It seems that people start a weight loss plan with a goal in mind and they try to change everything at once. They get frustrated and it becomes too much change and then they quit. Here are some tips to ease into a lifelong change.
Set goals and make them realistic, don’t try and change too many things at once. You can get overwhelmed and want to quit. Make your eating plan something that you can handle and enjoy long-term. This is not a “diet” a diet in my opinion is something you go on and off of. You want to create an eating plan that will stick with you through your weight loss journey and beyond. Your eating plan will get “tweaked” as you lose weight and make changes for the better.
Make sure you are prepared every day, plan, cook and pack your meals. Make sure you don’t find yourself without food or you may find yourself scrambling to find healthy options. I tend to over pack my food bag; just in case I am a little hungrier on a particular day or maybe I need to work late; I want to make sure I have something healthy around, such as fresh fruit, a bag of almonds or maybe protein bars and shakes. You don’t want to eat whatever is available at the time such as fast food or the office treats that are always around! Preparing your meals and planning takes work, but it’s worth the effort.
Consistency is the key, invest in the time to make a plan and stick to it, but remember to be flexible. It’s not all or nothing and when I learned that everything fell into place. “Things” happen and life goes on whether you’re trying to lose weight or not, sometimes the best plans don’t work out, we have to adapt. No one is perfect all the time. If you skip a meal or have an off day get back on track the very next meal! Don’t wait till the next day and think that you since you had a burger and fries for lunch that the rest of the day is a free for all. The next meal, get back on track!
It takes time to develop healthy eating habits, the longer you eat healthy the more you’ll like it and it will become a normal part of your life!
