Is that achievable in the next month? If not, break it down into smaller mini-goals. "I want to lose 5 pounds this month."
What other ways can you say what you want, besides wanting to lose some weight?
"I want to step on the scale and see (state a number) pounds (remember, keep it something you can achieve in one month).
"I want to feel my pants getting looser."
"I want to see myself in the mirror wearing last year's bathing suit and it fits."
"I want to notice my clothes are getting too big for me."
"I want to easily bend over and touch my toes."
"I want to get up from a seated position, easily and gracefully."
Those are positive goals. Focus on what you want. How you want to feel, what you want to experience.
Write it all out. Your plan should include which days of the week and at what time. Don't make the mistake of trying to decide you'll exercise every day. You're not likely to stick to a plan that doesn't have build-in off days. Make it easy at first. You can always add more later.
Start by listing each item, and then asking yourself how will you achieve this?
1. I want to eat less quantity. I'll achieve this by having half or three-quarters of the amount I usually have. See if that is sufficient. Keep a food diary for one week, religiously writing down everything that goes in your mouth.
2. I want to eat more healthier foods. I'll achieve this by adding more fruits and vegetables for snacks, so when I'm hungry, or think I'm hungry an apple or some carrots might be my snack of choice. This has the added benefit of more nutrition.
3. I want to eat differently. I'll achieve this by paying more attention while eating. Turn off distractions. Think of each bite as a separate event. Write down what I'm tasting and see what I notice now that I never noticed before? Different smells, sights, textures, and subtle tastes. I'll make an effort to really chew each bite at least 10 times.
4. I want to add some exercise. I'll achieve this by getting a book either at the library or a store, get a free pass to my closest gym, talk to friends, borrow exercise tapes. Find exercises I can do in front of the TV at first, or on the floor in my bedroom when I first get up or whatever works. No matter if others see me, I don't care. Start slowly, after the first few weeks, add more if I'm ready.
Need monthly calendar to track my exercise minutes, even if it's only 10 minutes this month and 20 next, that's progress. You are after progress, not perfection. There is no such thing as perfection.
Visit library or order book online for using bodyweight for exercises. Pushups, crunches, etc., can be done without any extra equipment.
Buy healthy foods to have on hand such as fruits, cut up vegetables. Make dinner at least twice a week and freeze leftovers into ready-to-eat frozen meals.
Purchase or order supplements, protein powders, etc., if I want them.
If you use EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), do it at least three times a day. It only takes a couple of minutes and you can do it while you do other things, so get it done. Check in with your list of behaviors you'd like to change, and then work on one issue each week or until it becomes a non-issue, then move to the next.
You might start with frustration that things aren't happening fast enough:
"Even though I don't want it to take so much effort, I deeply and completely accept myself"
"Even though I hate all this and just want to wake up skinny, I deeply and completely accept myself."
No matter what, if you are putting attention on this process, then you are making progress. It doesn't matter if you keep to your plan exactly. What does matter is that you make a plan at all.
If you make a small effort every day you'll find that some days will be better than others, and that's okay. It's easy to forget, and fall back into our usual patterns which is why keeping a notebook handy helps keep you on track. So does scheduling your workout time just like you would any appointment, and then keeping it.
If the idea that you won't be perfect is all it takes to keep you on a really strict path at first, that's fine, but be aware you'll likely slip a time or two in the following weeks. Think of it as nothing more than a learning experience, and go ahead to see if you can prove me wrong. That would be great. Just no matter what, no matter if it's been a week since you did anything on your list, it does not matter; just pick up where you left off and start again.
I don't diet, and I never have yet I maintain my weight. I don't restrict myself but my choices are what makes the difference. I can eat candy, cookies and cake any time I want, but usually I don't want to. That's the difference. When someone says they can eat what they want, they mean they usually want to eat foods they know will support their health goals.
