Any of us who have struggled at anytime with weight issues, have become conditioned to think "I need to lose 20 pounds so I 'd better go on a diet". A "diet" means different things to different people. To many it is thought of as "starving" themselves for 8 weeks, until they reach the magic number they are looking for on the scale.
Although you could boil "weight loss" down to burning more calories than you are taking in each day, a large part of the process of losing weight involves other parts of the head (i.e. the brain) rather than just the mouth. Starving yourself is counter-productive when it comes to sustained weight loss. But even before you plan your nutritional needs on your weight loss journey, there are some non-dietary aspects that have to be addressed.
When you are embarking on a drive to lose some weight, you have to get "buy in" from your mind. You have to form the belief that you can achieve your goal and then you have to make and keep a commitment to yourself to follow through and follow the weight loss and exercise program that you have selected.
When you start any journey you need to have a clear idea of where you want to go. In addition to recording your starting weight, it is recommended that you take your measurements (waist, hips, chest, thighs & arms circumferences) before you begin your program. Many times, after several weeks on a weight loss/ exercise program, the scale may only show a modest weight loss after all your dedicated work. This can be disappointing and discouraging. However if you re-take your measurements at that point you will find that you have actually lost inches as you have toned up muscles and shed some fat.
By recording your weight and measurements before you start your program, you have a beginning benchmark that you can use for comparison after you have completed your program.
Also, do not watch the scale every day looking for progress. Typically, the scale is not sensitive enough to detect daily weight loss. For example, most folks would be pleased with a 12-pound weight loss over the course of a month. On average, over the course of the month that would be a daily average loss of about 6 ounces. That amount of weight loss would not register on most typical bathroom scales.
In addition, any large shift in weight that you may detect on a daily basis will simply be fluid shift. If you go from a relatively dehydrated state to proper hydration, you will see a dramatic weight increase, which could be discouraging if it were not recognized for what it was. On the other hand if you fail to drink the proper amount of fluid each day, the scale will reflect a weight loss, which has little to do with your weight loss program efforts and goals.
The impact a false scale reading may lead one into a downward spiral. You start thinking: "what's the use, I've been watching my diet and I am still gaining, I may as well have that pepperoni Pizza."
Another point to remember is that all of us fall in one step or another as we go after a goal. That is true on a weight loss journey as well. You may follow your program religiously for 3 days and then you are overcome by temptation and have trouble resisting that box of donuts or bag of chips. Then once you break your plan, you figure "to heck with it" and go from there into full binge mode.
And finally, you must remember that "falling" is not the same as "failing". Setbacks are bound to happen. What is important is how you respond to them. Rather than beat yourself up for falling of the program, you must accept it as a setback, dig in and resolve to pick up where you left off and keep moving forward.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bruno_Barbaro
Although you could boil "weight loss" down to burning more calories than you are taking in each day, a large part of the process of losing weight involves other parts of the head (i.e. the brain) rather than just the mouth. Starving yourself is counter-productive when it comes to sustained weight loss. But even before you plan your nutritional needs on your weight loss journey, there are some non-dietary aspects that have to be addressed.
When you are embarking on a drive to lose some weight, you have to get "buy in" from your mind. You have to form the belief that you can achieve your goal and then you have to make and keep a commitment to yourself to follow through and follow the weight loss and exercise program that you have selected.
When you start any journey you need to have a clear idea of where you want to go. In addition to recording your starting weight, it is recommended that you take your measurements (waist, hips, chest, thighs & arms circumferences) before you begin your program. Many times, after several weeks on a weight loss/ exercise program, the scale may only show a modest weight loss after all your dedicated work. This can be disappointing and discouraging. However if you re-take your measurements at that point you will find that you have actually lost inches as you have toned up muscles and shed some fat.
By recording your weight and measurements before you start your program, you have a beginning benchmark that you can use for comparison after you have completed your program.
Also, do not watch the scale every day looking for progress. Typically, the scale is not sensitive enough to detect daily weight loss. For example, most folks would be pleased with a 12-pound weight loss over the course of a month. On average, over the course of the month that would be a daily average loss of about 6 ounces. That amount of weight loss would not register on most typical bathroom scales.
In addition, any large shift in weight that you may detect on a daily basis will simply be fluid shift. If you go from a relatively dehydrated state to proper hydration, you will see a dramatic weight increase, which could be discouraging if it were not recognized for what it was. On the other hand if you fail to drink the proper amount of fluid each day, the scale will reflect a weight loss, which has little to do with your weight loss program efforts and goals.
The impact a false scale reading may lead one into a downward spiral. You start thinking: "what's the use, I've been watching my diet and I am still gaining, I may as well have that pepperoni Pizza."
Another point to remember is that all of us fall in one step or another as we go after a goal. That is true on a weight loss journey as well. You may follow your program religiously for 3 days and then you are overcome by temptation and have trouble resisting that box of donuts or bag of chips. Then once you break your plan, you figure "to heck with it" and go from there into full binge mode.
And finally, you must remember that "falling" is not the same as "failing". Setbacks are bound to happen. What is important is how you respond to them. Rather than beat yourself up for falling of the program, you must accept it as a setback, dig in and resolve to pick up where you left off and keep moving forward.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bruno_Barbaro
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