Focus on Weight Loss Sacrifices: The Smart Way
weight loss, fitness goals, dieting, time management
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One of the hardest things about losing weight is that it involves sacrifice. If you want to lose weight, you're going to have to give up something.
Whether it's sweets, red meats, TV time, or soft drinks - you're going to say goodbye (or most likely, see ya later) to something you enjoy. What you decide to give up is what usually shapes your entire weight loss gameplan. Most people have several unhealthy habits that could be gotten rid of. In order to lose weight, we usually don't have to give up all of them, so we pick and chose.
Choosing what to sacrifice is key... And the obvious choice might be the wrong one!
I mentioned above how most people have several unhealthy habits, but only need to sacrifice one of them. What does almost everyone do? They focus on the one that is the biggest part of their life. They focus on the unhealthy habit that sticks out the most. A person with a sweet tooth gives up chocolate and a tv-aholic denounces their boob-tube.
Makes sense at a glance right?
If you're trying to create a weight loss plan that you can stick to, it is terribly wrong. Why would you take the one thing you love and can't live without (candy, television, whatever it is) and give it up? Most likely, you will do great the first week, cheat the second, and give up on the third or fourth. Not to mention that you'll probably be miserable after giving up your favorite food or lazy hobby.
Get rid of something you can do without
Generally, to lose weight, you will have to sacrifice types of food or lounge time. Instead of focusing on the most obvious problem, focus on the ones you can afford to sacrifice.
Here's an Example:
Stewie loves soft drinks and absolutely hates diet soda. He drinks soda throughout the day at work. He knows he's consuming a lot of calories throughout the day, but he finds it helps him stay in a better mood while nine-to-fiving (excuse me, eight-to-sixing nowadays). When he gets home he usually cooks up an unhealthy microwave meal because it's quick to make. Then he sits down to watch a tv show that he only somewhat likes, but it's on right before his favorite tv show - so he just watches both.
If he asked someone at work for dieting help, I'm sure they would say - just get rid of the soda, you have to do it. Although many serious dieters would probably be able to live a much healthier lifestyle, most dieters only have the motivation for slight improvement. Getting rid of soda would not last long for Stewie and he'd end up giving up dieting in general.
The real solution would be for Stewie to focus on eliminating the one tv show that he doesn't care much about and using that extra time to cook a healthier meal. Even if he still drank soda all day, he would be making big improvements in his healthy lifestyle.
To make a long story short, Don't focus on sacrificing the unhealthy habits that you love, focus on giving up the unhealthy habits you can live without.
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on 6/3/2008
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