Tip 1: with realistic expectations, you double the chance of success
Learning a healthy lifestyle starts with a realistic expectation of what is feasible for you and to accept this.
Much research has been done on this subject and it appears that for most people with overweight a weight loss of 10-15 percent of the current body weight is feasible to sustain. At least if you look at the long-term (1-5 years). Are you currently, for example, 100 kilograms? Then a weight of 90-85 kg is realistic to pursue. This is quite different from what many commercial parties believe. And this false promise is also a reason why things often go wrong.
But we think it's important to provide you with the right information and not to give you unrealistic expectations. Our advice is to aim for a weight that suits you and that you can keep.
Every person has a weight that suits him or her. This is also called a 'setpoint weight'. You can sit down there, but not too much - otherwise, you will have to put a lot of effort into maintaining that weight.
In addition, yo-yo effect (often lines and coming again) can ensure that your setpoint has come to a higher weight.
Tip 2: you can still eat healthy things
Furthermore, it is important not to forbid yourself anything. Suppose you like chocolate very much. Then banning chocolate will only make you want more. In addition, a piece of chocolate fits well in a healthy diet every now and then.
Tip 3: choose food that fits your body and lifestyle
We advise you to choose foods that suit your body and lifestyle. The best thing is to do this step by step instead of following a diet. Many diets prescribe far too few calories compared to a normal diet and thus increase the risk of malnutrition.
A good example feeding schedule can be a useful way to teach yourself a healthy diet. Such an example shows what you need on a day and how you can vary.
In addition, you can continue to eat everything that you like. The point is that you can keep up your new lifestyle. This is different than with a diet where you temporarily forgo. Do not think of quick solutions that will ultimately backfire, but choose a way to maintain a healthy diet throughout your life.
Tip 4: start with small changes
You've probably heard of the metaphor of the frog. If you put a frog in a pan of cold water and put it on the fire, it does not move a paw and you will kill the frog. But if you throw the frog in hot water, the creature jumps out of the water. Now we do not recommend testing this yourself. But the underlying idea also applies when changing habits.
We as humans are often bad at changing our habits. Especially large changes are difficult to find. Therefore start with small changes so that you experience less resistance. In addition, small changes can ultimately have a big effect.
Tip 5: reward yourself for the desired behavior
Rewarding yourself is a good tool to keep up with the desired behavior. Suppose you have persevered for a week not to put sugar in the coffee, reward yourself with an evening at the cinema.
Tip 6: prepare yourself for resistance
If you are going to lose weight, it also means that you have to leave something. That can cause a sense of loss and loss in the beginning. It is important to take this into account. Do you notice resistance? Such a voice in your head that your good intentions always want to sabotage? Then find out for yourself where the resistance comes from, what the reasons are. Sometimes it helps to choose a different approach or take a step back. Focus on the benefits of why you want to lose weight.
Tip 7: think of solutions in advance to deal with your pitfalls
Imagine you have the habit of snacking when you feel stressed. There is a good chance that in the near future you will again get a craving for snacks when stress rises. Changing this habit will often cause you to fall heavily. It is therefore very important to prepare for difficult times. So what are you going to do when you really like sweets? Make a plan B that is a healthy alternative and that distracts you from the idea of snacking. You can then think of calling a friend or walking around. Usually, the desire to sniff is then gone.
Tip 8: Set up rules of conduct and keep track of how they are doing
Writing and tracking behavioral rules (also called behavioral goals) will help you lose weight. Behavioral rules are daily choices and behaviors that you know contribute to achieving your goal, to lose weight. In this way, you tackle unhealthy or undesirable behavior step by step and you create new, healthy habits. Formulate concrete actions in daily life and keep this behavior up every day, for example in a notebook or hang a list on the fridge.
Example:
Behavioral goal: from now on I will not put sugar in my coffee.
Day 1: succeeded
Day 2: succeeded
Etcetera.
Did you succeed for a week not to put sugar in your coffee? Reward yourself with something fun, like a magazine.
Tip 9: do not judge yourself if you make a mistake, but pick up the thread again
Do not throw the towel in the ring once you have fallen back into an old habit. You make mistakes while learning new behavior.
In other words, everyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.
In case of a misstep, it is important to pick up the thread again and analyze why it went wrong. Then you come up with a plan on how you can do better next time.
Tip 10: use professional guidance
It can be very valuable to use professional guidance. A professional, such as a dietitian or behavior expert, can work with you to see which approach suits you best.
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