Despite the plethora of diet and exercise plans we are now exposed to, the Western world is gradually becoming more and more overweight and obese.

Here Sally Symonds, author of 50 Steps to Lose 50kg . . . And Keep It Off and a professional weight loss coach, shares some of the habits that she adopted on her way to losing 45kg in 33 weeks, before going on to lose over 50% of her original body weight.

1.  Change the way you think. You’re not on a diet: that implies a short length of miserable time! Keep a healthy perspective. It’s not about losing fat fast, it’s about losing fat forever. Remember that the faster you lose weight, the faster you regain it. Conversely, lose it too slowly, and you’ll soon lose motivation. It’s all about finding balance without becoming obsessive.

2.  Work out a strategy. Approach your healthy life journey as you would any other major project in your life: sit down and work out a plan of attack. It’ll help you figure out what you want to achieve and how best to achieve it. Seek professional help if necessary.

3. Before you eat something, ask yourself if it’s really worth it. If you’re planning to treat yourself and realise that you don’t really like what you’re eating, spit it out—it’s not worth wasting your calorie expenditure on something indulgent if you don’t enjoy it! Similarly, if you unexpectedly give in to temptation but then regret it halfway through, there’s nothing to say you can’t spit it out mid-chew.

4. Keep a pair of wrist-weights in the laundry, and wear them every time you sort and fold your washing. Not only are you getting housework done, you’re getting a workout in as well!

5.  Ignore conventional methods of portion control. Make sure you eat enough at mealtimes so that you aren’t going to be obsessing about food for the next couple of hours, but make sure you don’t over-eat either. Fill up on the good-for-you stuff, so you aren’t tempted to indulge in the not-so-good-for-you stuff later on.

6. Make it easy for yourself by creating more barriers between you and the not-so-healthy options and fewer barriers between you and the healthy alternatives. If you know that you can’t walk past a lolly shop without going in and buying something, find a route that doesn’t involve walking past one!  Similarly, anchor the steps you take to go to the gym or exercise. Make them something you do on automatic pilot. That way, you won’t think about it (or think about not doing it), you’ll just do it.

7. Have a secret weight loss weapon. Find a food that you can munch on happily in the knowledge that it won’t up your calorie intake too much, and stock up on it so you’ve got a good supply when you need to satisfy your hunger pangs. Try celery, tomatoes, or carrots.

8.  Investigate nutritional snacks thoroughly. Many taste terrible, many are designed for body builders (and thus contain too many calories for weight loss), others are no more filling than a mouthful of air! Nevertheless, identifying and incorporating the good ones into your diet ensures that you can have a healthy snack or meal when you’re in a hurry, and can also help you curb your chocolate or chip cravings.

9.  Serve your individual salads in family-size salad bowls. Psychologically, you’ll feel as though you’re eating a big, filling meal—and because it’s a salad, you can enjoy a big bowlful and know that it’s doing your body all kinds of favours!

10.  Throw out the plans. Naturally slim, fit and healthy people don’t follow strict diet and exercise plans and don’t struggle with their weight. Weight loss plans are a breeding ground for guilt, yo-yo dieting and disempowerment. Motivation comes from empowerment, not dictatorship. You can learn how to become one of ‘those people’ who never have to worry about their weight again. It’s not that hard to do.

Sally Symonds
http://www.sallysymonds.com.au
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