A Cognitive Behavioral Approach To Weight Loss
Acceptance is one of the hardest things to deal with when it comes to our bodies. We each have our personal struggles that we face every day when it comes to health and weight loss. For me, menopause presented a huge challenge that I wasn’t quite expecting. It has changed my body and my clothes don’t fit the way they used too. However, I understand that if I panic and go on a restrictive diet just to fit back into a pair of jeans, I will be in a much worse situation down the road.
When trying to lose weight, it is only natural that we seek results as quickly as possible. We want to see that the sacrifices we are making with eating or lifestyle changes are working for us. However, a “quick fix “is not quick, nor is it a fix. The age-old expression “slow and steady wins the race” could not be more true when we are working hard to obtain a healthy mind and body.
Why do we always tense up when we hear the word “calorie”? Definitively, a calorie is just a unit of heat that we use to describe how much energy our bodies get from eating or drinking it. We spend so much time counting them, reading about them and thinking about them, that sometimes we forget about the food itself and just plain eating healthy. Typically, most people think that the fewer calories they consume, the more weight they will lose. Then, they focus on killing those calories at any cost. However, the real cost could be the damage it could do to your metabolism and overall ability to lose weight – thereby defeating the real goal.
We are all human beings. But sometimes, as humans – we make mistakes. Unfortunately, we only seem to focus on our mistakes. Think about it. You have probably spent your life beating yourself up every time you make an unhealthy decision. But when was the last time you praised yourself for making a good one? I bet this process has not been working well for you but I wouldn’t expect it to be. We shouldn’t feel like we need to punish ourselves for making an unhealthy decision in order to change. We all need to be kinder to ourselves and celebrate all our positive choices.
While there are many challenges that come with the territory of healthy eating and wellness, there are also many solutions and tools to help you achieve your goals. One of the best ways you can take the stress out of eating and make better choices is simply by planning. If you plan in advance, eating is actually easier- not harder. Even during the current health crisis, as restaurants and other businesses start to open up again, it’s a good time to come with a plan to guide you through the transition. Planning takes the guesswork out of mealtime so you know what you are doing today, tomorrow and the day after that. There are multiple benefits of planning to consider.
After an unprecedented spring season, compliments of Covid-19, the month of June is a more than welcome arrival. Several months of social distancing and being cooped up inside allows us to enjoy the fresh air and warmer weather even more than you typically may this time of year. Hiking, biking and swimming are welcomed activities that ultimately will benefit our health and wellness. As we begin to participate in some of these outdoor pursuits and limited social engagements, we have to keep in mind that we cannot let our guard down. Especially not now.
