For long term success, the
purpose behind your goal needs to be more important than just weight loss. Ask yourself the what, when, why, where and
how so you can accomplish that goal.
- What is
your plan? Instead of just saying 'I want to lose weight', think
about what has stopped you in the past, what are you going to do
differently to achieve your goal this time and what are some things you
can do, when the plan doesn't play out like it should. Sit down in a
quiet place with no interruptions and think about your past
accomplishments and even more importantly your past failures (if you have
tried in the past), so you can plan out your process with alternatives.
- When do
you want to start and when do you want to reach your goal? Pick a
doable time frame to lose the weight. Realistically, you want to
lose 1-2 pounds per week of healthy weight loss. Is it a good time
in your life to make changes? Will your family support you?
- Why do
you want to lose weight? Do you need to lose the weight? Are
you doing it to feel better or just to look better? Are you doing it
for health reasons? What happens if you have a bad day or unexpected
things come up to throw you off? As you develop your course of
action, the 'why' becomes one of the most important aspects in your weight
loss journey.
- Where do
you want to be in 3-6 months or a year from now? Lifestyle changes
can be easy or hard depending on how you feel about what you are doing and
your approach. Living a healthy lifestyle is much more satisfying
than just losing weight.
- How are
you going to approach your goals? How do you think you will feel if
you give up and go back to your old habits? How can you create a
plan that is going to work for you? How will you deal with friends and
family that may unknowingly try to sabotage your success?
These are all questions and issues
you have to take a look at in order to succeed.
When you take the time to plan it out, including cheat days, or when
life gets in the way days, you will succeed in your weight loss journey and won’t
have to search for that magic pill.
