Dieting is not for the faint hearted, and it is not easy. If you fail to keep the right perspective during your diet, it is all too easy to give into cravings, to fall off the wagon and simply give up. Before you even think about going on a diet, you're going to need to get your priorities in order and find your perspective.
First, it is important to sit down and list the reasons that you want to lose weight. Put them all down in one column. Now, take a hard look at them and see which ones are directly related to your physical health and which are related to your physical image. Are there any that aren't even related to you, such as how other people perceive you?
Now, split your list up into these three categories, Image, Health and Perception. Cross off everything in the Image and Perception categories and look only at the Health category. The other two are arbitrary and while they may carry some importance, they are not the best reasons for losing weight. It is also too easy to say, "I don't care anymore," and give up your diet when you're focused on the superficial.
However, when you are focused on health goals, it is much easier to keep on track. You can look at the results you get for the other two categories as a bonus, but your main focus needs to be on your health. For example, let's say that one of your health goals is getting your blood pressure down by ten points. As you reach that goal, your physical appearance will change and you will start getting compliments about your weight. Look at this as a nice reminder that while you're focusing on your health, you're also changing your outward appearance, but don't lose that focus.
Now that you have all the reasons why you want to lose weight in that Health category, you can begin to set goals for yourself. Whether you need to lower your blood pressure, or you want to be able to walk up a flight of stairs without being winded, focus on these goals and break them down. By setting reasonable goals, you'll find that it is much easier to see real progress.
It's not about being able to fit into that old pair of jeans again. It is about being healthy enough to enjoy life around you. By finding the right perspective, you are no longer doomed to failure. You have the ability to take your future into your hands and work towards your goals that will help you enjoy it.
One word of caution. It is never healthy to set happiness goals for weight loss. For example, "I'll be happy if I can just lose x amount of pounds." Never assign your happiness to a number, you're selling yourself short. This mode of thinking starts a spiral that is hard to stop. Instead, set a happiness goal that centers around something more tangible. "I'll be happy if I can play with my children without feeling tired."
Photo Credits: 1
Originally posted 2008-11-22 22:14:34. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Mindset Check - Are You Ready to Lose Weight? As nice as it would be if you could simply say "Okay, I am ready to lose weight." And have it start happening, it does not really work that way. You have to be in the right mindset if you want to get the most out of your diet and...... -
Tropical Storm Fay Roundup The flooding Fay has caused in Florida is a nightmare. My sympathies go out to those who were affected. This week from the Fitness Health Network: Get Fit Slowly takes a look at the Average Athlete vs. the Olympic Athlete. The Journal of Healthy Living lists Seven Gadgets to Help...... - Dieting Causes Brain Damage: How to Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind By Bradley Trevor Greive Out of all the diet books we have ever seen, this one simply has the best cover. Nothing gets the point of the title across better than a pie-eyed dog staring at you over a bowl of what looks like very unappetizing cereal. The author of this book is the......
-
5 More Healthy and Permanent Weight Loss Tips Make your number one goal health rather than weight loss. If you are setting your goal as a healthy lifestyle, then you are much more likely to succeed not only in improving your health but also in attaining a permanent level of weight loss. You should not be too anxious...... -
Useful Web Apps for Weight Loss Everyone seems to be getting into weight loss, healthy eating and exercise habits these days, and with that, there has been a surge in the availability of web applications designed to aid in diet and exercise, weight loss, goal setting and other life improvements. Some of these web applications and......
Related Websites -
Eating Healthy Fat for a Healthy Body Being healthy is a really important component in a healthy lifestyle. What many people do not realize is that one of the most important components in a healthy lifestyle is eating healthy fat. You may not previously have been aware of the fact that healthy fats exist, but they do....... -
What is a Healthy Balanced Diet? Understanding what a healthy balanced diet is, is the key to getting the most out of our health and wellness. The online diet market is continuing to grow, and as a result, there are all kinds of new ways that we are supposedly able to lose weight and get into...... -
Good Health with a Healthy Pregnancy Diet If you are not striving to consume a healthy pregnancy diet during your pregnancy, then you may be missing some vital ingredients that are necessary for pregnancy health. Imagine leaving an important ingredient out of a complicated recipe. This is what it is like to leave the wrong nutrients or...... - Diet is a Dog's Best Medicine Taking care of our pets to the best of our ability is the responsibility of any pet owner. However, sometimes we are not always certain what is best for our pets. One thing we do know that is very important is our pet's diet. Dog, like humans have needs......
- Fasting I have been experimenting with fasting over the past two weeks. I became intrigued with discussions on different blogs but I was especially interested in intermittant fasting. As I understand (and have been practicing) this is when you skip eating for only a day or even part of a day. ......
Time the change your life? No longer content to live a sedentary lifestyle and revel in couch potatoism? Click here to download the 31 page the 100% FREE eBook "How to Lose Weight and Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle."
Categories:
diet, goals, moderation, motivation, wellness
Tags:
5 comments ↓
I’m not too sure I agree with you here. The most important reason is definitely health but I think image is also a key motivator for some people.
@Andrew
Whatever it takes to stay motivated… I guess I was thinking, “if my reason was image and I fail what’s the big deal? I have been heavy for a while… But my motivation being to be healthy and live to see my grandchild or perhaps even my greatgrandchild, well then… failure in that case is much more permanent”
Of the 3 topical areas Image, Health, and Perception which one has the worst consequences if you fail.
The bottom line is that everyone needs reasons. The most important thing is to stick to it while overcoming any bumps in the road…
I can see how I might not have been totally clear on this one…
I think having health as your main reason for exercising and eating well is the ideal as I believe it puts you in a more positive mindset (not stressing to reach a certain body weight or look) and on a path that becomes a lifestyle, not a temporary fix off a crash diet. I also think you pay better attention to your body when you are thinking about how to better care for and keep it healthy.
so so so true on the happiness.
I saw that often with my clients.
[...] or even just having fun, many of us end up self exiled hermits due to our weight. While this can be a great motivator, for most, it is self defeating behavior that may make it harder to lose weight. Here are some tips on how to start owning your body and [...]
Leave a Comment