Are you a diet failure? Don’t despair. You can create your own weight loss plan that will work, no matter how many times your weight has gone up and down. Here’s how.
1. Determine why you are overweight. Take a few minutes by yourself to reflect on your typical day: How many hours of sleep do you get? What food do you really eat at meals and how much? How much time do you take to eat them? Do you snack throughout the day? What do you snack on? Do you get any exercise? Are you on any medications or medical treatments that may cause you to gain weight or hinder your weight loss?
2. What weight loss plans have you used in the past? What’s worked? Why isn’t it working now? Did you reach your goal and slack off? Did something happen in your life that caused you to go off the program? Was the program too expensive or complicated to follow? Was it too difficult to get to meetings or check-ins? Did inclement weather keep you from your workout?
3. Based on your answers to Questions 1 and 2, begin to formulate a meal plan that meets your lifestyle. For example, if you used a plan in which you counted calories or portions and were successful, start over and do the same. If however, you are already too busy, detailed calculations may not work, but simply getting rid of the junk food in your house might.
4. You also need to include exercise in your weight loss plan. Many experts recommend walking because it is something nearly everyone can do, whether at home, at work or even walking in place. Can you think of a way to incorporate 30 minutes of walking in your day? It doesn’t have to be all at once: 10 minutes here and there throughout the day can get you started.
If you’re already exercising every day but still want to lose weight, add more exercise. You may choose to simply increase the intensity of the exercise you’re already doing: Jog or run instead of walk. Increase the weight of the dumbbells you use. Or you may want to exercise longer. Add an additional 15 minutes to your exercise plan will yield faster results.
5. Consider how you handle stress. For many of us, chocolate or potato chips offer a way to drown our sorrows when life gets to be too much to bear. Think of other ways to handle life’s ups and downs: Squeeze in that walk, talk to a friend, write in a journal, pray or meditate etc.
6. Do you need an incentive to stick with your weight loss plan? There are several ways to go about it. Find one outfit in your closet that is a bit snug and hang it where you will see it every day (or place a picture of you in it near the refrigerator, scale or kitchen cupboard). Perhaps you can sign up for a fitness event (such as a charity walk or run) so you can focus on being in condition to finish the event.
7. Be realistic. When creating your own weight loss plan, be realistic. The weight did not appear magically overnight and it won’t disappear overnight either. But by creating your own plan to fit your own needs and lifestyle, you will lose weight easier than you ever dreamed.
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