Just about anybody can say they've succeeded in losing some weight at some point in time. How many of those can claim they have experienced life-altering long-term weight loss success? Unfortunately, not many.
Losing weight is actually the easy part. Sustaining the weight loss is where the real challenge begins.
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As has been said, to be successful in long term weight loss, you must break bad habits and replace them with good habits. Not only will your lifestyle have to change but so will your attitude. Losing weight isn't a sprint, it is a marathon and should be treated as such. Losing weight is actually the easy part. Sustaining the weight loss is where the real challenge begins.
So how do you know if you've reached that point to where you can be relatively assured you've created the healthy habits needed to sustain your weight loss? There are many milestones you can use to determine this. Of course, they won't be the same for everyone but here are few common ones:
Cravings and temptations subsideWhen you first start your weight loss effort, you will find it difficult to pass up those treats you normally consume. For some, the temptations are just too great if they are readily available so they completely rid their house of them. Your body is accustomed to the way you've been eating and it really won't like it too much when you suddenly take away those simple carb, high-fat foods. It will go through withdrawals. Most likely you will exhibit physical symptoms such as headaches, irritability, nervousness, fatigue, and more. Here's the good news...the symptoms will go away, the cravings will subside, and temptations will no longer be unbearable. When you get to this point, you've won a major battle.
Your food choices don't change after you meet your goalsThe problem with 'crash' diets or other extreme weight loss techniques is that it is more often than not unsustainable over a prolonged period of time. When someone hits their target weight, they return to their normal way of eating and the weight comes back quickly. Often times, they end up gaining back more than they lost. This is why nutrition experts suggest a weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week is optimal for long term weight loss. This allows learn a new way of eating, learn how to make good nutritional choices, and change your lifestyle gradually over a period of time. If you have hit your target weight but notice that the types and quantities of food you eat doesn't change that much, if at all, you will be more likely to sustain your weight loss for the long haul.
You 'blow it' for a day and don't give upGranted, there are differing levels of 'blowing it' but this is a trap that many fall prey to. It's the weekend and you have a night out with your friends. You've achieved some success toward your goals and decide to relax your diet for a night. Afterward, you feel guilty. Your start thinking, "All that hard work and I blow it in one night!" Thus starts the domino effect. If you blow it for a night, you might as well go ahead and have a big breakfast...and so on. You might as well just give up! Wrong. You know you've rounded a corner in your battle if you can afford yourself a 'night off' and hop right back on the horse the next day. It just becomes a way of life and not a battle of willpower.
You just don't 'feel right' if you don't exercise If you have become used to an exercise regiment, in all likelihood you are exercising at the same time every day. It's very difficult to workout in the morning one day then in the evening the next and create a routine. When your body gets accustomed to the time you exercise and you have to take a day off, you just don't 'feel right'. You may notice your energy levels are not as high or thinking in muddled. You just aren't 'right' until you have your next workout. When you reach this point, you know you've created a good habit that will help carry you to long term weight loss success.
You exercise when you just don't feel like itThis is a big one. There are going to be days where the last thing you want to do, for whatever reason, is exercise. When you find yourself in this situation but still end up in the gym, you know you've reached a milestone. It's not the days that you feel great and workout that test your mettle. It's the days where you'd rather visit a Dentist than run a mile...but yet you still do...that make the difference.
Someone calls you 'obsessed'There is a saying in the fitness and nutrition realm: 'Obsession' is what lazy people call dedication. To many that don't have to deal with weight issues in their lives, your dedication can come off as an obsession. To those that are experiencing their own weight issues but aren't doing anything about, it's probably jealousy. If someone refers to you as obsessed, take it as a compliment and let it fuel your motivation!
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