A monthly column on diet, exercise and my weight loss journey.
A summer like no other..
That’s how I started out this column last June, and that was certainly the case. Now in 2021 it feels like this is going to be a summer like “before”. Hopefully! As things open up and we get back to normal, this maybe the summer you really want to get serious about weight loss.
Have you put on the “Covid-19”, or 20 or 30? I know I have. This past year (plus) has been extremely tough, but remember – there is only one YOU and you need to take good care of yourself.
Doing a daily radio show, I’m connected to a lot of information and much of that has to do with being healthy. Here’s an interesting report I found for us to consider.
SECRETS OF THE STRONG START TO LOSING WEIGHT
Ever wanted to know the techniques and tricks used by those who successfully lost weight, and kept it off? Thanks to a survey conducted by weight loss site SparkPeople we have some road-tested tips to give you the best chance at managing weight.
• Track Food and Calories — Both strong and false starters ranked “food tracking” as the one action that made the biggest difference in their programs. 82% of strong starters tracked food every day vs. 65% of false starters, and strong starters were twice as likely to track their calories.
• Don’t put certain foods off limits — Strong starters were less likely to label foods “good” or “bad” and forsake certain foods, and were three times more likely to use portion control techniques that supported consumption of unhealthier foods in moderation.
• Spend LESS time exercising — On average, strong starters exercised for 30 minutes during the first two weeks; false starters for 60 minutes, suggesting that false starters burned themselves out.
• Focus on both diet and exercise — 74 percent of false starters made both fitness and dietary changes from the outset, compared to 50 percent of false starters.
• Engage more with others/have a support network — Strong starters were more than twice as likely to communicate with other members online.
• Weigh yourself weekly, not daily — Most strong starters weighed themselves weekly, while the majority of false starters did so daily.
• Focus first and foremost on developing healthy habits, not losing weight — Most strong starters viewed their #1 goal as “building a strong foundation of healthy habits.” A majority of false starters made losing 3-4 pounds in their first two weeks their #1 goal, which backfired.
Of course, another big help in weight loss is accountability and NOT going it alone! I attribute my weight loss success to Dr Lodge and the staff at Cool Springs MD. From nutrition counseling to personal trainers and more, you won’t have to go it alone with Cool Springs MD
Dr Lodge and his team are ready to help you with their stated goal for everyone to be “Happy, Healthy and Whole” What has helped you lose weight? Any tips you would like to share? I welcome your feedback, thoughts and ideas and look forward to sharing them in a future article. You can email me at [email protected] or feel free to call me during my live radio show – weekdays between 3 pm – 7 pm on 94 FM The Fish. (800) 826-3637
