Try these creative weight loss tips to make dieting easier — and more successful
Whether you’re looking to lose a few kg’s – or have 15, 20 or more kilograms to shed – a few creative weight loss tips can make it easier.
Count on more than willpower alone
It’s easy to blame diet failures on a lack of willpower, but willpower isn’t meant to be the only tool you use. It’s more like a safety net for when life spins out of control.
Basing your weight loss efforts only on willpower can actually work against your diet goals. For instance, research shows that trying not to think about something – like that frosted chocolate brownie – can actually make you focus more intensely on it. When you’re rested, relaxed, and enjoying life, you can suppress unwanted thoughts and feelings fairly easily. But when you’re stressed, annoyed, or pressed for time, resisting temptations is much harder. So rather than relying on willpower to get you through, set a goal to develop a conscious awareness of what you eat without obsessing about it.
Set yourself up for success
Here are two ways you can set yourself up to succeed. First, eliminate any food that doesn’t support your weight loss goals. It’ll be much easier to resist temptation if unhealthy choices aren’t around. Purge your pantry of any foods that list “partially hydrogenated oils” as an ingredient. Toss out sugary soft drinks and/ or other drinks made with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. And, especially if you prefer bottled water to tap, keep a supply on hand. It’s easier to grab on the go.
Then give your diet some help by making it easy to exercise. Two things you can do to avoid becoming a couch potato is to clear off the clutter hanging on your treadmill and then pull other fitness gear out into the open where you can see it.
Set up a support network
Studies show that social support is crucial – especially for women. You can help yourself by finding at least one person who believes in you and your ability to succeed at your weight loss goals. Line up a friend to walk with you, watch your kids so you can work out, or even just call to check in on how you’re doing.
If you want to be social and in good shape, make a date with a friend for twice-weekly workouts. If exercise includes social time, you’re more likely to look forward to lacing up your sneakers.
For even more motivation, sign up for a team sport like soccer, volleyball, or Ultimate Frisbee. Then you’ll have a crowd of people depending on you.
Set realistic goals
If you’ve been inactive for months (or even years), don’t immediately plan to work out every day.
Appraise your life and then make some strategic changes that you can realistically achieve. Don’t be afraid to start small, especially with weight loss goals. (setting goals that are so easy they’re almost laughable)
Take your list of daily goals, such as “Eat 5 servings of veggies a day” or “Snack only once between meals,” and cut each one in half. Aim for 2.5 servings of vegetables. Cut down your snacks to 2 per day.
Still seem too hard? Then cut those goals in half again. Make your goals so incredibly easy that you’re sure you can’t fail to meet them. Then you’ll be motivated to continue. Next, set dates to increase your goals, adding that extra serving of veggies or 10 more minutes to your workout until you reach your maximum potential.
Police your portions
If you’re like most women, a “serving” is the portion size you’re used to seeing on your plate. Clearly, bigger portions have more calories. And calories are what it all comes down to when it comes to losing or maintaining weight.
Some foods are more calorie-dense than others: 1 cup of raw broccoli contains 31 calories, so a double serving of 2 cups gives you only 62 calories. But 1 cup of premium ice cream can easily hit you with 300 calories or more. A larger, double serving can mean a whopping 600 calories. If you take in more calories than your body needs, the extra calories are stored as fat.
Picture your future self
Have you thought of where your weight loss plan is taking you? Let your mind explore your future self.
Picture yourself the way you hope to be six months or a year from now – how you look, how you feel, and who you spend your time with. Imagine yourself creating your life the way you’d like it to be. Next, invent one or two affirmations that state your intention to be fit and healthy.
For example, “I am whole, healthy and strong,” or “I am satisfied with just one piece of chocolate.” Creating a mindset that makes it easier to stick to your weight loss plan is just as important as how much time you spend on the treadmill.
Be ready to work
We’re deeply conditioned to do what we’ve already done. If, for the past two years, you’ve come home from work, grabbed a cool drink, and crashed on the couch with a take-away, you’re strongly conditioned to do that again tonight and tomorrow night, too. Change isn’t impossible, but it does take work.
To develop new habits, you have to make new neural pathways. So create weight loss reminders to help jolt your mind out of old habits and into new ones. Try posting a note on your fridge, reminding you to eat fruits and veggies or drink more water. Or post notes on your bathroom or bedroom mirror with upbeat messages like “Remember to breathe!” or “Hey, beautiful!”
Before you know it, you’ll be smiling back at the face – and body – in the mirror.
Recommendation
If you follow a healthy eating plan, it does make life a bit easier. The Manna Diet was developed to make life a bit easier and healthier. Controlling your blood sugar levels will definitely help to control any food or sweet cravings and also help to suppress appetite, making you thinking less about “fattening” foods.
Take the Manna Blood Sugar Support tablets with each meal to make weight loss less of a battle.
You can also replace one to two meals per day with the Manna Low GI Shakes, which will help to consume less calories and lead to successful and healthy weight loss.
