Weight loss solutions that last

Most probably, you assume you have tried everything to get the body that you want.

But you often get discouraged because, after all the effort, either you find it difficult to stick to a program, unable to get the results you want, or you still face the same issues after all your hard work.

The following are solutions you can apply to common challenges that delay or hinder long-lasting weight loss:

Get educated to get results.

If you get results, you become more motivated to exercise and become more mindful of what you eat. But if you fail, your enthusiasm weakens.

You cannot be blamed for thinking about the easiest weight-loss solutions after numerous attempts. Quick fix strategies like diet pills or fasting will give you temporary results but they will not guarantee weight maintenance, which is more essential.

The key to a lasting outcome is knowledge and awareness of the whole process.

Analyze yourself and your progress then identify the areas where you need help. It could be exercise, food planning, motivation or attitude.

Consult professionals and learn strategies and ways to implement them effectively. This will save you time and energy trying to find out about a wide range of approaches. It will also prevent injuries or any harmful effects of unsupervised exercise and diet programs.

Get a coach to guide and educate you on how to do things safely on your own. Eileen Lorenzo, dentist, tried almost all strategies available only to regain the weight she lost.

Finally, she got a weight-loss coach and lost 60 pounds. She says, “Getting out of your comfort zone is scary at first, but a weight manager definitely made the road to fitness smoother.”

Apply a flexible eating approach.

Why do most diets fail?

If a diet is not followed, you feel lack of control and tend to abandon it. Let us say you had three pieces of chocolates, instead of one, from a box. You say, “Since I broke my diet, I may as well finish the whole box.”

I often hear stories like this from people who tried various diets for years, only to discover that creating their own meal plans is the start of a victorious weight loss journey.

Being in charge of your food intake, deciding for instance when to have the once-a-week chocolate dessert, removes restrictions that might lead to loss of control and deprivation.

A recent comprehensive analysis of 31 long-term diet studies published in American Psychologist shows that people on diets typically lose 5-10 percent of their starting weight in the first six months. After four or five years, majority put on more weight than they lost.

According to James Rippe, author of “Weight Loss that Lasts: Break through the 10 Big Diet Myths,” people who meticulously count every calorie and read every food label have high levels of dietary restraint associated with unsuccessful weight loss attempts.

This cannot be sustained for long periods of time and, eventually, it will be abandoned and overeating occurs.

Create your own daily food plan that matches your way of living. It should include strategies like when to shop for healthier foods, how to prepare a low-calorie version of your favorite foods. You should think of ways to replace junk foods at home with nutritious but tasty snacks.

Focus on living, not losing.

May be you have already achieved your target weight and you ask yourself, “Now that I’ve lost weight, then what?”

It is not how much and how fast you have lost weight that counts, but how much you have learned from your experiences and how much more improvement you can attain during your lifetime.

Chris Juan, managing director of a retreat house, lost 30 pounds last year and then regained 15 pounds this year.

During the initial stage of his weight-loss program, Chris admitted he was motivated by the desire to lose weight and improve his appearance. After losing 30 pounds, he felt relaxed for a while and got busy.

He often made his job an excuse to delay exercise. He ate fatty foods as a way to relieve stress. In the latter part of this year, he made an effort to explore a different type of motivation so he can stick to his exercise program again and modify his eating habits.

“My goal right now is not to achieve a six-pack abs anymore, but to keep on improving my fitness level to be able to join a marathon next year.” The moment he decided to achieve a long-term, performance-based goal, he started to lose the weight he regained.