We are constantly surrounded by food - at home, at the office canteen, supermarkets, food courts, restaurants, advertisements on television, colorful and attractive larger than life images of tantalizing food posters. So how do we manouver through all this and reach our goal, how can we become successful at losing weight?.
Firstly, you have to identify the triggers. What causes food temptation attacks and pay attention to what goes on in your mind that makes you yield to those attacks as if under a mean magic spell. There is a set pattern stored in your system which sends out signals whether you are in close proximity to food or not. Something inside of you directs your every move got to do with food. What is it? It's called habit. We repeatedly do the same thing over and over again, because that's what our brains have been hardwired to do. So when you make up your mind to do the contrary, like eating less, staying away from fatty and sugary foods, your new decision will be rejected by body and it will 'demand aggressively' what it was used to being fed with. The same goes if you are habituated to eat more under stress.
When you don't give in those moments of low and emotional cravings and continue your weight loss journey for 21 days, you are sure to form a new habit. One of the important things to do is engage your self in anything other than giving into those powerful temptations. Phone a friend, go out for a walk, read. Go on the internet and read weight loss success articles on people who managed to lose a lot of weight. Look at their before and after weight loss photos everday; yes everyday, like a ritual. When you do that, you will realize, if they can do it, so can you. Start a weight loss journal. Write down your feelings as soon as you get tempted as "Triggers and Feelings". Right beneath that, write down your plan of action to overcome those triggers and feelings; mention all the positive things or ideas you have on losing weight for that day. It will help you not to succumb to those flary food desires. Make a food chart in your journal. By doing so, you are actually letting go of old food habits and embracing new ones by re-programming your mind and body. List all the fatty, sugary and junk food that you need to avoid on the left side of the chart in red under the title "Illness and Unhappiness". On the right side, list out all the healthy foods you need to eat in blue titled 'Health, Happiness and Vitality".
Within 21 days of staying clear of your cravings, your body would have accepted the new healthy food choices by then. You would'nt be craving for all those foods that made you gain weight in the first place. You begin to feel lighter, happier, totally in control, and absolutely healthier. You would have lost weight in these 21 days as well. You will begin to find new courage to say 'No' to foods that would sabotage your weight loss journey. In the ocean of food around us, confidently manouver your way to success.
Lovely post, yes its amazing how you start craving for the foods that you said you are going to give up when otherwise you never craved it!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd agree that it takes 21 days of doing something every day to form the habit.
Thank you! A habit such as healthy food choices formed in 21 days will create a beautiful and wonderful relationship with food that's intended for improving one's overall health and happiness. When we give up cravings, we attract so much more good in our lives.
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