But before you go any further, there are some tips that you NEED TO KNOW.  We often go into the New Year thinking, “This is finally going to be the year,” only to find that by mid-February we’ve all but given up — and all of that chocolate around Valentine’s Day becomes our good friend again.

I WANT this year to be different for you. I WANT this to be your year to lose weight, get healthy, and feel great about your body!   But there are some crucial steps that can make the difference between being on track and reaching your gaol — or falling off the wagon.

If you follow these tips, I promise you will not only feel better, but you’ll look at your weight loss with much more confidence and success! 

Figure out the ‘why.’  We’re often so caught up in the hows – how to eat better foods, how to cut back on processed foods, and how to shop for healthy foods.  But understanding the why can be a powerful motivator.  Why do you want to lose weight?  Why is it so important to you?    Is it to be a role model for your children, to work and pursue your dreams, to feel good in your body, to be healthy, to fit into your old clothes, to finally feel you have what it takes to attract a partner?  

Don’t be in a hurry.  Be realistic about your time frame.  We often overestimate how much we will change in one month – say, lose 10 pounds – and then when we can’t do it, we give up.  Then we underestimate how much we could change in three, six or nine months and don’t make the effort.  Your life could be completely different in six months to a year!  

It takes 3 to 6 months before a change becomes routine, and at least 6 months for a habit to become a natural part of your personality.  Imagine, by summer your life could be so much better and those unhealthy habits (and excess weight) gone!

Don’t live in the past – learn from the past.  If you’ve attempted a resolution before and didn’t get the results you hoped for, it doesn’t mean you can’t try again.  The past does not predict failure in the future.  Don’t let the ‘ghost of past resolutions’ stop you!

Break it down into small steps.  We often get so overwhelmed by trying to do it all that we get burnt out & give up.  Don’t think you have to do it ALL right away.  Instead, break it down into smaller and more manageable steps.  Can you do something once a week to begin with?  Don’t think you need to do everything right from the start.  

Don’t go it alone.  Time and time again studies show that having a support system is the key to weight loss.  Just last year, in the largest and longest study of weight loss maintenance strategies, researches found that personal coaching was the main factor in helping participants lose weight AND keep it off.

Re-define “healthy eating.”  There is so much conflicting information out there about what is healthy food, and companies are now very savvy with their labeling and marketing to make items seem healthy, when in reality they’re not.  Educate yourself and lean what the terms on food labels REALLY mean.  

Get rid of the Guilt.  People trying to lose weight often have a lot of guilt.  They’ll eat something like a piece of cake, and then feel guilty about it.   They’ll drag that cake issue so it ruins their day, and then the next day.    That’s a huge mistake!  If you’re going to have the cake – really have the cake!  Enjoy it, eat it with vigor and pleasure and just let it be.  

Periodically re-evaluate.  Once you start eating better (and hopefully exercising) your body starts to adjust.  This is where you’ll often see a plateau.  You’re doing things right but not losing any weight.  Every month or so, you need to ask yourself  “What can I do better.  What can I do differently?”  You need to constantly look at ways to improve and increase the challenge. 

Be held accountable.  Most of us fail at our resolutions because we’re not held accountable.  If we don’t hit our goal for the week or the month we just say “oh well, it didn’t happen.”  And then continue to fall back into our old habits and gain back any weight we lost.  Do you really want it to be different this time around?  Then make sure you have some kind of accountability set up.   

Change your relationship with food.  When you change your relationship with food, then you stop using food to fill other areas of your life:   to soothe, to comfort, or to ease stress.  Instead, you’ll start to use food what it’s really for — to give you strength, for health, for vitality, and for pleasure.   

So now you know ‘what’ you need to do to make your weight loss resolution a success – but do you need help implementing it?  Contact me today and I’ll help you get on track and stay on track, and keep the momentum going so this year will be YOUR year! 

©2010 Eat Without Guilt. All Rights Reserved.

As New Year approaches, one thing is on everybody’s mind:  Resolutions.  And losing weight always seems to be at the top of the list. And that’s okay. It’s always good to want to improve.  

Isn’t that what resolutions are all about?  Improving your life in some way that makes it better, happier and more satisfying?  No matter who you are, what you do, where you live, and what you believe, we’re all constantly evolving.  Evolving into our own selves and creating a life of fulfillment. 

But all too often, by February or March, many people have given up and gone back to their old ways.  Soon, any weight they lost comes right back.  The result is feelings of guilt and incompetence as they conclude they are simply not disciplined enough or don’t have the willpower to follow through.

But it doesn’t take discipline or willpower.  Improving your life doesn’t have to be difficult. 

So what’s going on?  Why can’t many people lose weight and keep it off in the long run?  

A main reason is due to one’s mindset.  Losing weight is more than just knowing “what to eat.”    We know more today than ever about what we should be eating for a healthy diet.  So it’s not about lack of information.  We KNOW we should be eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.  But we just don’t do it.

Instead, we keep looking for that magic answer.  The one that will solve our weight concerns and make them go away.  All the endless diet plans, so-called super foods, diets pills, meal-replacement drinks, and other weight-loss tricks don’t work.  There are more diets out there than ever before — but we keep gaining weight.  

These approaches are simply attempts to deal with the effect, without changing the cause.

To be successful you must change the cause.  The cause that needs dealing with is not overeating, it’s a bit below that.  You need to ask yourself — what causes you to overeat or not take better care of yourself?

Once you understand the cause, then you can deal with the weight.

With this approach you need to change your mindset.  If you only diet because you want to stop being overweight, lose weight, and deny yourself food you really want to eat, you are trying to create deprivation, guilt, and unhappiness.  

How often and for how long will you continue to do something that causes you to be unhappy?

Instead, decide to start being MORE healthy, BEGIN to create better physical activity with your body, and ALLOW yourself the pleasure of feeling lighter, healthier and happier than ever before — and you will succeed.

©2010 Eat Without Guilt. All Rights Reserved.