If you’re anything like me, you probably live in perpetual hope that one day you’ll discover that elusive weight-loss secret, which is as smack-you-on-the-head simple as it is as easy as one-two-three.
Of course, that day is as likely to come as it is for something that good to lie hidden for this long, but Lindsey House, a registered dietitian and personal trainer, has something almost as good: seven things you can give up if you want to lose weight for good. That’s right, seven things you don’t have to worry about anymore if you want the pounds to fall off and stay off
So, without further ado:
- Give up the idea that you have to give up food.
You actually shouldn’t give up anything if you want to lose weight and keep it off, House said. You instead need to find balance.
“When people feel like they have to give up certain foods to lose weight, they ultimately fall away from healthy habits because they give up quickly,” she said.
- Give up the all-or-nothing mentality.
Once again, search for balance. Celebrate the small successes and brush off minor setbacks. You won’t be completely derailed if you blow your nutrition goals at one party.
Remember: The key to success is jumping right back on track.
- Give up the scale and find other ways to measure success.
Measuring non-scale success is critical to losing weight for good, House said. If you’re sleeping better, experiencing more energy during the day and are noticing a more positive attitude, those are all successes!
- Give up screen time and open up some time for movement or fitness.
Just swapping one 30-minute show with one 30-minute exercise regimen can do wonders, House said. Also, it doesn’t have to be fitness related to help your weight-loss goals. You could also spend that extra time planning for and preparing healthy meals for the week.
- Give up the idea that skipping meals is OK.
This is an oldie but a goodie. Breakfast is the meal most often scrutinized for people’s tendency to skip it, but skipping any meal leaves you with too many hours in between where you’re more likely to grab an unhealthy snack.
“If we go in hungry, it’s usually game over,” House said.
- Give up on skimping on sleep.
The biggest culprits usually are stress eating, bored eating or emotional eating, but we as a society also tend to do a lot of tired eating. When we’re tired, we’re more likely to make bad food choices.
- Give up on diets and quick fixes.
They just don’t work. Period.
Just as there are no easy answers or magic secrets to weight loss ““ as much as it saddens me ““ there are some simple things you can do to make weight loss work for you. Just remember that it has to actually work for you to be sustainable. If you’d like to discuss more weight-loss options with a professional, contact St. Elizabeth Physicians Weight Management Center at (859) 212-4625.
