Pray it Off 12/23/10 Planning, Preparation and Patience: Reaching Your 2011 Weight Loss Goals

Planning, Preparation and Patience: Reaching your 2011 weight loss goalsBy Donna Anderson, Berea Food Examiner





It's almost time to roll out those New Year's resolutions and if weight loss is at the top of your list year after year, then you already know just how easy it is to make that resolution on January 1st and fall off the wagon on January 2nd.

Forty to forty-five percent of Americans make a New Year's resolution yet only seventy five percent manage to keep it longer than one week. After 2 weeks only 71 % are still sticking with it, after 1 month only 64% are still hanging on and after 6 months only 46% are still staying strong.

Why the drastic drop in stick-to-it-iveness? We make these resolutions, especially those that involve a healthy change in lifestyle, because they're supposed to be good for us. Yet less than half of us follow through for even half the year.

Part of the problem is planning. We put weeks of planning into that calorie laden holiday feast but when it comes to a healthy, every-day meal we grab whatever is handy or go through the nearest drive-through.

Mental preparation is also a key factor in achieving your weight loss success. Lance Armstrong doesn't just get up, hop on a bike and ride in the Tour de France. When you're riding a bicycle up the side of a mountain it takes a lot more than a yellow shirt to keep you motivated to continue. Before you even think about changing your eating habits take some time to figure out what it is that motivates you so you can keep it in the front of your mind when the going gets tough.

Patience is perhaps the most important factor in achieving your weight loss goals. You've heard it before – you didn't gain it all in one month, how can you expect to lose it in one month?

But here's where most people fail at weight loss – they completely change their eating habits overnight. They give up the chips and cookies, the sodas and pizza, the greasy burgers and fries. And they start eating carrot sticks and grapefruit.

The key to changing your eating habits is to change one thing at a time and be patient. Don't give up all the foods you love on January 1st and completely restrict your diet. First of all, it's too much of a shock emotionally. Within hours you'll be craving everything! Secondly, eventually, in about 2 weeks, you're going to hit that weight loss plateau – and you know you will. Then what will you have left to change? You've already given up everything you love.

If you've already decided that weight loss is going to be your Number One Resolution for 2010, then it's time to start planning ahead. Here's what you need to do now:

Decide what motivates you

Take some time to really look at the reason(s) you want to lose weight. Are you having health problems? Would you feel better about yourself if you lost weight? Do you have a class reunion, a wedding or a cruise coming up this year? It's important to know why you want to lose weight so you can keep yourself motivated when the going gets tough.

Weight loss: How much and how fast?

Ahhhhh, New Year's resolutions... we make 'em and break 'em in the blink of an eye. But this year it's going to be different. You're determined to lose weight... OR ELSE! But how much weight do you want to lose and how fast do you want to lose it? Because if your goal is unrealistic then you're just setting yourself up for failure.

Maybe you've decided to lose weight because you have health concerns or maybe your doctor has even suggested that it's time to lose a few pounds. But losing too much weight too fast can be just as dangerous and carrying around those extra pounds.

It's important to set realistic weight loss goals for two reasons:

Your physical health – No matter how much you weigh starting out the human body requires a certain amount of calories to function properly. And those calories have to come from all the food groups – not just grapefruit or whatever the latest fad diet is. In order to keep your body functioning properly you need to eat a well-balanced, nutritious meal plan.

Your mental health and motivation – We all feel better when we achieve a goal. After all, the opposite of achievement is failure and no one likes to feel like a failure. If your goal is to lose 20 pounds next year and you only lose 5 or 10, you're not going to feel successful and you'll be more apt to go back to your old eating habits.

Set a reasonable goal that you have to work for but that you have the possibility of achieving. For example, the Mayo Clinic recommends losing no more than 1 ½ to 2 pounds per week. If you feel ambitious then set your goal at 2 pounds. When you lose it you'll feel like you've really achieved something and you'll want to keep pushing on to see if you can lose 2 more next week.

