 Change your lifestyle; don't just diet
Losing weight is hard. Keeping it off can be even harder. I have met many people who have lost 100 pounds or more only to put it all (and usually more) back on. Why does this happen? Why are we so willing to throw away something we've worked so hard to achieve?
The key is making permanent livable changes. As long as you are "on a diet" you will have a perceived end to your healthful eating and exercise habits. When you change your lifestyle, you understand that there is no end.
Why is this necessary?
Someone recently told me how tired she was of working hard to eat right and exercise. She has been successful and is actually quite near her goal weight. Her attitude was: "I can't wait until I'm off this diet." I asked her what she thought would change when she made her goal.
The light bulb suddenly came on. She realized that she generally enjoyed all the benefits of eating right and exercising. She enjoys feeling energy from regular exercise and not feeling weighed down by unhealthful foods.
In that moment, she truly understood, this is not a temporary "diet" but a permanent lifestyle change. That understanding gave her the perspective and motivation to continue.
Remind yourself throughout each day how much better you feel now than you used to. Recommit each day to eat right and stay active.
Journaling your thoughts and questions along with your food can help. It will show what problems have been resolved and what questions have been answered as you've progressed.
There are internal changes that occur during a long weight loss journey. If you work to strengthen those changes, they will sustain you in the long run.
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