Maintaining Healthy Changes

by Christina Bartlett Print This Article

Salmon salad with cucumber, tomatoes, and greens on a white plate.

Maintaining Healthy Changes

Most people who try to lose weight fail to keep it off. Why? They fail to make changes that will last them a lifetime. Instead, they opt for a quick fix such as a fad diet or a new “magic” diet pill.

Remember you, and only you, have the power to join the few who succeed. How? By adopting new, healthy eating habits you can adhere to for life.

Here are 10 tips for getting your head around a better approach to eating. Habits come out of repetition, whether it is a good habit or bad habit. Drop the old behaviors around food and your new behaviors will follow.

Educate yourself

Knowing fact from popular fiction is the only way to make informed decisions. At the very least, anyone serious about losing weight permanently must understand food labels and accurate serving sizes.

Related: Clean up What You Eat

Choose wisely

Your body is a very efficient machine if it’s fed the right fuel. You are in control of whether a soda or a piece of fruit passes your lips.

Eat consciously

Don’t give into mindless eating. Always be aware of your hunger levels, how much you’re eating, and how you feel. Eating while you are doing something else, such as watching TV, is a surefire way to lose track of how much you are eating. If you must do it, serve yourself correct portions first so you don’t eat the whole bag of chips!

Be realistic

Don’t try to work on too many goals at once. Choosing one or two simple changes at a time can lead to success in healthy eating. Remember; aim to lose 7-10% of your current body weight within six months. Then re-evaluate your goals at the end of the six months.

Have fun!

Choose activities that you enjoy and that you are willing to do. Also, treat yourself when you reach certain goals. Remember not to reward yourself with food. It could be as simple as spending a day reading your favorite book or buying yourself a new pair of shoes.

A lapse is not a total relapse

Every one breaks down – every now and then – and eats too much for a meal or snack. You have to expect setbacks because life happens and food is always present, especially during the holidays. This is not an excuse to continue your binge indefinitely, but it isn’t necessary to beat yourself up, either. You can always start eating right, with the next meal or snack.

Don’t argue with your body

Sometimes the cravings are more powerful than you are. Ask yourself, “Is it a want or a need?” Most likely it is just a craving and not actual hunger. If you decide to give into the “want” make sure to have just a taste.

Be wary of fads

Fads are called fads because they come and, after a short period of time, go. Likewise, weight loss achieved on a diet plan that promises the world is not likely to last, studies show, mostly because people can’t stick by the restrictions.

Find new satisfactions

It’s common for people to eat to gratify emotions rather than the sensation of hunger. If you’re genuine about shifting your eating habits for good, you may need to develop more non-food pleasures in your life and keep a food journal that not only tracks eating habits, but emotions when you eat. Find out what your triggers are so you can get back on track.

Think outside the box

Many people believe the only way to gauge their progress is by measuring how many pounds they’ve dropped. Losing actual weight is a slow process. Weight-loss professionals often measure how well someone is progressing based on other changes, such as a reduction in clothing size, body-fat ratio and if other health concerns are also improving.

Success is more than a number!!

Christina Bartlett RD,LD Registered Dietitian and the owner of Everything In Moderation. She is dedicated to provide nutrition information that is tailored to the individual.

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This post originally appeared on our January/February 2012 Magazine

Maintaining Healthy Changes

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