Dr. Candice Seti, San Diego Licensed Clinical Psychologist states, “A lot of people think that weight loss is often associated with food restriction. Although it is true that fat, protein and carbohydrate consumption should be limited and well balanced, losing weight also includes a lifelong lifestyle modification.”
Changing how you approach food, diet and exercise is very important because it does not only trim the excess fats in the body but it also encourages discipline, determination and perseverance. Unfortunately, not all people are aware of this and they tend to neglect the importance of behavioral changes. They end up unsuccessful in losing weight and increasing the risks involved in obesity. However, it is never too late to start again and lose weight by changing your lifestyle behavior. If you want to make the remaining years of your life healthy and productive, you have to start by creating a goal.
Goal setting will give you direction, motivation and self confidence. The more specific a goal is, the more likely it will be achieved. That is why you have to make specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bounded (S.M.A.R.T.) goals for your diet changes, regular exercises and behaviors on your lifestyle modification. As much as possible, you have to keep track of the goals you achieve and the goals you fail to achieve. This will let you know whether you need to double your efforts in exercising or dieting or if you have even followed the goals you set for yourself over a specific time frame.
Goal setting also involves self-monitoring. This means that you monitor the challenges you encounter in achieving your goals and the physical cues that you do unconsciously. Most of us are unaware of our behavior towards food and exercise routines. By jotting down every action created, you will begin to realize that some of your personal behaviors should be changed. These include pessimism, indecisiveness, procrastination and many more. When you self-monitor, you will be more capable of controlling your behavior that hinders your chances of achieving the short term and long term goals.
It can also be helpful to get feedback from health care providers to validate the success of your goals. Check your weight regularly, and your overall health as well. Share the goals you created for yourself and consider the opinion of your doctor as to them being realistic or too ambitious. The knowledge and expertise of your medical doctor will help you a lot in determining whether the goals you make are beneficial or harmful to your body. Getting feedback will even give you notice if you are at risk for certain diseases or your blood sugar levels and blood pressure levels are within the normal range.
Lastly, reward yourself for achieving a weight loss goal. This does not mean that you have to eat what you want, rather it means to pamper yourself whenever you have successfully changed your lifestyle and your excess pounds have been lost. Take a vacation, buy new clothes or treat your family for a dinner. Through this, you will be more motivated to keep your body fit and maintain the goals you created. Lifestyle modification is not a matter of changing the food you eat everyday but it involves changing your mindset towards losing weight.
For more information visit Dr. Seti’s Who Is Page in the San Diego Professional Journal.
You may contact her at her office:
350 10th Street #1023
San Diego, CA 92101
Or by telephone (619) 345-4355.