Habits and Routines-Stop Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Goals
Fact: Habits and routines are powerful. They can sabotage our best intentions for lifestyle changes.
Remember the last time you set out to learn a new
skill, that new language or a new, complicated hobby?
Did you struggle trying to make sense of all the new concepts
The challenge seemed overwhelming at first, didn’t it?
Eventually you accomplished your goal!
Now remember the last time you decided to ‘resolve’ -once again- to lose some weight, to finally get rid of that hateful extra fat?
You struggled as much.
You applied yourself diligently, followed your new routines and eating habits…except, THIS time you didn’t reach your goal.
Why Did That Happen?
You know what happened!
We know junk food isn’t good for us; we know we shouldn’t smoke, and that drinking alcohol often taxes our liver and kidneys-not to mention that it helps the increase of the infamous beer belly-
Yet, we still do it…Why?
Habit is to blame, of course. We are used to doing things a certain way, and changes make us feel uncomfortable, and it doesn’t matter if we’re talking about lifestyle changes for weight loss or any other change.
That’s how are brain operates. There’s also the huge element of addiction to bad carbs, which I have written about before.
Good news is…habits CAN be broken and eventually the discomfort disappears. It really does.
It is up to us to re-wire new habits into our brain.
Some key points to keep in mind when transitioning from old, unhealthy habits into new healthy lifestyles:
1) Plan Your Goal In Reverse
Dear Santa: this year give me motivation
Rather than starting your goals with: Tomorrow I will walk 20 minutes; or from now on I’ll eat more fruit…
Visualize yourself 20 lbs lighter (if that’s your goal-because it must be realistic too, you can set another goal for your next 20 lbs) then assign a date next to that vision, say after 90 days.
What would you look like? how about after 60 days, and 30 days.
In other words, a month prior to the end of the 90 days what will you have to have done?
Write it done in reverse from the bottom up.
This way your goal is always in front of you.
2) Be Alert- Awareness Is Crucial
Pay attention to how often you find yourself over-indulging. If you grab that bag of potato chips and sit down to watch TV for one hour, accept-consciously-that you made that CHOICE even if it contradicts your ultimate weight loss goal or healthy lifestyle.
This might cause guilty feelings, in which case maybe quitting cold turkey is in order (as in don’t buy the chips in the first place, don’t hang out with your junk-loving friends too much-after all, you need all the support you can get)
3) Full Immersion Is Good-But Not Always
Start making better choices gradually because complete ‘abstinence’ could be too stressful. Know Yourself.
Instead of taking the bag of chips with you, take a small handful and put the bag away. You will eat less and still trick your brain into thinking you had a treat.
Same with meal serving: Cut them down to half of what you normally would; eat and wait a little while before deciding whether you want more or not.
These changes alone won’t be enough to transform your life but they are great ways to remind you that YOU have control over what goes into your mouth.
4) Embrace Discomfort
It builds character 
Dealing with discomfort by accepting it will only make you stronger. It is only a feeling-it won’t hurt you!…
So what if you are craving something unhealthy?
You don’t have to give in just because you can.
As strange as it sounds, once you accept the craving and let it be without fighting it or trying to make it go away it wont be a problem.
Unlike a toothache, the pain won’t get worse. I promise.
Food cravings come and go but they are only as big or important as you PERCEIVE them to be. Weight loss challenges and a new lifestyle go hand in hand, but change IS good
To Your Health!
Luz Laureano
Would you like to know about the fat loss program that I use to maintain my healthy weight? Find out about it here.
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