By Chad Tackett,
A safe and effective weight management program is
not a plan that you go on and start over when you've been "bad."
You must become flexible enough to allow it to become a comfortable,
enjoyable way of life. Then these healthier habits will work with
you and for you rather than against you. As you experiment, you
will discover what works best for you.
Diets teach us that changing our exercise and eating
habits are short-term projects rather an improved lifestyle. Headlines
and advertisements everywhere read "Lose 30 pounds in 30 days,"
and most people believe them. They go on and off diets, start
and stop exercise programs, and their weight--and self-esteem--go
up and down. Unfortunately, most people don't realize that there
is a real alternative to diets, so they jump back on the diet
roller coaster when their weight goes back up or a new miracle
diet comes on the market.
In order to break free from the diet mentality,
you need to view these healthier changes you're making as part
of a permanent lifestyle transformation. To gain the lasting benefits
of this program, it is important to re-orient short-term thinking
towards realistic goals.
Goal setting is a great way to stay motivated and
achieve the results you deserve. Unfortunately, many people set
goals simply to look better in the short run and not for the other
many benefits a healthy lifestyle offers us in the long run. For
example, setting a short-term goal of losing 10 pounds for a class
reunion isn't helpful. Once the reunion is over, most people will
either revert to their previous habits because the special event
is over or simply quit all together because the goal they set
was unrealistic.
Living a low-fat lifestyle and decreasing your body
fat takes a long-term commitment. Trying to do it all at once,
however, only makes you frustrated and discouraged. Instead, set
a realistic long-term goal; then achieve it by reaching smaller,
short-term goals. For example, if your goal is to decrease your
body fat by 10 percent, shoot for modest goals, such as decreasing
your body fat by one percent each month. Decreasing body fat slowly
is not only the safest and most effective way, it is also the
most realistic. Every goal, short-term or long-term, should be
one that is truly attainable.
Every goal should also be one that you are in charge of. Setting
a short-term goal where you are in charge, such as exercising
four times a week, will help you achieve your long-term goal.
Remember--and remind yourself: each time you reach a short-term
goal, you are one step closer to achieving what you really want:
a healthier, more attractive body.
Focusing on how you're going to look and feel at
some time in the future prevents you from enjoying the way you
look and feel today. Focusing instead on the day-to-day process
rather than the end result paradoxically brings about a better
end result. Thinking only about the future reminds you of how
far you still have to go rather than focusing on what you should
do today.
If you happen to overeat, or eat a high-fat meal,
or skip a workout, enjoy it; don't worry about it ruining your
program or your future. Shift instead to living low-fat and healthy
the rest of the day. By taking it one day at a time, you can do
a better job of concentrating on what's working for you and what's
not, how you're feeling and what you're thinking.
For example, perhaps you've just enjoyed a low-fat
version of your favorite pizza, using healthy cooking techniques
you recently discovered. You can't believe how great it tasted
and how easy it was to prepare. Focusing on this present moment,
when you're feeling satisfied, energized, and confident, helps
you stay more balanced in your decision-making about food and
exercise. On the other hand, reflecting on this scenario from
a future focus might leave you feeling overwhelmed: "Boy, do I
have a lot still to learn about healthy cooking. I'll have to
experiment with my favorite foods for the rest of my life!"
Setting small goals and acknowledging all the small
achievements on your path are essential to successful change.
Remember, successful programs are for life--take it one day at
a time. Good luck: I hope you enjoy all the many great benefits
of a succussful weight management program.
