 Live healthfully to keep off weight
When my mother was in her 40s, she lost about 125 pounds. She had been heavy since high school, but after losing that weight, she managed to keep most of it off for the rest of her life.
One of my readers, Jeff, has lost over 150 pounds. It took about three years, and he recently wrote to tell me that he just started year seven of his new life and is still under his goal weight.
I myself lost 165 pounds and have kept a healthy weight for almost three years now. My weight will sometimes vary a bit over vacations or holidays, but other than that, has remained stable.
These are examples of ordinary people who have not only lost a large amount of weight but have also kept it off. What is their secret?
All of them adopted a permanent lifestyle change.
Most people do a little "crash dieting" now and then for a special occasion to get a few lbs off quickly. That's ok, but you cannot live like that long-term. You will likely gain that weight back as quickly as you lost it because you will go back to your usual lifestyle as soon as the occasion has passed.
When you diet in this way, you deprive yourself. When you deprive yourself, you crave and eventually will give in to those cravings in a regrettable way.
A lifestyle change means nothing is specifically off limits, except perhaps uncontrolled gorging.
If you are significantly heavier than a healthy weight range, say 50 to 100 pounds or more, it's likely because you are living a lifestyle that is, quite frankly, deadly. If you simply "diet" to lose the weight, you are more likely to gain it back because you will see the changes as temporary, rather than permanent.
However, if you make a conscious decision to live like a healthy person, you will become a healthy person.
How does a healthy person live?
They eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full – even if their plates aren't clean. They are more likely to take leftovers home when dining out.
They eat high-calorie treats only occasionally.
They choose foods that are higher in nutrition and lower in calories. They will tend to take a larger portion of vegetables and a smaller portion of potatoes, for example.
Healthy people move more. Because of their lifestyle, they have more energy and they tend to spend more time on their feet being active. They will plan vacations that give them an opportunity to go for bike rides, recreational hikes or canoe trips.
Consider these types of healthful habits. Are these things that you do in your life? If not, what is keeping you from incorporating them?
Try it, one step at a time. Think like a healthy person, live like a healthy person and the next thing you know, you will be a healthy person. |
