Losing weight is one thing. Keeping the weight off permanently is another.
We often see programs for rapid weight loss, such as ‘lose 4 kilo’s this week’ or ‘get rid of your body fat today’ and after trying multiple programs, we often find it challenging to keep the weight off pernmanently. Talk about frustrating and depressing!
You are not alone. Since researching the weight loss industry, l have come to realize that the most common experience those of us who have battled with our waistline will share, is keeping the weight off.
Unfortunately for us, successful weight loss companies rarely provide much support and advise after we have reached our goal weight, allowing us to slip back into our bad habits; encouraging a never-ending weight cycle. Sadly it is in the weight loss industry’s best interest for us to put those extra kilo’s back on again in six months time.
So how do we beat the weight loss industry and keep the weight off for good?
Ultimately, there are three main tips to help you lose the weight and keep it off permanently.
Firstly, you need to assume control over your own health and weight management. Do not simply hand over control of your body to the next program advertised on TV or in a magazine. You need to be ready to actually change and accept that while the necessary lifestyle changes could be challenging or uncomfortable at first, much of what we do is simply habit.
Habits develop over time. Research suggests that changing your habits will take upto 28 days. Now if you take this information into account, a quick fix program that we often see advertised is not the way for guaranteed lifelong weight loss.
Once you have accepted control over your health and weight management, the next step is to look at your body.
Every person on the planet is different, so it simply does not make sense for us to all eat exactly the same thing in the same proportions to achieve optimal health. Weight loss and weight gain comes down to how our bodies work. Gaining the knowledge of how our bodies function will allow us to address and correct our condition of being over weight. When you look at this concept closer, you will see that it is quite simple. If our blood sugar levels are high, we must correct them. If we have low levels of iron, we must correct this. Not only will this knowledge allow us to lose weight, but will also provide us with the knowledge we need to keep our weight off permanently.
Although it might sound simple, permanent weight loss is a challenge and support is an essential part to lifelong weight loss success.
Although we might find a large amount of support from friends and family when we initially decide to start a weight loss journey and when we initially start to lose those kilos, we still need the support after we have lost the weight as well. While many people may feel that needing others is a sign of weakness, being able to lean on your friends for support is actually a sign of strength. It takes a lot of guts to ask for help!
Permanent weight loss is not out of reach. Always remember that YOU are in control of your health. Find what works best for YOUR body and how your body best functions. And always remember that your best support strategy is found through your loved ones.