Most people’s New Year’s resolution is to lose weight. Unfortunately, a lot of them fail to achieve it within a month or two, because they don’t use the right strategies to keep going. The truth is, weight loss is a slow journey and the trickiest part is keeping up with healthy habits long-term. If weight loss is your New Year’s resolution, make a goal, keep on track, be motivated, and be patient. Results won’t develop overnight.
Here are tips to help you achieve your weight loss goals and make your resolution a successful one. Keep in mind that losing weight is a resolution you can make at any time of the year.
1. Visit your medical provider.
Begin the year right by having your annual physical and weight screening. The most trusted source to deal with your personal health is your medical provider. Your relationship with your provider can greatly influence your weight loss goals. In a study done by Johns Hopkins University on weight loss, those who rated their medical provider as helpful lost more weight to those who did not.
2. Focus on small goals each day.
Setting a goal is an essential part of keeping motivated and developing healthy habits. According to the National Institutes of Health, goals that are specific, feasible, and forgiving are the most useful ones. If eating less is one of your goals, make it more specific, like having no snacks after 8 pm.
3. Find social support.
Research supports that having a social group to talk to during your weight loss journey helps you lose weight more effectively. A social group allows you to talk to someone when you are struggling to maintain your diet and get encouragement when you need it most to keep going.
4. Write it all down.
Recording everything you eat puts you on the fast track to weight loss. A study from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that having a food diary may double a person’s weight loss. By tracking everything you eat, you can be more conscious about what you put on your plate.
5. Find like-minded people.
Multiple research studies support the belief that weight management success is strengthened by having people in your life who support your healthy habits. Hang out with healthier people or encourage your family and friends to join you on your journey to weight loss and healthier living. You will be more likely to stick to your new lifestyle when those around you do the same.
6. Identify what you value most in life.
When you can identify the things you value most, it instantly clarifies what you are willing to fight for. Is it your family, job, friends, or self-esteem? On the journey to a healthier lifestyle, you will need to take into account what you value, improving self-control, ending excuses, and seeking help when necessary.
7. Make some lifestyle changes.
When it comes to losing weight, you have to make small changes to the way you live in order to succeed. Follow these lifestyle changes for the best chance of success:
- Do not skip meals. Skipping breakfast or other meals of the day won’t help with your weight loss. You could miss out on essential nutrients or end up snacking more throughout the day because of your hunger.
- Get more active. Exercising is a key factor to losing weight and keeping it off.
- Drink plenty of water. Sometimes, our bodies confuse thirst with hunger. You may be consuming extra calories, when a cup of water is really what you need.
- Do not ban foods. Try not to exclude any foods from your weight loss plan, especially what you like. Cutting out foods will only increase your craving for them. There’s no harm in enjoying an occasional treat as long as you stay within your daily calorie allowance.
Medical Weight Loss in Irmo, SC
Medical weight loss is supervised by a medical doctor trained in assisting people to lose and keep off weight. If you are beginning the journey of weight loss, don’t do it alone. By having a doctor assist you from the beginning to the end, you increase your chances of success tremendously. Medical weight loss programs are concerned about more than just the food you eat or the activities you do. Your provider will design a weight loss program specifically for you based on your medical history, prescriptions, hormonal health, metabolic rate, and many other factors.
The providers at the Center for Medical Weight Loss (CMWL) have undergone the most comprehensive medical weight loss training available. Contact us today at (803) 749-1111 or request an online appointment for a healthier, happier future.
