The Work is Over Quickly
Once you have created a habit, the work is then over and you are in cruise control.
When thinking about losing weight you think about all the work that has to go into it. The MASSIVE changes you have to make in your life which you don't want to do really and all the effort it will require. You feel exhausted before you even start and honestly, who wants to do that?
If instead you can see your goal of losing weight as just creating small, easy habits then you will feel much better about the whole thing and will look forward to it instead of dreading your new way of being. If you do it in this way the work will be over fast but the habits will remain and then it becomes effortless to stay on your new program.
The way to fail is to think about how many pounds you are going to lose your first week or two and how fast you need to lose it. The trick is to forget about the weight (at first) and focus on creating one habit at a time, and really you only need about 5 or so.
For example, if you don't already do so, start by drinking one glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning. Make sure you do this for an easy 30 days straight. If you hate drinking water then find a way to make it enjoyable by squeezing lemon into it or adding flavored tea (non sugary) etc... It's an easy habit to create but by doing so you will have gained some confidence about YOUR ability to do this and will be ready and even eager for more.
Your next habit can be at breakfast time. After your water find a breakfast that is both healthy AND tastes good AND makes you feel satisfied. I like quick oatmeal. It's plain, natural oats with whole milk. I make enough for a few breakfasts so I don't have to cook everyday which for me is 1 cup of the oats with 3 cups of whole milk in a pot. Boil it and when it's a tad thick I pour it into my bowls. Then I add frozen berries and cinnamon.
This breakfast is really satisfying to me and tastes great without any sugar at all. The whole milk, berries and cinnamon give more than enough flavor and health wise I am getting protein, whole grain carbohydrates, some fat, antioxidants from the berries and the cinnamon benefits which I'll talk about on another page. I feel full and satisfied and look forward to this breakfast each morning. It took some thinking about and creativity and some adjustment for this new breakfast but it's not work for me anymore. It's automatic and just another part of my day.
Then you can go on to your next habit etc....
The key is to start slowly and not worry about the pounds in the beginning. Think of the benefits to you over your lifetime by starting out this way and creating habits that you can easily and confidently follow which are also good for you. Think how your confidence will soar because you feel that you have more control over yourself.
Create your habits first and the weight loss will follow.
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