Successful tips on weight loss, healthy eating and exercise
Today, I am going to discuss some behavioral strategies to become healthier.
- One strategy for healthy eating and exercise is to start keeping a food and exercise diary. This is the one thing that has worked the best for me. If I write everything down that I eat, then I usually can stick with the program. If I stop recording, then I get off track.
WHEE (Weight, Health, Eating and Exercise) is a community support diary for Kossacks who are currently or planning to start losing, gaining or maintaining their weight through diet and exercise or fitness. Any supportive comments, suggestions or positive distractions are appreciated. If you are working on your weight or fitness, please -- join us! You can also click the WHEE tag to view all diary posts.
- I am on Weight Watchers now, and that is part of their program, but I’ve used this in the past and it has worked for me then. Write down the time, the amount and what you eat. You can include calories if you count them or points if you do WW, or just the amount. If you are really OCD you can include how you feel during the day, how hungry, etc. If you note a pattern, you can plan for it. If you are always hungry at 10:30 and have a donut, then you can bring a healthy snack like an apple or cheese and crackers and eat it at your hungry time.
- Other behavioral strategies that work include making your meal an event to be savored. I often eat alone, and most of the time it’s in front of the computer or standing in the kitchen. Instead, take your time, savor each bite, each flavor and enjoy. You will consequently eat slower and probably eat less. Have a glass of water before your meal and that will help make you feel fuller.
- Plan your menus for the week and shop with a shopping list and shop after you’ve eaten so that you don’t buy things you don’t need because you are hungry at the time. I go to the Farmer’s Market each Saturday and buy lots of veggies. You can eat a lot of certain veggies and they are very low in calories. I will do a soup or a roast veggies.
- Don’t wait for the exercise bug to bite you, plan time for your exercise in your schedule. If it doesn’t get scheduled, it usually won’t get done. Plant your exercise bike or stepper in front of the TV and don’t watch TV unless you are moving. I know a guy who rigged up his TV to some kind of generator and in order for the TV to work he had to be biking.
- There are self-hypnosis tapes out there that induce relaxation and perhaps leave you with some power of suggestion that you will eat healthy and exercise. Anyone have any luck with those?
- I know someone who went through aversion therapy for weight loss and she had a weakness for chocolate. You guessed it, therapist had her talking/imagining chocolate as if it were sh*t. She still eats chocolate, but has unpleasant thoughts when she does. This is one I suggest you don’t use at home.
- Share your struggles with someone else. That is one of the purposes of these diaries. If you can find an exercise buddy, you are more likely to keep up your exercise program. If you are dieting with someone else, you can be supportive of one another. This stuff is hard, don’t try to do it all alone!
- Remember do these behaviors often and then they become healthy habits which are almost as difficult to break as our unhealthy ones are.
I have lost about 7 lbs since May, slow but sure I’m going in the right direction. My goal is another 20 pounds. As I’ve said, I’m working with Weight Watchers for the first time. My exercise of choice is bike-riding, and I do play tennis once a week. I want to restart weight lifting. I’ve done Pilates before for stretching and should get back into some of that as well.
How about you? What behavioral strategies work best for you? Any sure-fire tips or even sometimes works suggestions for the rest of us? Where are you on your journey to health? What are your goals? Share your successes with us. What are your downfalls and how are you counteracting them?