Written By: Ernest J. Geeting, BA, C.Ht, NHC
If you’ve ever tried to lose weight and failed just the mention of the word, “diet” can cause you to cringe. Unpleasant memories of strange foods, starvation, counting carbs or calories come flooding back. Maybe you’ve even tried some pill or liquid drink and lost weight only to find that as soon as you stopped using it the pounds came right back on. It is enough to make you cry in frustration.
Perhaps you’ve finally come to the conclusion that diets just don’t work for you and never will. You may have nearly resigned yourself to thinking you will be fat for life and there’s nothing you can do about it. Yet somewhere deep inside you know that you can never totally give up. The risks of being overweight are just too depressing and the benefits of being slim and trim are too attractive to ignore.
The fact of the matter is you know that in order for you to lose that extra weight and keep it off permanently you will need to do something differently. You know the food choices you are currently making are not helping you lose weight but you also know that the answer is not just another diet. You’re burned out on diets.
It’s time for a complete break from the cycle of diets and failure. No more lists of what to eat and what not to eat. No more difficult diet recipes. No more pills or potions. No more punishment and deprivation. And no more self-loathing when you fall off your diet regimen. It’s time to get off that silly diet roller coaster and discard that whole ridiculous system!
So how do you escape the diet trap and lose weight the sane way?
First you must begin by understanding the need for a lifestyle change. This is the key to shedding your unwanted pounds without suffering the crushing oppression and guilt that comes with try-and-fail dieting.
Establish tiny goals. Each goal you set must be simple, realistic and achievable. For instance you might begin by making a goal of eating 3 more servings of vegetables each day or taking a brisk 15 minute walk after dinner in the evening. Whatever you come up with be sure to set goals for yourself that are pleasant for you, something you might even actually look forward to.
Develop a new perspective on food. View food as fuel for your body. Give your body the right fuel in the right amounts and you will lose weight. Your body doesn’t need an elaborate cuisine or complicated diet concoctions and it sure doesn’t need heavily processed junk or fast foods.
All your body requires is good, healthy food and plenty of water. So give it the most natural, basic, highest quality foods you can and avoid anything pre-packaged, even if the label claims it to be “lean” or “lite”. You will quickly discover that foods in their simplest forms are amazingly tasty, healthy and much easier to prepare. The more basic the food the more likely it contains fewer calories. Think about it, a fresh juicy peach has a lot less calories and carbs than even a narrow slice of peach pie… and a lot better for you too!
Finally, each day imagine how much better you will look and feel when you are finally free of the extra weight you don’t need. Visualize yourself smiling as those excess pounds melt off your body. Picture yourself in that skimpy bathing suit or cute little outfit you’ve always wanted.
Simply by changing how you view food and replacing unhealthy foods with healthier alternatives, and then visualizing your end result as you follow your goals you will be setting yourself up for success. Why not get started today?
