Over the past few years it has become clear that weight is an important health issue. There is ample and scientific proof that eing overweight is a risk factor for many health problems.
Let's face it: Successful weight management is a long-term challenge. The good news is, that the amount of weight needed to improve your health may be much less than you wish to lose.
Your health can be greatly improved by a loss of 5-10 percent of your starting weight. That doesn't mean you have to stop there, but it does mean that an initial goal of losing 5-10 percent of your starting weight is both realistic and valuable.
Behaviors That Will Help You Lose Weight and Maintain It
Setting the right goals is an important first step. Most people trying to lose weight focus on just that one goal: weight loss.
However, the most productive areas to focus on are the dietary and exercise changes that will lead to that long-term weight change. Successful weight managers are those who select two or three goals at a time that they are willing to take on, that meet the following criteria of useful goals:
Effective goals are specific; attainable; and forgiving (less than perfect). "Exercise more" is a commendable ideal, but it's not specific. "Walk five miles everyday" is specific and measurable, but is it hardly attainable if you are just starting your program. " Walk 30 minutes every day" is more attainable, but what happens if you're held up at work one day ? "Walk 30 minutes, five days each week" is specific, attainable, and forgiving. In short, a great goal!
We suggest that you select a series of short-term goals that get closer and closer to the ultimate goal (e. g., an initial reduction of fat intake from 40% of calories to 35% of calories, and later to 30%). It is based on the concept that "nothing succeeds like success."
Shaping uses two important behavioral principles: a) consecutive goals that move you ahead in small steps are the best way to reach a distant point; and b) consecutive rewards keep the overall effort invigorated.
Rewards that you control can be used to encourage attainment of behavioral goals, especially those that have been difficult to reach. An effective reward is something that is desirable, timely, and contingent on meeting your goal.
The rewards you administer may be a movie or music CD or a payment toward buying a more costly item or an afternoon off from work or just an hour of quiet time away from family. Numerous small rewards, delivered for meeting smaller goals, are more effective than bigger rewards, requiring a long, difficult effort.
Observe and record some aspect of your behavior, such as calorie intake, servings of fruits and vegetables, exercise sessions, medication usage, etc.,
Self-monitoring of a behavior can be used at times when you're not sure how you're doing, and at times when you want the behavior to improve. Self-monitoring of a behavior usually changes the behavior in the desired direction. Some patients find that specific self-monitoring forms make it easier, while others prefer to use their own recording system.
While you may or may not wish to weigh yourself frequently while losing weight, regular monitoring of your weight will be essential to help you maintain your lower weight. When keeping a record of your weight, a graph may be more informative than a list of your weights. When weighing yourself and keeping a weight graph or table, however, remember that one day's diet and exercise patterns won't have a measurable effect on your fat weight the next day. Today's weight is not a true measure of how well you followed your program yesterday, because your body's water weight will change much more from day to day than will your fat weight, and water changes are often the result of things that have nothing to do with your weight-management efforts.
Try to learn what social or environmental cues seem to encourage undesired eating, and then change those cues. For example, you may learn that you're more likely to overeat while watching television, or whenever treats are on display by the office coffee pot, or when around a certain friend.
You might then try to sever the association of eating with the cue (don't eat while watching television), avoid or eliminate the cue (leave coffee room immediately after pouring coffee), or change the circumstances surrounding the cue, i.e. plan to meet with friend in non-food settings. Often, visible and accessible food items are cues for unplanned eating.
Changing the way you go about eating can make it easier to eat less without feeling deprived.
It takes 15 or more minutes for your brain to get the message you've been fed. Slowing the rate of eating can allow satiety (fullness) signals to begin to develop by the end of the meal.
Eating lots of vegetables can also make you feel fuller. Another trick is to use smaller plates so that moderate portions do not appear meager. Changing your eating schedule can be helpful, especially if you tend to skip or delay meals and overeat later.
Record keeping is one of the most successful techniques for weight loss and maintenance. Write down your diet, exercise, and behavioral goals at the bottom of the diary.
The information contained herin is a summary and does not contain all possible information about this product / products. For complete information about this product / products or your specific health needs, ask your health care professional. Always seek the advice of your health care professional if you have any questions about this produ t/ products or your medical condition.
This information is not intended as individual medical advice and does not substitute for the knowledge and judgment of your health care professional. This information does not contain any assurances that this product / products is safe, effective, or appropriate for you.
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