To help ease this process, there are a few quick, simple tricks that everyone can do to increase their weight loss success as listed below:
1. Chair, Table, and Plate: Every time you eat ANYTHING, make sure you have a: 1. Chair, 2. Table, and 3. Plate. Having these three things every time you eat will help you avoid late night fridge raiding, or eating fast food in the car.
2. Exercise Your Willpower Muscle: Exercise your mental willpower muscle by thinking ahead: take a few extra minutes a week to do meal planning and prep to help you avoid after work cravings.
3. Be Realistic: Setting realistic goals is one of the most important aspects of weight loss. If you set out to reach your high school weight, you are derailing the mission before it has a chance to begin.
4. Adjust Your Influences: The ‘socialization effect’ is visibly understandable: cigarette smokers hang out with other smokers, drinkers with drinkers, eaters with eaters, etc. If your friends are impeding you from practicing healthy daily habits, maybe it’s time to find a new circle of friends.
5. Cart Checks: Our average meal plate should consist of 50% produce, 25% whole grains, and 25% protein. When you are grocery shopping, your cart should look the same.
6. Avoid ‘Response Eating’: There is ALWAYS going to be a good reason/occasion to over eat. In order to reach your weight loss goals, you cannot eat ‘dirty’ every time someone has a birthday, or you are at a ball game, etc. Eat before you attend these events and only eat when you are hungry.
7. Tell Yourself You Deserve It: Self-sabotage is all too common in unsuccessful weight loss endeavors. You have to tell yourself that you deserve to be healthy and to look and feel good about yourself, and you will find your motivation increasing.
8. S.M.A.R.T.: When setting goals, ever goal should follow this S.M.A.R.T. acronym: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.
9. Stand More: Most of us spend 2-3 hours a day sitting at home, and another 8 hours a day sitting at work at our desks. This sedentary lifestyle is nearly impossible to counteract. Wearing a step counter will help make you aware of your movement, and lack of movement. Try standing during conference calls, parking farther away, and even (gasp!) take the stairs.
10. Cope With Stress: Coping with stress is one of the top reasons for weight gain. Instead of coping with your day at work, school, parents, spouse, and bills with brownies and vodka, take a walk outside in the fresh air, take a yoga class, or meditate.
Sources: CNN