Setting Smaller Achievable Weight Loss Goals is the Way to Success
Experts in the field of weight loss, nutrition and diet all tend to agree that setting smart, small and achievable goals is the best way of losing weight successfully.
The thinking is that just as it is with shooting an arrow from a bow, it is easier to hit a target that is closer to you and one you can see a lot clearer!
Make Your Goals Realistic
It is no good, apparently, by just resolving to "lose weight" or "eat more healthy food" or "exercise more" as these are not specific enough and too easy to skip over.
It is far better to set firm goals, such as to "lose 2 pounds by the end of this week" or "allow myself to eat pizza only once this month". When setting goals, they should be easy to achieve or you simply will feel like you have a mountain to climb and won't get there.
Another great way of setting goals is to write them down on a piece of paper. If necessary, stick that sheet of paper to your fridge door or another high profile place where you will see it several times every day. By writing down goals, you set up a sense of necessity that lodges in your mind creating a desire to achieve what it is that you have written down.
Rather than set a series of goals all in one go, write down just one or two goals at most and then make sure you have achieved them before moving on to writing down one or two more goals to follow on. This is another clever psychological trick that makes it easy for you to succeed by not putting too much pressure on yourself.
Make Your Food Interesting
Another great way of helping your diet succeed is by including lots of colorful foods to make it look more interesting.
The idea that we taste with our eyes before we actually get the food on our tongues is true to a point and by making a dish look exciting, we can make ourselves believe that it is tastier than it may actually be. You should also eat more frequent, smaller meals throughout the day rather than big main meals and don't skip meals as this can be counter productive.
Be aware of the kind of food you're eating and how much sugar (empty calories) it may contain before letting it get onto your plate. Of course you can boost the flavors of food by adding herbs and spices that contain no calories, only taste!
As long as what you eat is satisfying at mealtimes, you can actually stretch the gap between meals because you aren't feeling hungry. Make sure to drink plenty of plain water throughout the day as well, to maintain hydration and avoid thirst tricking your mind for hunger.
Try to eat your last meal of the day as early as possible so your body gets a chance to heal and repair during sleep (it does that when you give digestion a break) and no late night snacking allowed!
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Posted on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 in News | 0 Comments