Use these five steps to get started on a plan, right now. Start by getting a small notebook, then starting writing down th days of the week, thinking about your schedule and how you'll make some changes to your routine. After all, it's your present routine that isn't working, so you must make some changes. Make them fit, and then you'll fit into those smaller jeans in no time and this time it will be a permanent weight loss.
By Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, author of Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss, and owner of OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
Using healthy low carb recipes are an important part of... Read More
The main reasons most people have difficulty maintaining their ideal... Read More
Women on diets need more calcium than normal to avoid... Read More
The South Beach Diet was not created by your typical... Read More
Let me ask you a personal question. As you read... Read More
When I decided to lose weight I of course decided... Read More
The huge companies stealing your money by promising impossible results... Read More
1. Carrying around excess body fat will decrease your energy... Read More
If I Want to Lose Weight, What Can I Do... Read More
It is well known that about two-thirds of the U.S.... Read More
Have you ever wondered with all the weight loss programs... Read More
Several months ago I was in desperate need of weight... Read More
This is a layman marketer's observations on diets and weight... Read More
Among the most popular forms of dieting is the South... Read More
The most common and popular diet fad over the past... Read More
As we look around at the current generation of children,... Read More
Twenty years of health club consulting, 50,000 hours of paid... Read More
Today you have a good chance of getting diabetes or... Read More
What is low carb?We've all heard about the Atkins diet... Read More
I know how difficult it can be do stick to... Read More
Your blood cholesterol level is affected not only by what... Read More
I am Greg Ryan, a high profile fitness expert with... Read More
The Liver The function of your kidneys is to filter... Read More
Burn fat while you sleep! Eat whatever you want and... Read More
Ok... If you are reading this is because you do... Read More
Are you weighted down with delusion, depression and on the... Read More
Nowadays, so much of the public is obese (fat) that... Read More
In a culture of blame-shifting we often look for someone... Read More
According to a recent survey by the National Health Institute,... Read More
According to a new study appearing in the American Journal... Read More
Summer is about to be in full swing, and it's... Read More
You and I know that getting plenty of support from... Read More
The only way you will ever follow through on an... Read More
Are you frustrated with your weight problem and don't know... Read More
If all we have to do is exercise to live... Read More
Recently a woman went public in her online diet community... Read More
Like millions of men and women, I started resolving to... Read More
Have you heard about coconut oil diets yet? People are... Read More
Ever wondered why some people manage to keep their weight... Read More
Every day, it seems, a new study pertaining to weight... Read More
I'm sure you have pondered this question, for it is... Read More
This past Christmas Season, as most of us stuffed our... Read More
Low carb diets, though popular, have met with much controversy.... Read More
While it would be ideal to make all of our... Read More
Obesity is now assuming epidemic proportions. Worldwide there are over... Read More
So many people are talking about how slow their metabolism... Read More
Do you want to lose weight fast? While there is... Read More
It's calorie-free, inexpensive and easily obtained - yet few people... Read More
It is estimated that about 32 million Americans are following... Read More
Now that the holiday season is here, holiday foods and... Read More
Gaining up to 20 pounds over four years can significantly... Read More
Notice, if you would, that every diet out there only... Read More
In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work... Read More
AND SAVE MONEY IN THE PROCESS. The secret is simple... Read More
Ever wonder if you have a serious problem with binge... Read More
Are you one of the many who may be tempted... Read More
This year, we all made some of the typical New... Read More
Some Say I'm Strange. I Prefer to Think of Myself... Read More
"I've put on 40 pounds in one year!" "It doesn't... Read More
If you've been scouring the news, devouring as much information... Read More
You are not a kid any more and becoming a... Read More
The heated debate, within diet circles, that began a few... Read More
Just about every one of us struggles with our weight... Read More
Adverse Events with Volumetrics Dr. Barbara Rolls is a well... Read More
Fat burning exercise is not merely one that will burn... Read More
If winter hibernation tends to pack on the pounds, take... Read More
Weight Loss |