentially.

Here is one method:

"I'm going to lose 25 pounds before summer so I can feel comfortable in a bathing suit."

Take that dream and break it down into specific, limited steps:

1. Take at least a week to carefully selectrepparttar 131346 diet, eating plan, or exercise routine you intend to follow. 2. Aim to adhere to your plan for at least 5 days per week forrepparttar 131347 loss of one pound. 3. If weight loss is less than a pound, determine to follow your plan for 7 days per week until you reach that one pound per week goal. 4. If you lose more than a pound, smile and enjoy. 5. Limit new or additional exercise routines to 10 minutes at a time, once per day, 3 days per week. You may easily want to do more but try to limit yourself. That will keep your desires strong and have you eagerly looking forward torepparttar 131348 second month when you can expand your routines substantially.

"I'm going to let everyone know that this time is it - I am truly determined to reach my goal."

Before you share your intentions with everyone, pause and consider:

1. There are some advantages to having family and friends know about your plans. Not wanting to disappoint them or appear as a failure in their eyes may motivate you to bypassrepparttar 131349 inevitable temptations that frequently arise. However, you do expose yourself to disapproval if your goals are not met or if you encounterrepparttar 131350 dreaded plateau which others often do not understand. 2. Determine who should know. If you have a history of failed weight control attempts,repparttar 131351 response to your newest plan may be only a cynical shrug or, worse,repparttar 131352 negative response of "Why is this time any different? You've never stuck to it before." If you suspect that you might hear something like that, don't say anything about your plans until you are well on your way. 3. Do family members or friends have a vested interest in seeing you remain overweight? Do your fat friends fear that your success will make them feel bad about themselves? When you diet, do you become cranky and difficult for your family to live with? Does your spouse or parent equate food with love and can't handle your rejection of their treats? 4. Don't be a diet bore. No one else (unless you belong to a weight control support group) is half as interested as you are (right now) inrepparttar 131353 number of calories, grams of fat and carbohydrates in everything onrepparttar 131354 table, nor why what they are eating is bad for them. 5. Consider not telling anyone about your plans and make a game of it. Rather than saying "That looks good but I can't have any," fool everyone by stating "Sorry, but I just feel like having a salad . . . I just want a hamburger without that soggy bun . . . I have this recent craving for fish/vegetables." No one will second guess your decisions on what to eat when you make it clear that it is your choice, not an unpleasant necessity. When they notice that you have lost weight, pretend to be surprised and watch them roll their eyes in envy.

Find the Right New Year’s Resolution to Get into Your Best Shape Ever!

Written by Diana Keuilian


Five easy resolutions to make you lean in 2005!

Yep, it is that time of year again! Time to moan and groan aboutrepparttar weight we gained overrepparttar 131342 holidays as we resolve to lose it all inrepparttar 131343 New Year! If memories of failed New Year’s resolutions are haunting you, it is time you foundrepparttar 131344 right resolution for 2005.

The reason that most New Year’s Resolutions fail is that they are too extreme or time consuming. Who is really going to give up all sweets or stick to sweating inrepparttar 131345 gym for hours each day? What you need this year is a New Year’s Resolution that is simple enough to become a part of your daily life, and will lead to long term weight loss. Read on for five simple yet effective New Year’s Resolutions for you to choose from.

Resolution #1: Drink a large glass of water before each meal. This simple action will save you mountains of calories inrepparttar 131346 coming year! By filling your stomach with water right before you eat you reduce your chances of overeating duringrepparttar 131347 meal. Drinking more water is also healthy for all of your body functions, including converting body fat into usable energy.

Resolution #2: Wait 20 minutes before deciding on seconds. Do you rememberrepparttar 131348 last time you were uncomfortably full after a meal? Chances are that you were hungry and, rather than stopping when you were satisfied, you overate. Inrepparttar 131349 same way that your body tells you when you are hungry, it also has a way of telling you when you are full. The catch is that it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to getrepparttar 131350 message from your stomach that you have eaten enough. What you eat during that 20 minutes is extra food that your body doesn’t need. Next time that you are inrepparttar 131351 middle of a meal contemplating getting yourself seconds, allow 20 minutes to pass before you decided if you still needrepparttar 131352 extra food. Chances are that your brain will getrepparttar 131353 “full” message and you will pass onrepparttar 131354 extra calories!

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