Now that we have resolved to keep the weight off in 2006 (read previous blog re: New Year’s Resolutions) I thought I’d throw some info your way. While we’re all starting (and re-starting) our diets, we must all be aware of the most common stumbling blocks to long-term weight loss:
First and foremost!
Watch The Fad Diet. While the majority of these diets promise to help you lose a large amount of weight in two seconds flat, tell you to cut certain foods out of your diet, or only let you eat certain foods it must be said that the majority of fad diets are not scientifically based. While most of us can follow them for a short period of time, we’re never able to continue these diets for the long term. I found this out when I did Atkins. I ended up craving foods that I couldn’t have (ie pasta and beer) and ended up cheating and going off my diet. A quick fix is not the answer. The best approach to dieting is to focus on making lifestyle changes you can keep for good (and eat a small amount of carbs while you’re at it). 😉
Lose the Pessimistic Inner Voice. Having negative thoughts and statements and telling yourself “I’ll never be able to lose weight” never helped anyone. Be a positive dieter. Tell yourself you CAN change your lifestyle for good. I told myself everyday that I could do it, which was especially hard in the beginning. Write a positive thought in your food journal every morning and live by it. If you’re having a fatty mc fat fat day, or need some encouragement, go back and look how far you’ve come!
Overcome Emotional eating. Avoid eating as a way to cope with stress emotions. Most importantly, figure our why you’re emotionally eating. Most of us, including me, are guilty of pigging out when were bored, sad or just want to celebrate. Being a SAHM, I ate when I was bored or just plain entered the kitchen. I’m also a comfort food eater. Once I was aware of these problems and took responsibility for my emotional eating, I conquered it. Now when I’m bored and want something to snack on, I go and do something else until my craving for that cookie I wanted is gone. Remember, food never solves your problems. Once we face the emotional eating situation head on, we can move forward on our weight loss goals.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way—tomorrow’s blog: Finding the Right Diet for You.