Successful Programs are for Life
By Chad Tackett, President of Global
Health and Fitness
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.
This article was provided by
GHF.
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