Reaching Goal Weight After Years of Trying

In a recent report from the Washington Post, 45 million Americans go on a diet each year. Some experts report that only around 5% of these people will reach goal weight and keep it off. The struggle is real! Many people have been on the diet merry-go-round for years with varying levels of success. I am one of these people and you may be as well. Happily, things have changed in my case. Reaching goal weight is possible! After many attempts over the years, I have achieved a 50-pound weight loss. Let’s see what happened.

In all my past years of dieting, I did learn some valuable lessons. Some ideas were useful and some were not. You might have different ones you could add to your list.

Some ideas worth keeping:

• Incorporating exercise that you enjoy doing into your weekly routine.
• Keeping foods that tempt you, out of sight or better yet, out of the house.
• Eat at home more.
• Keep track of what you eat.
• Have variety where food and exercise are concerned.

Some ideas worth tossing:

• depriving yourself of foods you enjoy.
• pushing yourself beyond your exercise limits.
• leaving yourself hungry.
• comparing yourself to others.
• choosing foods you don’t like based on health benefits.

The Big Tipping Point For Reaching Goal

As years go by some factors move more to the forefront-like health factors. “I’m not getting any younger” is something much more common in my vocabulary as the years go by. Arthritis, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes are all risk factors. I have parents who are both type 2 diabetics. One controlled by pills and one by insulin. Dietary habits and weight related issues both contributed to their diagnosis of diabetes. It is a possibility I could develop diabetes as well, given my family history.

Being available for my parents to help with household chores and appointments is a priority and therefore being physically and mentally fit is a necessity. I will be much more capable of doing that and doing it well if I am in a healthy place myself.

The Realizations That Made It All Come Together

Signing up for the Noom Weight Loss Program was the first step in my transformation. It has taught me many things in the 8 months I had been enrolled. Here are some of the reasons why Noom “tipped the scale” in my favour and reaching goal weight was possible:

Clearly Defined Goals

I knew exactly why I was trying to lose weight and I knew exactly what I expected the results to look like. I setup a variety of short term goals to reach with rewards that were not necessarily food related in nature. My long term goal was very specific and included a number of points, some of which included behaviours I want to maintain on a long term basis. I did have a weight number as a goal, in conjunction with these other goals. Setting goals in this way allowed me to reach goal weight and to continue to practice my successful habits in maintenance . It meant a new door was opening and new exciting challenges were ahead and setting goals would continue to see me through my journey of maintenance.

Positive Mindset Is Crucial

A positive mindset exhibits confidence in yourself, self esteem, discipline, empowerment and more. These characteristics are very helpful in developing and keeping good eating and exercise habits. Understanding my tendencies towards stress related eating and how it effects me in my life, helped me understand how detrimental it has been over my entire adult life. I’ve learned how to be aware of it and how to react in a positive, decisive and empowered way. The more positive you are the more confident and self assured you become. It’s a powerful thing!

The Importance Of Sleep

We live in a fast paced world these days. Our focus is on the days events and not on ourselves. The body needs time to rest and rejuvenate. Sleep is important and according to the Mayo Clinic, most adults require between 7-9 hrs sleep per night which is a practice I now strive for. I’m achieving it and I’m better for it!

Make Yourself a Priority

You will be of no use to yourself or anyone you care about if you don’t make yourself a priority. Eat nutritious food, engage in a form of activity or exercise daily, get enough sleep, participate in activities you enjoy. Pamper yourself! You are worth it!

Some Closing Thoughts On Reaching Goal

Feeling in control of my thoughts and how I react to them has really changed my life on many levels. I know how I reacted to stressful experiences in the past and how that led me to overeating. Now I can recognize those signs and respond to it differently in a way that doesn’t involve food. Having more confidence, feeling more disciplined and empowered to deal with whatever life throws at me is where I’m at! I did wonder how life would be after maintenance and would I be able to maintain my weight? Well I’m here to tell you, I FEAR NO MORE!! I am taking good care of myself and I’m in a good place for my loved ones. Life is pretty good these days! Reaching goal weight is no longer just a dream. Is it time for you? Are you ready for your journey?