Is your weight-loss goal realistic?
Answer these questions to make sure you’re ready to start a weight-loss program — and know what steps to take if you aren’t quite there.
Your weight-loss success depends on your readiness to face the challenge. If you jump in before you’re ready, your weight-loss plan might buckle under the first challenge.
The following questions will help you determine whether you are ready to lose weight.
Weight loss success depends on permanent lifestyle changes, such as eating healthy foods and including physical activity in your daily routine. That could represent a significant departure from your current lifestyle.
Be Honest.
• Know that you need to make changes in your life and doing it are two different things. You might want to overhaul your diet to eat more whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. You’ll also need to find time for physical activity, ideally at least 30 to 45 minutes — or more — nearly every day of the week.
• Whether your motivation to begin these changes is better health, improved appearance, or feeling better about yourself. Find your motivation and focus on it.
• If you’re dealing with serious life events, such as marital problems, job stress, illness, or financial worries. You might not want to overhaul your eating and exercise habits. Instead, consider giving your life a chance to calm down before starting your weight-loss program.
• Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is a lifelong process. Start by making sure your weight-loss goal is safe and realistic — such as losing 10 percent of your current weight. Aim to lose 0.5 to 1 kilo a week until you reach your goal. It means burning 500 to 1,000 calories more each day through your diet and the exercise that you consume.
• You might lose weight faster if you change your habits significantly. Be careful, though. Radical changes that aren’t sustainable aren’t likely to succeed in the long term.
• Emotions and food are often intertwined. Anger, stress, grief, and boredom can trigger emotional eating. If you have a history of an eating disorder, weight loss can be even trickier.
• To prepare for the challenges, identify any emotional issues related to food.
• Any weight-loss program can be challenging. You might face temptation or become discouraged. Having someone offer encouragement can be helpful. If you don’t have anyone to ask, consider joining a weight loss support group.
• If you want to keep your weight-loss efforts private, be prepared to be accountable with regular weigh-ins, healthy eating, and exercising. You might also want to consider joining an online weight-loss program.
• If you don’t have a positive attitude about losing weight, you might not be ready — and if you dread what lies ahead, you might be more likely to find excuses to veer off course.
• Instead, embrace the vision of your changed lifestyle and remain positive. Focus on how happy you’ll feel when you’re more active or weigh less. Picture yourself celebrating every success along the way, whether it’s enjoying new food, finishing another exercise session or losing your first few pounds.
Think about your responses to the questions above:
• Is your answer yes to all or most questions? You’re probably ready to make lifestyle changes that support permanent weight loss. Get started with a healthy diet and regular exercise! If you need help, enroll in a weight-loss program.
• Is your answer no to more than one question? You might not be ready to embark on a weight-loss program right now. Explore what’s holding you back and face those obstacles. Consider seeking help from a certified wellness coach to work through these issues. Then re-evaluate your readiness for weight loss so that you can start on the path to a healthier weight.
If you couldn’t answer a simple yes or no to all the questions but feel generally positive and upbeat about a weight-loss program, consider starting now. You might never have definitive answers in life. Don’t let that rob you of weight-loss success.
