Here they come.
It's the New Year's weight loss resolution crowd.
The first week in January is always the worst week of the year to work out in the gym.
The gym becomes flooded with new members who have it in their heads that they are going to lose their unwanted 30 pounds in a week or two.
These are usually also the people who get their dieting information from the grocery store checkout magazines.
But after a week or so of a crowded gym we don't see them again until the next January.
How many of these people lose their desired weight and keep it off? Not very many.
The problem is they are following fad diets with plans that their minds and bodies just aren't ready for.
Their bodies have adjusted over many years to their current lifestyles, and they won't give up so easy.
Think of yourself as an addict - a food addict.
You are eating too much of the wrong kinds of food (some of it is actually more chemicals than food).
Your body is adjusted to this diet, and it will be difficult to change your habits.
Your body thinks it needs that junk food and caffeine you've been giving it all these years.
You have trained your body to be addicted to that stuff.
Now we need to work with your body to get you free of the addiction.
What happens when most addicts go cold turkey on their addiction? They give it all up, and they are sometimes able to last a few days to a couple of weeks.
Then all of a sudden they just can't take it anymore.
They need their fix, whatever it may be.
This is exactly what happens with most people who make a New Year's resolution to lose weight.
So should you decide now that it's time to lose weight? Absolutely! But you need temper your expectations.
Don't plan on losing 20 pounds next week.
Actually, you shouldn't plan on losing any weight in your first week.
If you do then consider it a bonus.
Take baby steps.
If you drink six sodas a day you can try cutting that down to two this week.
Replace those sodas with lots of water.
Then work down to one soda a day for the following week.
Add some protein to your breakfast.
Eat slightly smaller meal portions.
Snack on fruit instead of junk food.
But feel free to work into this a little bit at a time.
Rather than paying for a gym membership, maybe you should try walking a mile a day for a few days.
You'll find that isn't difficult to do, and you can increase it to two miles.
This will help to get your energy up.
After walking for a few weeks you may find yourself ready for more and a gym membership.
Ease into it a little at a time.
You don't need to wear down your body in order to lose weight.
If you want to lose weight and keep it off you will need to change your lifestyle.
It will be extremely difficult to be successful if you just jump right in.
Lifestyle changes take time, and so does effective weight loss.
Diets are temporary.
A lifestyle change is forever.
It's the New Year's weight loss resolution crowd.
The first week in January is always the worst week of the year to work out in the gym.
The gym becomes flooded with new members who have it in their heads that they are going to lose their unwanted 30 pounds in a week or two.
These are usually also the people who get their dieting information from the grocery store checkout magazines.
But after a week or so of a crowded gym we don't see them again until the next January.
How many of these people lose their desired weight and keep it off? Not very many.
The problem is they are following fad diets with plans that their minds and bodies just aren't ready for.
Their bodies have adjusted over many years to their current lifestyles, and they won't give up so easy.
Think of yourself as an addict - a food addict.
You are eating too much of the wrong kinds of food (some of it is actually more chemicals than food).
Your body is adjusted to this diet, and it will be difficult to change your habits.
Your body thinks it needs that junk food and caffeine you've been giving it all these years.
You have trained your body to be addicted to that stuff.
Now we need to work with your body to get you free of the addiction.
What happens when most addicts go cold turkey on their addiction? They give it all up, and they are sometimes able to last a few days to a couple of weeks.
Then all of a sudden they just can't take it anymore.
They need their fix, whatever it may be.
This is exactly what happens with most people who make a New Year's resolution to lose weight.
So should you decide now that it's time to lose weight? Absolutely! But you need temper your expectations.
Don't plan on losing 20 pounds next week.
Actually, you shouldn't plan on losing any weight in your first week.
If you do then consider it a bonus.
Take baby steps.
If you drink six sodas a day you can try cutting that down to two this week.
Replace those sodas with lots of water.
Then work down to one soda a day for the following week.
Add some protein to your breakfast.
Eat slightly smaller meal portions.
Snack on fruit instead of junk food.
But feel free to work into this a little bit at a time.
Rather than paying for a gym membership, maybe you should try walking a mile a day for a few days.
You'll find that isn't difficult to do, and you can increase it to two miles.
This will help to get your energy up.
After walking for a few weeks you may find yourself ready for more and a gym membership.
Ease into it a little at a time.
You don't need to wear down your body in order to lose weight.
If you want to lose weight and keep it off you will need to change your lifestyle.
It will be extremely difficult to be successful if you just jump right in.
Lifestyle changes take time, and so does effective weight loss.
Diets are temporary.
A lifestyle change is forever.
Source...