When the day comes (and it usually does), when you reach a plateau and are unable to lose any more weight, try performing  this very effective motivational exercise.

Take out a sheet a of paper as shown below and write down all the benefits that you have achieved to date.Take into account all the benefits that you’ve achieved in all of the five dimensions of your health( as also shown in the diagram below).Write down major benefits, as well as all the little ones too.Allow yourself to pat yourself on the back and to be proud of what you have accomplished.

Next, refer back to my article , 12 Reasons to Lose Weight and try visualizing what it would be like to wake up in the morning and discover that  you had magically “won your goal weight”. After doing that, you should now be able to write down all the new positive things that you would […]

A major challenge for dieters is to cope with pressure to eat. Friends, relatives and strangers, some well meaning and some not, can make it difficult to diet by encouraging you to eat. There are a number of reasons for this.

They May Be Uncomfortable Eating In Front Of You

People agonize about eating when another person is not. They offer food to be polite, even though they know the offer won’t be accepted. You can tell them that you don’t feel uncomfortable and that they should eat if they wish.

They May Be Jealous Of Your Success

Others with weight problems may be jealous of your success. Thin people may also be jealous that you are accomplishing something and are proud of your achievement. This is their problem, so don’t let it become yours by agreeing to eat.

They May Not Want You to Succeed

This is rare, but it spells trouble for the […]

Obesity is a serious illness that threatens the physical and psychological health of the sufferer. You are probably aware of how difficult it is to lose weight and particularly, to maintain the desired weight. Any serious program should include not only a diet, but a component aimed at modifying habits and attitudes.  Studies show a much greater success rate for programs that solicit the support of everyone concerned in this undertaking.

In light of  the foregoing statements, I promise:

1.     To avoid pointing out my partner’s dietary wrongs.

2.     To offer my cooperation whenever it is requested

3.     To be attentive and to praise and reward all positive achievements.

4.     To listen without judgment, to my partner’s feelings after incidents of cheating.

5.     To encourage my partner to persevere and for a period of up to two years.

IN WITNESS OF WHICH I SIGN:

____________________________

Date:  _______________________

Once you can spot  cravings, there are ways to deal with them: distraction, confrontation and negative imaging.

The distraction approach involves ignoring the cravings. When you know a craving is about to engulf you,  do something else. Think about something wonderful, plan a dream vacation, or do anything to take your attention away from the urge to eat. The craving will usually pass.

The distraction method works best for people who have a good imagination or can change activities or thoughts at an instant’s notice. You only have to do these things for a few moments because cravings generally pass within minutes or even seconds. If you are bombarded by cravings throughout the day, confronting the cravings may be the most effective.

The confrontation approach pits you against the craving. Let’s say you want to raid the refrigerator for ice cream. You could pretend that the urge is another person trying to convince […]

1. Plan Ahead

2. Eat Before you Go

3. Eat Only Special Foods

4. Be the Slowest Eater

5. Keep a Proper Perspective

Holidays, parties and special occasions can be a problem because eating is encouraged. Not only is temptation around, but everyone else is eating, the food is good, there may be social pressure to “try some of this” and it is natural to “let go” when celebrating. The trick is to be prepared and to avoid the anxiety that comes from trying to lose weight and also celebrate at the same time.

One common mistake is for people to vow to eat nothing at the event. This is a real set-up because they either feel guilty when they eat or feel deprived when they don’t. You can enjoy yourself and still stick to your plan. Here are some suggestions to help you have fun and still control your eating:

Plan ahead. […]

Using weight loss as motivation and reward for sticking to a diet is the worst possible method of attempting to change your eating habits from a long term standpoint and almost GUARANTEES FAILURE. Weight Watching can be your most DREADFUL ENEMY!

These may sound like strange words to you, but if you have ever lost weight before, you have probably regained it, with a few additional pounds added on, as soon as the diet was “ended”. What you may not be aware of however, is that your concentration on weight loss is the very thing that made you regain your weight over a longer period of time. The reason for this should become clear as we expand upon this subject.

When someone has dieted there are always two questions that are asked: “How much did you lose?” and “How long did it take you?” Furthermore, in case someone asks you in more general terms “How […]

Before starting a weight loss program, fill in a sheet similar to the one below. Be sure and put down reasons that include all the dimensions of your optimal health.Please see the Five Dimension picture below. If you are struggling to find enough reasons, try visualizing what it would be like to wake up in the morning and you had magically “won your goal weight”. After doing that, you should now be able to write down all the positive things that you would feel as if you were at your newly found goal weight.

12 REASONS “WHY I WANT TO REACH AND MAINTAIN MY GOAL WEIGHT”

1. 7. 2. 8. 3. 9. 4. 10. 5. 11. 6. 12.

FIVE DIMENSIONS OF OPTIMAL HEALTH

Distinguishing cravings (urges) from hunger, conquering cravings and behavior chains are all points we need to face – spotting the urge before it occurs. Urges can become a signal for corrective action.

Think carefully about when you are most likely to find your diet threatened. Is it when you have certain feelings, like loneliness or frustration? Is it when you have to deal with some person? Is it when you feel bad about your life and your weight? Is it when someone offers you food? Look back over your Monitoring Records and your dieting experience to identify these situations.

Now that you are able to identify urges and high risk situations, let’s plan ahead. We will learn a technique called “outlasting the urges” and learn to use alternatives to eating when high risk situations arise. These become our armor when we are barraged with temptation.

Outlasting the Urge

It is possible to prevent […]

Step 1: Stop

A lapse is a signal of impending danger, like a train signal at the crossing gates. Stop what you are doing especially if the lapse has started and examine the situation. What is occurring? Why is a lapse in progress? Consider moving yourself to a safe location where you won’t be tempted and where you can think in a rational manner.

Step 2: Stay Calm

If you get anxious or blame yourself for the lapse, the situation may get worse. You may conclude that you are a hopeless binge eater and that control is impossible. Coming to these conclusions is easy when you get all worked up. Try to separate yourself from the situation and view it as an objective observer would – that one lapse does not prove failure. Keeping a cool head makes the following steps easier.

Step 3: Renew your Diet Vows

Take a minute to remind yourself how […]

Far too often a minor slip propels a dieter to misery. The guilt from a slip makes a person susceptible to more slips and can ultimately lead to loss of all control. This is a gloomy picture, but good news is around the corner! There are ways to turn the tables.

Maintenance of weight loss may be the greatest challenge facing a dieter. Losing weight is difficult enough, but keeping it off ranks up there in difficulty with winning a lottery and finding a compassionate auditor from the Internal Revenue Services. Most dieters have lost and regained weight many times, so something must be done to interrupt these cycles. The trick is to prevent slips from occurring and to respond constructively when they do occur.

Every dieter makes mistakes. Some bounce back and use the slip as a signal to increase control. It is common, however, for the slip to cause a negative emotional reaction […]