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Band-aid or Baby Steps?
There are generally two schools of thought when it comes to making any type of change: Fast radical change or slow baby steps. And while each style has it’s merits, when referring to weight reduction, one style is definitely preferrable.
Everyone wants to get their extra pounds off as fast as possible, and often the radical “ripping off the band-aid” approach seems more appealing because you think you’ll get quicker results. This can mean not only a complete change in what you’ve been eating, but could also include changing where you eat, who you eat with, even what time you eat.
Massive change like this can leave you feeling overwhelmed and completely discombobulated. And this feeling of disorientation will often lead to a very strong urge for the familiar, which will then have you falling-off-the-bandwagon and right back where you started. Actually you’ll be worse off than when you started, because now you’ll also feel like a failure and thoughts like “what’s the use?” will start to pop up. This is not a good place to be.
With weight management, the baby-steps approach, while seemingly slower, will get you what you want. By changing your habits slowly, but surely, you will be building the foundation for a lifetime of being at your ideal weight.
So what do baby-steps look like for weight reduction? They are easy-to-implement, not-too-painful changes that you can make, that added up will produce profound results.
You might start by just changing your breakfast. Say you normally have a sugary cereal with whole milk. An easy switch to a healthier option could be having a sugar-free, whole grain cereal, topped with some fresh berries for sweetness. Then you could use 2% or even 1% milk, and your meal will still be satisfying to you, because it is familiar to what you are used to. This means you are more likely to stick with your changes until they become your new normal.
If you are a meat-lover, instead of becoming a full-fledged vegetarian overnight, try incorporating just one vegetarian meal each day, or if that seems like too much, aim for 3-4 veggies meals per week.
If you drink a lot of soda pop, you could begin to replace some of your drinks with soda water sweetened with fruit juice. (Don’t however just switch to sugar-free soda options, those are even unhealthier than their sugar-laden counterparts. Artificial sweeteners can wreak havoc on your health in so many ways!)
Even exercise can be gently incorporated into your life. Begin by walking an extra block to the bus, or parking at the back of the parking lot. Whenever possible, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Or get off the elevator a couple of floors below where you need to be and walk up a flight or two.
These types of changes are much easier to keep on track with. And remember, it is our habits that create our lives. So work slowly but surely on changing your habits in little baby steps, and before you know it, your life will have changed for the better, and you’ll look back and think it was almost painless! (And definitely worth it!)
Tags: diet, fat, obese, overweight, psychology, reduction, slim, stacey grieve, weight loss
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These are great steps – all really doable, which is most important. Thanks for the tips
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Can’t wait until you post again… looking forward to it friend.