Patient Education Center

5 Keys to Boost Your Weight Loss Efforts

• Aug 14, 2018, 9:11 AM

Would you like to see your health and weight loss goals realized? The secret to creating your ideal future starts with your daily routine. Today you can start making little changes in your life which will lead to bigger improvements over time as you remain consistent. Start on your path to wellness today, become a person of discipline and see your dreams come true.

Create Habits for Success

Determine a crystal-clear goal and focus on the result that you really want. Consistently practice behaviors that will help you achieve your goal. Always choose discipline over mood. Do not let your feelings decide. We may never ‘feel’ like being a person of discipline. It is hard to push forward when we rely only on willpower. Consistent habits will take the load off willpower. Start today to change the bad habits that have resulted in an unhealthy life. Be excited and believe that you can turn your dreams into reality with your new healthy habits.

Give Yourself a Pep-Talk

The words that you speak are proclaiming your future. Consistently make positive declarations about yourself and your future. If you continually say things such as, “I hate exercise”, or “I just have a slow metabolism”, you will have a sluggish body and lack the motivation to seek positive change. Start saying positive affirmations about yourself and your goals. What you repeatedly hear you will eventually believe. Start to declare such things as: “I am a highly disciplined goal setter,” “I love exercise, burning calories feels great,” and “I choose health and vitality, discipline rewards me”.

Become Health Conscious

Become mindful in your daily choices. Focus on the nutrient density of your food. Choose nutrient-rich whole, natural foods and include healthy fat, protein and fiber at each meal and snack. You should start your day with a balanced breakfast but if the choice is to have a doughnut or nothing, wait until you can include a more nutritious option. Exercise does have its rewards. If you become stronger you will add lean muscle tissue. The more muscle you have the more calories you will burn per day. Your body will also be more energized, firmed and toned.

Change Your Pattern of Eating

Intermittent fasting has been gaining popularity as a way of losing weight and feeling healthier. There are different versions of intermittent fasting, but one approach is time-restricted eating. In one version you limit eating to an 8-hour window. An example of an 8-hour eating window would be between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. During that time, you can eat what you want with no calorie restrictions; however, you may want to eat in moderation. Intermittent fasting can boost your metabolic rate and reduce the amount of calories you consume in a day. During the 16-hour fasting window you can have plenty of water. You can also have coffee or tea (no calories or artificial sweeteners during the fasting window.) Be sure to consult with your own healthcare practitioner before embarking on any change to your diet plan.

Identify Obstacles to Your Goal

Write down all the triggers that will take you from your health and weight loss goals. Come up with a plan to overcome those blocks or temptations with an “IF-THEN” list. Here are some examples: IF I don’t have time to exercise after work, THEN I will get up 20 minutes early three times per week. IF I eat when I feel stress, THEN I will call a friend or take a walk. To avoid emotional eating, ask yourself if you are really hungry. If you are actually bored, thirsty, sad or emotional you may need something else besides food. To avoid food cravings, we need to assure we are consuming adequate nutrients and eating balanced meals and snacks throughout the day.

Good habits are formed over time and will become a natural part of who we are. Today’s habits determine tomorrow’s version of us. You have to make a decision to start. Choose one habit that will help you the most. An example would be to start a weekly walking/workout routine. Track your progress and continue with this new habit until it becomes automatic. The habits you form from this day forward will ultimately determine how your future unfolds. As John Maxwell has said, “You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”