Overcoming the Barriers to Weight Loss

By Cindy Holbrook Learn what the barriers to weight loss are. Be prepared for the challengesyoull face. External barriers are time, lack of support and society. Take the time to prepare ahead. Have healthy snacks available at all times. Getsupport from family, friends or support groups. Dieting barriers are portion control and starving. You need to eat in order to lose weight. Starving yourself works against youand decreases your metabolism. Its best to eat 5 or 6 small meals per day. Learn what a portion of food actually is. Read labels. Physical barriers are having a sedentary lifestyle and lack of sleep. It wasnt that long ago that we walked everywhere we wanted to go. Now days wehop in the car to go the store around the block. Start walking to yourdestination when possible. Take up a new sport. Take the kids to the park. Walk your dog or yourneighbors dog. Jump rope or play hopscotch. Do anything Just get moving! You will feel better, be more energetic, be more mentally alert and increaseyour metabolism. Psychological barriers include attitude, self-talk, unrealistic goals,awareness, impatience, emotional eating and fear. Before you eat, ask your self if youre hungry. If youre eating because itsthere, or because youre stressed, angry, happy etc . Then find anotheractivity that you can do. Call a friend, take a walk, take a bubble bath, rread a book Emotions dont last forever, so by diverting your attention, thedesire to eat will fade. Set smart goals. Dont expect to lose 20 or more pounds in a month. Itsunrealistic. Aim for a sensible goal of one or two pounds a week. Eat only when you are hungry. Be aware of what you are eating. Keep a positiveattitude. Be patient. Believe in yourself and you will succeed. A S.M.A.R.T. goal is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-limit. Specific - You should be able to describe every little detail so clearly that a 10 year would understand it. Measurable - Answer the questions how much, how many and how long. You need to be able to tell when the goal is reached. Attainable - Set small goals that you know you can reach with no problem. Setting your goals in 5 pound increments is easy and each time you lose 5 pounds youll be building your self confidence. Losing 5 pounds sounds more attainable than losing 100 pounds. Realistic - Your subconscious needs to know that the goal is actually attainable for it to help you stay on track. Losing 30 pounds in 30 days is not a realistic goal. Its best to aim for 5 pound weight losses each month. If you lose more than your goal then youll have reason to celebrate! (Just not with food.) Dont set a goal like Ill never eat chocolate again. Believing you can never eat something again sets you up for failure from the beginning. TimeLimit - Set a realistic timeframe for you to reach your goals. Such as "I will lose ten pounds by ... (a specific date)." For the best results, write down your goal and read it to yourself several times every day. According to numerous studies your chance of success is 80% greater when you have written your goals down. Cindy Holbrook has been interested in nutrition and weight loss her entire life. Working in Social Services she helps people overcome obstacles. http://www.BestWeightLossProgram4me.com was born when she began reviewing weight loss programs for her husband. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Holbrook http://EzineArticles.com/?Overcoming-the-Barriers-to-Weight-Loss&id=530002 quick cash installment loan car loan bad credit christmas faxless online payday loan payday installment loan