Sustainable Weight Loss: It's a mind game

Are you tired of the endless cycle of yo-yo dieting? Do quick fixes and fad diets leave you right back where you started?

It's time to change your approach. A successful diet is not just about shedding pounds temporarily; it's about making lasting changes in your lifestyle and mindset so you can keep it off.

Here’s a quick guide to help you understand the areas you need to work on to break the yo-yo diet cycle and achieve long-term success.

1. Embrace Behaviour Change: It's a mind game

Your weight loss journey begins with understanding and adapting your habits. It’s not just about what you eat, but also about your mindset and daily routines. Small, manageable adjustments can have a significant impact on your success. Start with identifying one or two habits you can change and build from there.

2. Sensible Caloric Intake

Rigid calorie counting can be daunting and unsustainable. Instead, aim for a flexible caloric range that supports your body’s needs and your lifestyle. This approach is more realistic and helps you maintain a healthy relationship with food, without the stress of counting every calorie.

3. Everything in Moderation

Saying 'no' to your favourite foods can often lead to cravings and eventually, overindulgence. The key is moderation. Allowing yourself to enjoy your favourite treats in small quantities can help you maintain a balanced diet without feeling deprived.

4. Incorporate Resistance Training

While cardio exercises are great for losing weight, resistance training is essential for maintaining muscle mass. It’s not just about the numbers on the scale; it’s about losing fat while preserving muscle. Incorporating resistance exercises into your routine can boost your metabolism and improve your overall body composition.

5. Build Healthy Habits

Developing healthy habits is crucial for long-term weight loss. It's hard to break the habits that aren't serving you well, and form some healthy ones to help you reach your goals so here are some practical tips:

Make It Easy: Simplify the process of building new habits. Choose actions that are easy to incorporate into your daily life. For example, keep a water bottle at your desk to remind yourself to drink more water.
Start Small: Begin with one manageable habit at a time, such as drinking more water or adding a vegetable to every meal.
Be clear , what do you want?: Be clear what you want to achieve, what is it you are aiming for, if it's a healthier life be clear about this your goal so you can ask yourself when you slip into old habits (e.g. a chocolate bar every day) if they are helping you achieve what you really want, and which of the new habits (an apple a day and a chocolate bar 2x a week) would serve you better? Revisiting your why for a few minutes each week is useful to keep you focussed and motivated to make the changes.
Track Your Progress: Use a journal or app to monitor your habits, keep you focussed on the end game and celebrate small victories.
Create a Routine: Consistency is key. Incorporate new habits into your daily routine until they become second nature.
Find Support: Join a community, a coach, or a buddy to support and motivate you.

6. Behaviour Change for Life means Sustainable Weight Loss is a long term mind game

True sustainable weight loss is a mind game. It is about finding an eating and living pattern that you can maintain long-term. It's not a temporary diet or meal plan; it's a new way of life. This means making choices you can stick with indefinitely, not just until you reach a certain goal.

7. Reject Quick Fixes

There’s no magic solution for lasting weight loss. Fad diets and quick fixes might offer speedy initial results (if you can stick to them!) but they are often unsustainable and can even be harmful, impacting your relationship with food and making healthy choices seem like a punishment rather than a privilege. The focus should be on building new, healthy habits that you can maintain for a lifetime.

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