Typical diets and weight loss plans require you to severely limit or even completely eliminate your favourite high calorie foods.
The problem with these kinds of highly restrictive diets is that they are often too unhealthy, too unbalanced and too darn difficult to maintain long term.
What happens when you deprive yourself of your favourite foods is you will actually crave them even more and then ultimately find yourself giving in to temptation and falling right back into your old habits.
Is there a better way? There sure is and I'm here to tell you that by following a few simple steps, you can actually achieve successful lasting weight loss.
Here are some techniques that I used to help me along my weight loss journey that can now help you too.
1.
Avoid All-or-Nothing thinking When you think in all-or-nothing terms, you are automatically setting yourself up for failure.
Maintaining a healthy weight and diet doesn't mean you have to cut out your favourite foods completely.
You can still enjoy them, but obviously you can't continue eating them in the same frequency and quantities as you are now since that behaviour is what got you into trouble in the first place.
Instead, make small gradual changes by just having a little bit less and on fewer occasions to start.
When you do allow yourself to have it, really enjoy every mouthful and do it guilt-free.
If you eat one of your favourite foods at 10:00am, don't then go thinking that your whole day is shot so you may as well give in to any other temptations throughout the day and start again tomorrow.
Every single time you're about to put food into your mouth you have a new opportunity to get back on track.
2.
Avoid getting over-hungry When you go too long without food, you are putting yourself at risk of wanting to eat anything in sight the second food does become available.
You'll be so hungry that you will end up eating mindlessly and are more likely to make poor choices that you will only regret later on or the next day when you step on the scale or look in the mirror.
You'll also be more likely to overeat.
Instead, be sure to eat regularly throughout the day so you have the wherewithall to make wiser choices and not over-indulge.
3.
Keep a food diary to track your daily intake Keeping a food diary requires a bit of discipline, but trust me that the effort is so worth the results.
When I started keeping a food diary I was able to clearly see my patterns in terms of what I was eating, how often, when, as well as the nutritional value, balance and calories I was consuming on a daily basis.
I was able to see where I needed to make adjustments for improving my eating habits and calorie intake.
4.
Watch your portion sizes Start paying attention to those nutrition labels on the packaging of your favourite foods.
Notice what a suggested serving size is and then look at how much you typically eat in one sitting.
How do they compare? If a serving size of your favourite cookies, for example, is two cookies and you are eating three or more at any one time, then you need to re-examine your cookie eating habits.
It is not that you can never eat cookies, but you need to learn to allow yourself some instead of none within moderation.
Start by cutting down your portion size to what a suggested serving size is.
5.
Modify your choices with healthier substitutions Look at what your meal plan is or the menu when eating out.
What can you substitute from what you would normally choose to make it a healthier and weight-friendly meal? For example, when ordering a meal that comes with french fries, ask to replace the fries with a salad or steamed vegetables.
For the salad, choose a non-cream dressing and ask for it served on the side so you have control over how much of it you eat.
If you absolutely are craving the fries, go ahead and have it, but just don't eat them all.
Share them with someone or have the waiter take them away when you're half way through.
If the waiter is not around, cover them with tons of salt and pepper or anything to make them unappealing so you will leave them on your plate.
What I've learned through my own weight loss journey and through coaching so many others through their journeys is that lasting weight loss and control is NOT about going on a diet.
It is about eating and maintaining a healthy diet that you can live with and sustain for the rest of you life.