A good weight loss programme can be put in place simply by keeping a food diary. You’ll need to keep to your normal habits for seven days prior to starting to slim. Each day, enter everything that’s passed your lips, however small. A week on, you’ll have a record of what’s keeping you at the weight you are now.
You may be surprised at how many snacks and sweets you’re getting through, or how many glasses of wine. If that’s the case, they should be minimised first. If your diary only shows nutritious food, then perhaps smaller portions would be the answer. Whether it’s the first or the second situation, you’ll be able to see how to adjust your intake from the entries in the diary.
Write down an Action Plan for the next week. On a blank page, write down detailed notes to cover the following: If some foods are to be forbidden or limited, write that down. On another page, write down the foods that you can eat.
If you can’t imagine going without any beer or wine, then decide which two days you will permit yourself to have a maximum of two small glasses. Ban all sugary drinks. When it comes to exercising, commit to paper your intended regime, noting which days of the week you will be doing it.
Accurately weigh yourself the morning your regime starts. Repeat this procedure every week, and make adjustments if appropriate. And write down how heavy you are at the beginning of each week.
You have absolute control when you record everything you do. Useful observations jotted in the diary will help to make the following weeks more enjoyable. Also enter the exercise you’re doing, to make sure this isn’t getting left out. Monitoring your weight and health is so much more manageable with a personal record.
It won’t happen overnight though. Changes may be hard to detect in the early stages, but clothes will start to become less tight, and your energy level will increase after a few short weeks. Just be patient and have faith! Keeping up your motivation is sometimes tough, so try to dwell on the end result and the joy it will bring!
If you do get demoralised with your results, analyse what’s been happening. It’s possible your programme needs some adjusting. Additional physical activity can help you catch up. A brisk walk several times a week can be done at any time of day.
Celebrate your achievements along the way. It helps with your motivation if you award yourself little treats for good results. Clothes shopping isn’t appropriate ’til you’ve reached your target weight. But why not treat yourself to a beauty treatment or evening out as you hit milestones along the way?
