People often make the mistake of starting a plan, any plan, not just a weight loss plan, is that they do not think about how they will keep to the plan. It is imperative to think ahead to the problems that could occur and threaten to spoil the goals that you hope so much to achieve.
Firstly you need to think about places and situations where you will come up against temptations that could spoil your plans. If for nstance, there is a tempting vending machine that you walk past every day at work, you should perhaps try to avoid it by taking a different route. If this is not possible, perhaps you could ensure that you do not carry money to use the machine – the important thing is to ensure that you do not get tempted to use it.
This is just given as an example. There are many things to tempt you against your plan in every day situations and you cannot possibly plan to avoid every one of them. Just the fact that you do see possible difficulties and that you take the time to plan against them, this will make sure that mentally you are prepared for temptations and you will find it far easier to avoid them.
If you write your plans and goals down, this will ensure that you are able to see them more easily.
Be conscious, stay in control. Eating is a habitual process in the same way that many bodily functions are. In other words it is not something we generally think about in any extensive way. This is one of the biggest mistakes dieters make. They forget that the key to weight loss lays in the mind as much as it does the stomach. By taking conscious control over what you feel and eat you can mentally counter the cravings. This is not to suggest you should mentally torment yourself but rather ask yourself the right questions before you make a choice of what to eat.
It is a good idea to think about the consequences and the side effects of what you are going to eat. Tell yourself that you are greater than the urge and you will be able to resist the temptation.
By doing this you are also going to start feeling in control of your mental processes and emotions. You will feel fulfilled in the sense that you are in control of your own fate
Coping with eating Triggers. Its an interesting fact that a lot of the eating you do happens when you are not actually hungry. The reason for this can be explained with a little psychology. We respond naturally to mental cues or triggers. These can be internal or external in nature. An example of an external trigger is the smell of fish and chips or in the case of this author the sight of a chocolate gateau! Internal triggers take the form of stress, boredom, anxiety and anger to name but a few.
External triggers are the easiest to remove. For instance throwing out sweet items from your cupboard or avoiding walking past sites of temptation on the high street. The internal or emotional triggers are a bit more challenging
Now while it is not always possible to eliminate the emotional triggers it is possible to adapt our responses to them. For instance replacing eating with a form of exercise even if it is just a brisk walk will go a long way to avoiding the vicious cycle of submitting to cravings.
Fill up on liquids Did you know that a lot the time, people eat when they are dehydrated? This is because feeling thirsty can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from hunger. Smoothies have gained widespread and deserved acclaim in the role they can play in fighting weight loss. Not only are they low in calories, but they are also an efficient way of getting in your 5 a day of fruit and veg.
Your body may well be used to snacking and to stop this you need to fool it into thinking it is full. One of the easiest and healthiest says is to drink liquids. However please ensure that the drinks are healthy, not carbonated, sugary drinks, they won’t help at all with your diet.
The best liquid to drink is actually plain and simple water – you can drink flavoured water if you find the plain stuff too boring. It is simply the best way to flush toxins from your body and ensure your metabolism works well.
Dont forget to treat yourself Where is the fun in having goals if you cant treat yourself along the way! Indeed it is well documented that rewards enhance the sense of achievement felt by the individual and this in turn can lead to the release of positive endorphins into the blood stream
Once you have set yourself some specific goals- for instance, to cut down on 300 calories a day or to exercise for 30 minutes a day for two weeks, be sure to reward yourself with a special treat. Make your reward a treat, something you want, a new DVD or something similar. Rewards are an integral part of any long term plan and help make losing weight that little bit sweeter.
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