Is it possible for a successful weight loss plan to be simple? If so, why do so many people find it so difficult to do? Why do so many people lose weight only to regain that weight a short period of time later? It may seem like there is no way to lose weight and keep it off in a simple fashion, but it can be much simpler than most people make it out to be. If you are struggling to lose the weight, or keep what you have recently lost from coming back, the following tips should help you do it in a more reasonable fashion.
Think Long Term
Stop thinking of a weight loss plan as something you do for a short period of time. So many people set out to lose twenty, fifty, or even a hundred pounds, but once they reach that goal they go right back to old behaviors. You can't do that if you want to lose the weight and keep it off once and for all. You have to think of a weight loss plan as something you do in the long term. It is a permanent change in your lifestyle.
You do not follow a weight loss plan only until you hit your goal. You have to select a plan that you can follow for the rest of your life. Think of it as changing the way you live, so you never have to worry about gaining weight again.
Use Substitution, Not Deprivation
One reason most people cannot stick with a weight loss plan long term is deprivation. They are either following a restrictive plan that leads to natural deprivation, or they are mentally focused on deprivation because they cannot have unhealthy foods they really love. That sense of being deprived of the good things in life will naturally lead to falling off the plan and succumbing to the tastes and textures that you crave. You set yourself up to fail with a plan that involves any amount of deprivation.
The best way to avoid feeling deprived is to think of making substitutes for the foods you know you should not eat all the time. Think of healthier versions of your favorite unhealthy foods, and then eat them the majority of the time. For example, you may decide to keep fresh fruit salad and whipped cream in the fridge for those evenings when you really crave something sweet.
If you really just have to have something else, then give yourself something else. You will find that most of the time, the fruit is just fine and fulfills the craving. As time moves on, you will start craving the substituted healthy food rather than the old unhealthy food.
Think Critically
Most people check into a new weight loss plan with the goal of trying to see its benefits and make it fit into their life. They want it to be the answer to their weight problems so desperately, that they trick themselves into believing they can change their life and their natural habits in order to accommodate the plan. This is the opposite of what you should be doing!
Rather than trying to make your lifestyle and personality fit to a randomly created weight loss plan, turn this around and find everything about the plan that can be criticized. Think of all the reasons it would not work with your lifestyle, your habits, or your personality. Try to see it in the worst light possible.
With a diet plan that just does not work for your life, you will find a lot to criticize. You will see that it just won't work for you, before you actually waste your time trying to follow it. The plan that could work for you will be different. There will be some things you have to adjust in order to make it work for you, but there won't be as many criticisms that you feel you cannot overcome.
Customize Your Plan
This is your final tip, but it might be the most important one you ever hear. Do not be afraid to make changes to any weight loss plan you come across. Unless you can find a plan that was customized just for your body and lifestyle, you will have to find a solid plan and make it fit your life. No plan is perfect for everyone. If it will work for you in most areas but needs some minor adjustments, then make those adjustments so the plan fits your life. The plan does the maneuvering...not you!
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