 Lose weight in a comfort zone
In order to help people find the motivation to begin a healthy lifestyle, I tell them that small changes make big differences. Making small lifestyle changes also helps to keep you on track.
We've all made large commitments at some point in our lives that were nearly impossible to keep. We do it with the thought of getting to a goal sooner or of making quick, intense headway into a project. Doing this sets us up for failure. Making realistic, manageable changes will get you much further in the long run. I call this “working within your comfort zone.”
Your individual comfort zone can be defined by various factors such as time, fear, knowledge and energy level. When people push themselves too far too quickly, they eventually give up and find themselves right back where they started. Conversely, if you work within your comfort zone, your zone naturally grows and you progress at a comfortable and maintainable pace. Consider these scenarios:
I had a great fear of exercising. I was afraid it would kill me. I thought that I was too fat and would have a heart attack and die. Numerous times throughout my heavy years, I started exercise programs, pushed myself too far too fast and ended up having anxiety attacks. The fear was nearly paralyzing and my reaction was to stop altogether and not go anywhere near a gym, or even exert myself any more than necessary in my daily life. When I finally started my successful road to weight loss, I promised myself that I would never work harder than I was comfortable with. The result was that I was able to slowly and progressively expand my workout and continue my success.
Another common scenario is when people try to starve themselves. They decide that they are going to “crash diet.” I have seen people weighing 300 lbs. trying to live on 1000 calories or less per day. That's just not reasonable. They will stick to it for a few days and then end up gorging themselves because they are so terribly deprived.
In order to lose weight, you need only eat fewer calories than you burn in a day. Did you know that the more you weigh, the more calories you burn just being your weight? That's why those last few pounds are always the hardest. A sedentary 300 lb. woman can burn as many as 4000 calories per day. That means that she can eat 3000 calories a day and still lose a healthy 2 lbs. per week! Now that’s a realistic food plan.
When you decide to make changes in your lifestyle, consider your current circumstances. Be realistic. Create a plan that you can live with and you are much more likely to be able to remain motivated.
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