How to Stick to Your Weight Loss Resolution
With the start of 2016, millions of people will have big plans for making their lives better and, for many people, that will involve creating a New Year’s weight loss resolution. The trouble with that isn’t that so many intend to try to achieve a healthier BMI. The issue is that it is often much easier to create these goals than it is to actually stick to them.
Creating a weight loss resolution is the easiest part of the entire process. Actually tracking, maintaining and sticking to it is a far bigger challenge. The following tips have been designed to help you to stick to your weight loss resolution this year, instead of letting another 365 days go by before you re-set the same goal without yet having achieved it.
Stay hydrated – you’ve likely heard that drinking water and being hydrated is one of the best tips for losing weight. This also applies for being able to stick to your weight loss resolution. The reason is because it works. For one thing, it stops you from wasting calories on the beverages you’re drinking (because drinks of all kinds contain a shocking number of calories). For another, it boosts your body’s fat burning ability while it naturally shrinks your appetite. Want flavor? Add fresh mint leaves or citrus slices.
Eat mindfully – this is important both when you eat meals and when you snack. Pay attention to every bite. Don’t chow down like a zombie in front of the television. Instead, chew each bite properly, pay attention to its texture and flavor and do so slowly. Allow the feeling of fullness to set in and when you feel satisfied – not stuffed – stop eating.
Get some sleep – there is a powerful link between poor sleeping habits and being overweight. This is especially true for people who don’t get enough sleep but it is also true for people who get too much sleep. Talk to your doctor about how many hours you should be getting and how you should go about getting them.
Have a plan – don’t just tell yourself that you want to lose weight this year. Know how you’re going to do it. Choose a strategy that focuses more on long term gradual weight loss and maintenance than on a speedy way to drop the pounds as fast as you possibly can. That way, you’re more likely to lose the weight and still have it gone by the time you resolve to a new goal for 2017.
