It is that time of year when many of us will want to reverse some of the damage done over the year end holidays! I made a few smarter choices but also indulged in lazy mornings, eating much more chocolate than usual and of course enjoying more bubbly than usual too. And the result is me … just a little less fit, easily fatigued and my jeans insist … a little fatter too.
Do you also want to lose a little (or a lot) of weight?
DID YOU KNOW: To lose weight is easy enough. It’s keeping it off that’s the hard part. Reliable research shows that you need to maintain your weight loss for 2 years and you want to keep it off and reduce your risk for subsequent regain!
But …you know the drill and have probably heard it before … “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”
So this year, what will you DIFFERENTLY so that you lose weight … and also keep it off?
A very large study of successful weight loss maintainers discovered some interesting new habits that they all had in common. The guys and gals in the study report having lost an average of 33 kg and have maintained the minimum weight loss of almost 14kg for an average of 6 years … By any criteria these individuals are extremely successful!
These finding suggest that successful weight loss maintainers continue to act like recently successful weight losers for many years after their initial weight loss. What can we take home from this? Going on a radical diet that is not sustainable will not help you to keep the weight that you lose off! I have already heard about friends embarking on diets that are nothing short of spartan, nutritionally unbalanced and definitely not sustainable. I am, unfortunately, sure that many will be making the same weight loss resolutions in January 2013.
So what can you commit to doing differently and sustainably this year? Eating less? Moving more? Eating breakfast? Watching less TV?
A Harvard Health Special Report (Simple Change Big Rewards) says to commit yourself you should make yourself accountable through a written or verbal promise to people you don’t want to let down. That will encourage you to slog through tough spots. One intrepid soul apparently created a Facebook page devoted to her goals for weight loss. Want more support? Tweet it to your followers, or seek out folks with like-minded goals online. Tell me about your goals! Connect with the Wellculator community at http://www.facebook.com/WellnessProfessional so we can connect support and motivate one another. You could make a less public promise to your partner or child, boss, or friends.
According to the Harvard Special Report mentioned above, it takes about 66 days to create a new habit. Start now and by the end of the year, you’ll have the above 5 healthy habits easily in place! I look forward to sharing your wellness and weight loss journey with YOU. Here’s to doing one or two things a little differently!
