Long-term weight loss success means making a long-term commitment to change your life. It’s not easy. Before you embark on your weight loss plan, you should ask yourself a few questions to determine if you’re ready.
Are You Ready For A Weight Loss Plan?
Are you motivated to make long-term lifestyle changes? Losing weight will mean changing the way you eat and exercising more. If you’re ready to make the commitment, there is help available, but you have to be willing to make significant changes in your day to day life.
Are there distractions in your life that could affect your commitment to weight loss? Significant weight loss comes as a result of a dramatic life change. If you’re currently in the middle of other life changes, such as illness, job changes or relationship problems, you may need to give yourself time to adjust to these changes first before taking on new ones.
Are you ready to accept that slower is better? Long-term weight loss usually occurs at a rate of about 1 to 2 pounds a week. While fad diets can lead to significant weight loss quickly, chances are that you’ll regain the weight just as quickly as you lost it. Choosing long-term weight loss means committing to a longer, and slower, process.
Are you realistic about your weight loss goal? Many of us will joke about wanting to fit into our jeans from high school, but taking on a serious weight loss plans means getting serious about the results you’re looking for. Talk to your doctor to get realistic and healthy recommendations about how much weight you should plan to lose.
The answers to these questions can give you an idea of how serious you are about weight loss right now and help you pinpoint any problems that need to be addressed before you begin a weight loss program.
Do you have a support system? While it’s possible to lose weight on your own, your chances of success improve dramatically if you have a support system in place. Do you have friends or family members that will support you on your journey? If you need more support, look into weight loss support groups locally or on the Internet.
Are you ready to change your eating habits? In order to lose weight, you’ll need to examine your eating habits and work to replace bad habits with good habits. There is help available, but you will have to commit to changing the way you eat if you’re serious about losing weight.
Are you willing to become more physically active? Weight loss surgery and improved eating habits can certainly help you lose weight, but to keep weight off for a significant amount of time, you’ll need to be willing to add exercise to your lifestyle at some point.
Do you view a healthy weight program as a positive experience? You’ll find it much more difficult to achieve results if you’re focusing on the sacrifices you’ll be making with a weight loss program. Are you excited about the idea of feeling better and being more healthy?
Have you resolved any eating disorders or emotional issues that have kept you from losing weight in the past? Before you try to solve a problem, it’s important to be able to address what the problem is. Have you taken the time to recognize if you overeat in response to stress or acknowledged any eating disorders that can sabotage your weight loss success? If you feel you may have unresolved issues, speak to your doctor about what resources are available to you.
Asking yourself a few important questions can tell you if you’re ready to make the commitment to long-term weight loss and give you a better chance at success.
If you’ve answered yes to these questions, you’re probably ready to make the lifestyle changes you’ll need to lose weight. The time is right for you to take the next step towards choosing the weight loss program that’s right for you.