If you’re sure you can’t lose weight you must read this

You can lose weight. Yes, you, even if you’re certain you can’t. Even if you tried to lose weight multiple times and failed every single time, you can lose weight.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

  • Start with a reasonable goal – 5 to 10% of your starting weight.

You might think you can’t lose weight because you have never reached your ideal goal. You can lose weight and you did, but you didn’t get to your goal because it wasn’t a realistic number. If you want to lose weight, start small. Approach weight loss in small increments. Lose 5% of your starting weight. Learn how to stabilize at that lower goal for a while and then decide if you want to lose the next 5%.

Don’t be a hurry to get to your ideal goal weight. In fact, let go of the number and put your energy into feeling good about eating well, getting fit and feeling good. When you achieve those things, you’ve reached your goal weight.

  • Cope with stress and emotions without food.

We are conditioned from very early in life to eat for reasons other than a physical need for food. We learned that eating is a good way to pass the time, or to feel better because we are physically or mentally hurting. If we feel anxious we seek to calm our anxiety with food. When we’re happy we like to celebrate the happiness with food.

Developing non food coping skills is a guaranteed to work weight loss strategy. For most people meals and reasonable snacks aren’t why they gain weight; it’s the emotional eating. Emotional eating food choices tend to be highly palatable and therefore high in calories. And because we’re eating these foods to feel better we usually indulge far too freely.

  • Choose your food wisely.

There are benefits from making wise food choices. Besides providing your body with the nutrients it needs to build and repair tissue and make use of vitamins and minerals and fight cell damage, it helps you feel full longer. Wise food choices aren’t just about nutritious food; it’s about making choices that satisfy your taste preferences. If you eat what you don’t like, you’re not being wise.

Mehmet Oz, M.D., host of The Dr. Oz Show and a cardiac surgeon at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia in New York City, says, “It’s all about survival. You can’t stop eating. It’s like holding your breath indefinitely underwater. So your body has a very concrete set of systems that reinforce the need for you to eat.”

That concrete set of systems includes taste preferences. It’s possible, and it does happen, that you can acquire tastes, or in other words, learn to like some foods. You can also find that as you acquire taste for new foods, some foods you used to enjoy have lost some or all appeal. Overall, though, it’s a mistake to build your diet around food you don’t particularly enjoy while eschewing what you love.

Your hedonic hunger needs to be kept satisfied as much as your homeostatic hunger does. There is no need to get overly concerned about making sure every single thing you eat is nutritious, organic, naturally low fat and low calorie. Whole foods are good. Use them as the foundation of your diet. Make sure most of your calories do come from nutrient-dense food, but don’t give up any of your favorite foods altogether. Learn how to include them wisely.

  • Move your body

Moving your body can be fun. Find the ways that are fun to you and make time for fun everyday. A body in motion is a toned and fit body. A toned and fit body feels good, looks good and inspires you to keep doing all that benefits getting more fit.

  • Exercise your most important body part daily – YOUR MIND!

Losing weight is a matter of doing what you believe you can achieve. Belief drives your thoughts, feelings and actions. If you overeat despite your best intentions, belief puts your actions on a course for success. Disbelief, on the other hand, ensures that you continue to do things that will undermine your success.what happens is a result of your choices. Using your brain everyday is a kind of “thought exercise” that does for your mind what physical exercise does for your body. It makes it stronger.

If you don't believe in your ability to lose weight you will do things to prove your belief.

If you don’t believe in your ability to lose weight you will do things to prove your belief.

Belief in your ability changes the same event from interfering with your progress.

Belief in your ability changes the same event from interfering with your progress.

Cultivate your positive thinking skills. Learn to see problems and challenges not as setbacks, but rather an opportunity to strengthen your weight loss skills.

You’re sure you can’t lose weight. I’m sure you can. Who do you want to believe?

 

Jackie Conn

About Jackie Conn

Jackie Conn is married and has four grown daughters and four grandchildren. She is a Weight Watchers success story. She's a weight loss expert with 25 years of experience guiding women and men to their weight-related goals. Her articles on weight management have been published in health, family and women's magazines. She has been a regular guest on Channel 5 WABI news, FOX network morning program Good Day Maine and 207 on WCSH.