There is a way to lose weight permanently,but it involves understanding how you got unfit and unhealthy in the first place. Weight is largely determined by habits, and changing it involves learning how habits are formed and how to change them.
Habits take at least three to four weeks to change. There is no such thing as breaking a bad habit. What works is substituting a new habit for the bad one, and repeating the new habit until it becomes a permanent part of your behavior.
Your first step is to determine the habits that are making you unfit and unhealthy.
Here are some of the worst offenders:
1) Eating when you're not hungry.
This is the mother of all bad habits, and like all habits there is a stimulus that triggers the bad behavior.
Your goal is to refrain from eating long enough to understand what actual, physiological hunger feels like. Once you have identified the feeling, you should try to wait until it occurs before eating. Whenever you catch yourself eating without hunger, figure out what else is occurring that triggers this behavior.
It may be that you eat when you are stressed, bored, or feeling lonely. Luscious photographs of food in the media may trigger your bad habit, or perhaps the smell of food is the problem.
Once you've identified your triggers, your goal is to substitute a new habit for the bad one. Instead of eating when you're stressed, go for a walk, do some yoga, tend to your garden, or play with your kids. The key is to find an activity to use in place of eating. Do it every time your trigger occurs, until it becomes a new habit and replaces the old one.
2) Eating too fast.
Waiting until you're hungry to eat can backfire if you gulp down a day's calories in a single sitting. Resist the urge. Reward yourself for eating more slowly by really savoring the taste and smell of your food. Do it until your family complains that you're always the last one to finish, and you no longer have any desire to bolt your food.
3) Loading up on fats and carbs.
Develop a new habit: Always eat your fruits and vegetables first. Make them the tastiest, freshest ones you can find. Eat them slowly and enjoy. You'll have less room for the fattening things. Use fruits, vegetables and whole grains as your snack foods as well. If you feel the need to finish your meal with a sweet, substitute a cup of coffee or fragrant tea until you break the habit of finishing your meal with gooey desserts.
4) Being too sedentary
Find an exercise you really enjoy. Getting an exercise buddy can really help. Start slowly and do only what you know you can commit to. An hour of daily aerobics won't do you any good if you abandon it after a week. A leisurely stroll every day for the rest of your life may not be the ideal, but it's far better than nothing. The key is to do things that you like to do. OK you may not like to exercise but find something you do not mind doing. Trying to punish yourself with "killer" exercises will never result in permanent habit change.
The good news is that you can lose weight and keep it off. The bad news is that it takes time, patience and self-knowledge. You may not lose a dress or pants size in a week, but you'll lose weight permanently and be fitter and healthier for the rest of your life.
Here is to a fitter and healthier you for life!
Albert R
I own Albert R Fitness Solutions which is affordable online weight loss program and offers a personalised service to all members that join, including workout plans, nutrition plans completed by qualified personal trainers and nutritionists and personal contact with him to help assist along the way. The 7 Week Challenge is the most popular program. I also have face to face one on one personal training. Visithttp://www.albertrfitnesssolutions.com
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