In the United States, over 160 million Americans are obese or overweight.
With so many people suffering from obesity, it seems like a new diet pops up every day. However, some people might find it difficult to keep the weight off long-term.
Achieving long term weight loss doesn’t have to be impossible. In this article, we’ll share with you 7 tips to achieve your weight loss goals.
1. Create Realistic Goals
The key for successful long term weight loss is to set yourself up with realistic goals. If you simply say you want to lose x amount of weight, for example, you might not know exactly how to get there.
In order to succeed in your journey, set a few realistic goals at a time. If you’re not an active person, you might want to start by walking 10K steps every day.
Also, you could cut back from eating dessert every day to only once a week. You can also add a physical activity you might enjoy such as yoga, swimming or pilates.
Re-framing the way you think about weight loss can help you achieve your goals faster.
2. Watch Your Portions
Portion control is sometimes the reason why people put on a few extra pounds here and there.
When you want to make long term changes, start by cutting back on how much you eat at every meal.
3. Prioritize Mindful Eating
Eating is a ritual that you’re meant to enjoy. Instead of eating just to eat, try to be mindful about when you eat, how you eat, and what you eat.
Make sure you eat at the same time every day to get your body used to a schedule and don’t wait until you’re starting to do so. Eating when you’re starving will make you eat more than you should.
Make sure when you sit down to eat, you savor every bite and really enjoy your food.
4. Track to Improve Your Progress Only
If you’re going to track your progress, make sure you only do it to improve and not to punish yourself.
When something didn’t work for you, simply move on and try something else.
5. Know Your Triggers
The key to long-term weight loss is to know what triggers you. If you know cookies and chips will cause you to binge eat, don’t keep them in your pantry.
If you’re a stress eater, try to figure out new ways to deal with stress such as meditation or exercise.
6. Journal What You Eat
If you want to keep the weight off long term, you need to keep track of your successes.
Write down everything you eat every day. This will help you figure out exactly what foods help you feel happy and full and which ones set you back in your journey.
7. Surround Yourself With the Right People
Find a community with like-minded people and stick with them. Knowing you can count on someone with the same goals will help you in your journey.
How to Achieve Long Term Weight Loss
Now that you know these tips for long-term weight loss, you’re ready to tackle the challenge.
Remember to set realistic goals, journal what you eat, track your progress, eat mindfully, and avoid your triggers. Want to explore other long term weight loss options? Check out our services.