Sound like it's going to take too long? Let's say you'd like to lose 100 pounds. At 2 pounds per week, it's only going to take you 50 weeks to lose that 100 pounds – less than one year. How long did it take you to gain those 100 pounds? Chances are, you've put them on gradually, over a period of years, without even noticing. So losing them in less than a year sounds like a real bargain, doesn't it!

Motivate yourself to lose weight in 2011

According to the Mayo Clinic, if you can answer 'Yes” to any of the following questions, then you need to find a way to motivate yourself to lose weight in 2011.

• Do you have difficulty sleeping?
• Do you snore?
• Do you have sleep apnea?
• Do you have back or joint pain?
• Do you have excessive sweating?
• Do you always feel hot?
• Do you have rashes or infections in folds of your skin?
• Do you run out of breath performing even the smallest task?
• Do you suffer from daytime sleepiness or fatigue?
• Do you feel sad or depressed?
• Have you been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes?

If you're spending money on medication for an aching back, indigestion and heart burn, depression, or fatigue you can probably eliminate that expense just by losing some weight. Snoring is not natural. Difficulty sleeping is not natural. Depression, sleepiness and rashes are not normal. And all of these symptoms are related to obesity.

Maybe you're not suffering from any of these symptoms, though. Maybe you'd just like to lose weight so you look your best for your class reunion or that cruise you're taking this summer. Maybe you'd just like to improve your eating habits so you can set a good example for your children. Whatever the reason you're making the switch to a healthy and well-balanced diet, it's important to find out what is motivating you so you can use it for inspiration when the going gets tough.

As I've already stated, we're only going to make one teeny, tiny little change to our eating habits every week so it won't be so devastating to make these little lifestyle changes. A little slip here and there is normal but every now and then, you might feel the urge to backslide – forever! For those times when you're tempted to unwrap that Snickers bar or pop the top on a soda, you need motivation!

Trying to get into that bikini for the summer? Hang it on the closet door so you can see it every time you walk by your closet. Want to look good for that class reunion? Put your class picture on the fridge or a picture of yourself that was taken when you were in high school. Getting ready for a cruise? Put the vacation pamphlets all around your home as a constant reminder.

The best way to help motivate yourself to lose weight, though, is to do it for yourself. If you're trying to lose weight because your husband or boyfriend said he'd love you more if you were thinner, what kind of motivation is that? You're under enough stress as it is. You don't need to be worrying that if you don't lose all the weight he wants you to he's going to leave.

But maybe he wants you to lose weight so you'll feel like going hiking with him again. Or maybe you're depressed and no fun to be around anymore because you're always worrying about your weight. Maybe you have changed. And if that's the case, then put a picture of your 'old' self on every mirror in the house. Keep yourself motivated to lose that weight and get the 'old' you back!

Your 2011 weight loss goal: Step one, drink more water

Whether you start now or wait until January 1, 2011, the first step in achieving that weight loss goal you've set is simply to drink more water. No, I didn't say you have to stop drinking soda or juice or beer or whatever it is you typically reach for. (Although, that would definitely help.) All I said was – Drink. More. Water. Period.

How much water should you drink?

As a basic guideline, the Mayo Clinic suggests you drink 8 – 8 ounce glasses of water each day. However, if you're very active you may need to drink more to replace fluid loss due to sweating. And that's 8 – 8 ounce glasses of WATER – not tea or coffee or soda or lemonade or something made with water. Just water.

What are the benefits of drinking more water?

The human body is 60% water and we've already discussed how every system in your body needs a good, healthy dose of H20 every day. But the secret benefit of drinking more water is that it will help fill you up and satisfy some of your food cravings.
Here are a few more benefits:

• Drink 8 ounces of water before you reach for a soda and you may decide you no longer need the soda.
• Drink 8 ounces of water just before mealtime and you might just eat a little less.
• Drink 8 ounces of water before you peel the wrapper off that candy bar and you may find you don't really need that sugar rush anymore.
• Drink 8 ounces of water before you reach for that cup of coffee and you might just find you don't really need all that extra caffeine.

For this week, all you need to do is drink more water. Don't worry about cutting anything from your diet. Just Drink More Water.

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