Why is it that after we have taken steps to lose weight and then achieve a considerable amount of weight loss, we so often gain the weight we lost?  This seems so counterproductive, yet it happens countless of times to many of us.  We gain back the weight that we lost, because we revert back to our former eating and activity patterns.  When we reached our weight loss goals, when we “crossed the finish line”, we thought we were “cured” and that we could be “normal” again.  The problem is that our perception of what is “normal” is to revert back to old eating habits, along with less activity and exercise. The mistake is that we do not make a permanent lifestyle change. What we have done is to temporarily adhere to a “diet” with reduced intakes and/or an increase exercise to lose weight, but fail to learn how to live a healthy life for permanent weight loss. The successful approach is changing your whole lifestyle to one of health and fitness.

To maintain your weight or continue toward your desired weight, you must keep in mind what motivated you to lose weight initially.  Write down a list of those things that motivated you to initiate your healthy lifestyle change.  Then clearly recognize those things that motivated you to want to lose weight loss and change your life for the better. It may have been your health, i.e. arthritic knees, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes. You may have wanted to improve your appearance, your energy levels, or it may have been an emotional issue that prompted you, such as a relationship, or your feeling of confidence. You may have lost weight to allow you to be more active in recreational and sports activities that you once enjoyed. Whatever the reasons that caused you to want to start a weight loss program, reflect on those things now and realize that to revert back to old habits will only sabotage your ultimate desires and will lead to unhappiness and a lack of fulfillment in your life.

After experiencing a certain measure of success we often feel we’re in control, and feel we can continue by taking several days off, returning to “lazy” days of old and eating patterns that will soon return us to our previous overweight and unhealthy condition. Once we have succeeded with weight loss, or are near our goal weight we might not have the same level of motivation. After you have lost some weight, having achieved some weight loss goals, you might feel that there is not the same challenge. You might feel that you are no longer “that uncomfortable” with your weight, and would like to pursue old habits. You need to be ready when that time comes, with your “motivation list” in hand, so you might reflect on why you should continue to stay fit and follow a healthy lifestyle.  After all you don’t want to work hard to reach your weight loss goals, enjoying the fruits of your labor for a short while and then return to old habits and the miserable ways of living that you previously experienced. Plan to enjoy a lifestyle of health and happiness for a lifetime.

Remember: It’s the end of progress if you stand still and think of what you’ve done in the past. Keep on!
                                        

~ Leslie Caron

Physicians’ Choice For Weight Loss
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