Fill your plate with positivity, perseverance, and planning: The 3 p’s of successful weight loss.
Do you want to lose weight? Do you want keep it off? Do you want to stop worrying about your weight?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions then I have the answer for you and it doesn’t involve starving or a lap band or anything else extreme. All you have to do is remember the 3 P’s.
How does positivity apply to weight loss?
Your mindset when losing weight is as if not more important than your actual weight loss because the hard part is not peeling off the excess pounds it’s keeping it off. The weight loss is easy as Jillian Micheals said “Eat less move more” well if the formula is so simple why does one’s weight fluctuate so much? It fluctuates with your mindset. This is where positivity comes into the equation. You need to be positive about your weight loss whatever you lose whether it be a pound or ten pounds is still an accomplishment. Years of body abuse from yoyo dieting takes its toll on the metabolism and you cant expect your body to just reset. But you can expect it to heal if you let it. Once you get into the habit of accepting your body’s progress and not forcing it into submission by radical means it will find a healthy medium. So be positive about your progress. The biggest downfall to successful weight loss is frustration. Do not get frustrated – get healthy.
How does perseverance play into weight loss?
Perseverance is life-time maintenance. You have to continue to lead a healthy life. You cannot lose the weight and retract to old unhealthy habits the weight will come back. However you can enjoy foods that are more calorie dense in moderation if you balance out your meals. But if you decide I want pizza, have a fresh pizza at an Italian restaurant. If you want ice cream, try making homemade with no preservatives. If you want a burger do not get it from a fast food restaurant. Eat clean junk. But again in moderation. Humans are by nature addictive- and if food is your addiction- your job is changing your habits because we need to eat to survive. It is not like an addiction of alcohol or drugs where it can be cut off completely. For life time maintenance you have to retrain your habits so healthy foods is the majority of your diet and clean junk the minority.
How does planning factor into weight loss?
Plan your healthy meals and your workouts. If you plan your meals and prepare them in advance your a lot less likely to impulse eat unhealthy foods due to hunger. Find a gym buddy or sign up for classes in advance. But with both the healthy eating and the working out do not force yourself to eat healthy foods that you don’t enjoy find the healthy foods that you do so you will want to continue to eat those foods long term. The same goes for working out don’t force yourself to spin if you hate it find what you enjoy maybe its hiking or taking a dance class. Life is to short to lack enjoyment in any aspect. So find joy in anything and everything you do.
