After 30+ years of yo-yo dieting, the one thing I have learned is that dieting doesn’t work. For me, dieting has been an exercise in food deprivation and weight gain. I’d always lose the weight, but then I’d put it back on along with an extra 10-20lbs.
Successful weight loss and maintenance means a permanent lifestyle change. To be honest, it’s the word permanent that trips me up every time. It almost sounds like a life sentence without parole. I have nightmares about having to become food Nazi, always hyper-vigilant about what I’m putting into my mouth in order to maintain weight loss long term.
Having said all that, I have devised a list of what I think I need to do to be successful, cherry picking those bits I’ve picked up over the years that have worked for me. I’ve decided that the list is not written in stone, in fact, it’s written in pencil, to be tweaked and modified as needed. And like all rules, they’re made to be broken. At times.
Here it is:
- No White: sugar, flour, potatoes, pasta, etc. No wheat.
- Move my body
- Water is my friend
- Daily food record
- Weigh myself once a month no matter what
- 80/20
- Forgive myself
- Accept the fact that I will be uncomfortable at times
- Try a new recipe each week
- Journaling
- Meditation
- Visualization
- Affirmations
- No deadlines: give myself as long as I need
- Collage
- Letters of Gratitude
It is a flexible list in that I don’t want to become overwhelmed. I’ll do follow-up posts on each tip on the list.
