We’ve talked about losing the negative self-talk here. About how we need to learn to be nicer to ourselves and to think better and we also need to recognize that we aren’t perfect. Perfection is nice in theory, but if we pound ourselves into the ground with the need to be perfect, we will sabotage ourselves before we can even get started.
But let’s say we let go of the perfection hang-ups and the negative self-talk – what are some other positive goals we can work towards to help our weight loss? At the top of the list should be keeping a food log. If you are like me, the idea of keeping one more record is hardly appealing but a food log can actually be an eye opening experience. We may forget all the little nibbles in the day or the bag of chips we snatched on the way out the door or finishing off the kid’s fries.
However, if you track every single thing you eat for a weeklong period – you may identify trends and habits you don’t even realize you have. This can also help you map out what are the stress points and eating triggers in your day. Don’t minimize the power of knowledge when it comes to helping out your weight loss.
As you are keeping your food journal, you can go ahead and swap out low-calorie or low-fat desserts and drinks for what you already like. Like lattes and mochas? Go for the non-fat milk. Like ice cream? Choose low fat. Trim back where you can as you can.
Practice deep breathing techniques so that when stress or anxiety hits – you can practice breathing deep and evenly. An inhale through the nose for a count of four with an exhale slowly through the mouth for a count of four. Slow down your heart and calm down the adrenaline rush. This one way you can help avert eating binges or slippages on your diet as you reach for comfort foods.
Finally, the last goal for to work on as part of your weight loss is to remember pain is a messenger. If you are working out as a part of your weight loss then there are going to be days when you are sore. Soreness is an indicator of how hard the muscles in your body are working. Pay attention to the messages your body is sending. If pain continues, look for alternatives that will let you continue working out without aggravating real pain. Your body isn’t betraying you – but if you try to work past the pain and inflict injury on yourself – you will be betraying your body.
Related Articles:
Giving Some Weight to How We Think About Weight Loss