Weight Loss Goals in Lexington KY

set weight loss goals that are attainable

So you’ve made the decision that you would like to lose weight in Lexington KY. Are you sure that you understand the work and lifestyle changes that are required to accomplish this goal?

Setting Weight Loss Goals in Lexington KY

One of the biggest reasons people’s modification of their diet or changes to their health fail is that they weren’t mentally prepared for the challenge ahead of them. Unfortunately, repeated attempts to lose weight often result in people giving up all together. This doesn’t have to be the case and our doctors at Lose It would like to help you meet your goals. This article contains questions that you should ask yourself and suggestions to consider before beginning a weight loss program to insure that you are at a point in your life that will help you be successful.

1. Set goals that are attainable, don’t try to do too much at one time

One of the first mistakes people make when starting a weight loss program in Lexington is that they set their goals too high. While losing a large amount of weight in a short amount of time may be appealing, it is also one of the biggest reasons that the program was doomed from the start. On the other hand, it is important not to make the goals so simple that they don’t present a challenge. Nobody said that losing weight would be easy. The goals that you set should be trackable, personal, and rewarding. When setting your goals, most experts suggest losing between a half pound and two pounds each week. As you meet these goals you can always set new ones to present new challenges. It is important to remember that losing weight doesn't have to involve radical changes to your diet. Exercising to increase calorie consumption is just as beneficial.

2. Take a team approach to weight loss

People often underestimate how difficult it can be to lose weight. It is rare that people don’t experience some level of discouragement when attempting to change their weight. Having a team in your corner to offer support and encouragement can be one of the biggest assets in getting you through this process. Making sure that your spouse, family members, or friends are on board to help you through your weight loss journey is fundamental to your success. Sometimes these people also have a desire to lose weight and may be interested in teaming up with you to meet their goals. In contrast, if you feel more comfortable taking this challenge on yourself, you need to have other avenues of support. Internet weight loss groups are great for serving this purpose.

3. Prepare yourself for what losing weight will require

Some people believe that losing weight ends once they have met their initial goals. These people usually resort to their old habits at the end of their program and as a consequence begin a trip down the road where it all started. It is important to understand at the onset of your journey that weight loss requires permanent and lifelong changes. Another thing to consider before beginning to lose weight is that the changes required are usually fairly significant. Depending on the person, they may require complete changes in diet or physical activity. As mentioned earlier, losing weight is rarely an easy process. You need to mentally prepare yourself to meet these lifelong challenges before beginning your journey to weight loss. Fortunately, as you continually adhere to these modifications the easier it becomes as time passes. Before you know it you won’t think twice about eating a grape or an apple instead of stopping at your favorite fast food establishment.

4. Make sure you can commit all of your energy to your goals

As discussed earlier, committing to a weight loss program is a challenging and mentally demanding task. Making sure that you can focus all of your energy on this process is just as important as making the decision to make lifestyle changes. Embarking on this journey during times of emotional and physical stress can often prove to be overwhelming. To increase your success, avoid making lifestyle modifications during divorces, deaths in the family, or increased demands at the workplace. Starting your path to a healthier life at the right time can mean the difference between failure and success.

5. Eliminate all factors that may be connected to your weight

Most people know that a person's weight is often connected to other aspects of their life. For example, some people indulge in excessive amounts of food to deal with their stress and fears. Other people may have an underlying physical or psychological disorder that is tied to their eating habits. If your eating and exercise habits have an underlying emotional motivation, it is important to eliminate these connections first. Proceeding to conquer your weight loss goals prior to addressing these elements will only increase the level of difficulty.

6. Make sure you have a positive attitude about your weight-related goals

Reaching the goals that you set can prove to be difficult, but it should also be rewarding. Maintaining a positive attitude about your weight loss program will prove to be very beneficial along your journey. As mentioned earlier, making modifications to your diet and exercise habits is not the only component of losing weight. Creating a positive mental image of why you are doing it and what your intended end result will be is just as important. In fact, if you have feelings of dread and fear about what it will require to reach your goals, you should wait to begin the process. Eliminating feelings of having to loss weight with a sense of excitement about losing weight can go a long way.

7. Now the important question: Are you ready to begin your weight loss journey?

After considering the above points you should have a good sense of your preparedness to take on a weight loss challenge. If you were comfortable with the information above and could confidently answer yes to the questions, you may be ready to begin your journey. If some of the questions made you stop and think, you need to address these limitations before beginning your weight loss strategy. Finally, if you answered no to the majority of the questions you may need some time to begin the weight loss process. However, don’t let this discourage you or stop you from losing weight. It is important to view this as an additional goal that needs to be met before making other lifestyle modifications.

Consulting with our doctors at Lose It in Lexington KY can help you determine if you are ready to begin and provide you with answers to some of your questions.