Several years ago, my family viewed a video from our annual Christmas Eve celebration. We were confronted with the fact that we all needed to lose weight. We started a family "Fit Club" and worked together to eat healthier, move more, and improve our health. In spite of the fact that we have collectively lost more than 240 pounds, our weight loss challenge continues.
We've learned that the difference between "fat" and "fit" is "I". We know that "all things are difficult before they are easy" and that "slow is better than never". The foundation of successful weight loss is a healthy calorie-controlled diet combined with exercise. Long term weight loss requires permanent changes in your lifestyle and health habits. Regardless of the difficulties, as a family, we remain committed to watching what we eat, making better choices, getting more exercise, and tracking our weight loss. We are determined to win the weight loss challenge, both individually and collectively.
To date, I've lost 82 lbs., my son's lost 50 lbs., and my oldest daughter's lost 40 lbs. Other family members have lost between 15 to 20 lbs. We celebrate every pound lost as an achievement. Here are some of the strategies that help us continue to move forward.
Focus on creating an environment in which you can be successful. When shopping, check labels to monitor fat, carbohydrates, sodium, and sugar content. Be careful what you bring home; it will get eaten. . Arrange your food storage to enable control of items that meet your weight loss goals vs. items that frustrate your efforts.
Work on replacing an unhealthy eating habit with a healthy one. Provide yourself with healthy "treats" and snacks. Increase your purchases and intake of fruits and vegetables. My husband exchanged his night time snack of several candy bars with a platter of fruit and cheese bits and a handful of nuts. Plan for the day and for the week. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Choose to take that first step to make a change you've been thinking about. You may have occasional setbacks, but don't forget you are making changes for a lifetime. Be kind to yourself and simply start fresh the next day.
While you can lose weight without exercise, exercise plus calorie restriction can help give you the weight-loss edge. Exercise can help burn off the excess calories you can't cut through diet alone. Exercise also offers numerous health benefits, including boosting your mood, strengthening your cardiovascular system and reducing your blood pressure. Exercise can also help in maintaining weight loss. Studies show that people who maintain their weight loss over the long term get regular physical activity.
Find an exercise that fits your temperament, something that's fun. Personally I hate walking, but I fit it in while shopping. I spend ten minutes just walking briskly through the store and I do that several times to accumulate 30 minutes of exercise. Your trip to the mall or to the casino can result in 30 minutes of exercise using that strategy. While walking isn't my favorite form of exercise, I love dancing. My family uses dance videos and exercise together to the music. My husband and I take line dancing classes at the local YMCA. My son and daughter-in-law exercise at the local health club. They enjoy the ZUMBA class. Over past years, I faithfully attended aqua aerobics class about four times weekly. These activities are fun and help keep us fit.
Begin anew today. You can't get much done by starting tomorrow. Remember, we have the power to choose success or failure.
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