Over the years, I’ve had the chance to help hundreds of people on their weight loss journeys. While there is always a bit of nutrition and fitness confusion to clear up (thank you, diet industry), most folks really do know much of what they should and shouldn’t be doing.  Eat better.  Eat less.  Move more.  But why do I have such a hard time getting it done? they wonder. Today I’m sharing with you the strategies that will help you sidestep your weight loss barriers and finally achieve your goals.

Weight loss success begins with a solid action plan that’s personalized for your lifestyle and needs. So often when attempting change, we think about all the things we’ll do right, all the while neglecting the temptations and challenges that will lurk at every turn.  By dealing with these obstacles honestly and realistically, you can make your chances at success that much more attainable. 

Here are a few thoughts to get you started with your own action plan and the strategies you’ll need to overcome any stumbling blocks along the way.

This post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you when you shop using these links, which helps to make this blog possible. Thank you for your support!

The Usual Suspects

There’s a good chance that that if you’re trying to lose weight, this ain’t your first rodeo. If so, take a long minute to think about your previous weight loss attempts. What worked well for you? And perhaps more importantly, what flat out did NOT work for you?

Did you struggle to stick with your plan? What tripped you up along the way? Make a list of these stumbling blocks.  Do not pretend they don’t exist or that your sheer force of will will enable you to soar past them without grazing a toe.

Look at your list and begin to brainstorm solutions.  While some may be overcome with avoidance, others must be tackled directly.  Do you struggle with stress eating? Seek out ways to soothe your frazzled nerves without food. If you tend to mindlessly snack whilst watching the boob tube, turn off the TV and do something else!  Or, if you find yourself eating and drinking a wee bit too much with certain friends, test that friendship and have a frank conversation about the changes you’d like to make.

By taking a clear-eyed look at your previous weight loss attempts, you can zero in on your most effective tactics all while sidestepping your weight loss barriers.

Create an environment for success.

Whenever tackling a serious lifestyle change, it’s important to set yourself up for success. While willpower is well and good, why not simplify your life and make it easier to reach your goals? 

Take some time to think about what will make it easier for you to stick to your plan. Remember, it is far better to get rid of obstacles than to be constantly tripping over them.  Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

• Plan your meals a week in advance and shop accordingly. Do as much meal prep ahead of time as possible so that following your plan during the week is a snap.
• Clear out temptations so you don’t have to waste energy constantly avoiding them.  If you can’t simply toss them out, at least get them out of sight.
• Stock your home and office with nourishing foods that will keep hunger at bay and fuel your activity throughout the day.
• Keep your gym bag packed and ready in your car for post-work workouts.
• Post reminders and encouraging notes where you’ll see them.
• Buddy up with a friend or your spouse for extra accountability and encouragement.
• Join an online support group.

Fill the void.

Anytime you give up a pet activity, you’ll find yourself with a big ole’ hole in your routine.  And, if you do not fill that hole with something constructive or productive, it’ll be all too easy to just flop back into your old habits. 

For example, let’s say you’ve gone cold turkey and you used to smoke during your work breaks. Unless you figure out something else to do with your time, you will go crazy thinking about that now forbidden cigarette. Whether you go for a quick walk outside, fix a cup of tea, or catch up on emails, find another positive activity that will distract you from the temptation to light up.

Or maybe you’ve been using food to deal with boredom and you’re trying to stop.  Here’s a chance to kill two birds with one stone!  By choosing a new hobby, whether it be hiking, pickleball, or line dancing, you’ll not only quit the unnecessary noshing, but you’ll also get off the couch and maybe have some fun!

Kicking a bad habit takes more than just quitting. If you’re serious about making lasting changes, you’ve got to create new habits that will fill the void and spur you onto success.

Know your team.

Identify the angels as well as the saboteurs in your life.  Maybe you have a spouse who cheerfully changes alongside you to ease your way.  On the other hand, you might have a cheeky co-worker whose greatest thrill is to leave donuts on your desk whenever she knows you’re trying to lose a little weight. 

While we’d all prefer to be surrounded by those who are nothing other than supportive and encouraging of our goals, that is not the real world.  Some people are a breath of fresh air and others are stinkers.  Though we can’t control the actions and behavior of others, sometimes identifying the players on the field can at least give those relationships a bit of context.

Get back in that saddle!

But what if, even after all this thoughtful planning, you still manage to mess up and lose track of your goals?  Fear not and let not your heart be troubled, I say!  When you take a nosedive out of the proverbial saddle, you know what to do.  Get right back on that horse. 

Don’t wait–not for tomorrow, Monday, next month, or the New Year.  Ate too much at lunch?  Don’t throw in the towel and think, Oh well!  Might as well pig out the rest of the day because TODAY is shot!   Nonsense.  Don’t let a lapse become a relapse.  

Or maybe you took a bite of some monster muffin in the office break room.  While you may be tempted to polish it off and blow your calorie budget, don’t get into that ‘all or none’ mentality.  Take a moment to remember why you are chasing your goal, get focused, and get back on track.

It Takes Grit

Despite what self-help and gimmicky diet books might promise, don’t fool yourself into thinking that any lifestyle change will be easy.  Overhaul your life in a matter of days or weeks?  Please.  Many of our habits are decades in the making! How could anyone claim to rewire them in just 30 days? 

No, real change takes time and stubborn commitment.  There will be ups and downs and certainly 30 days of focused effort will give you a running start, but changing your regimen, your rituals, your mindset, is an endurance event.

When you set your mind on change and begin to imagine the steps before you, the question isn’t, Will I stumble?  Rather you should be asking yourself, When will I mess up and how will I deal with that?  Will it merely be a lapse?  Or an utter relapse?  How you deal with your weight loss barriers will determine whether or not you will truly change and reach your goals.

Changing your lifestyle and losing weight is definitely a journey. Be kind to yourself along the way! Changes worth making are rarely easy, but nothing compares to reaching that finish line. Armed with a personalized plan, you CAN reach your goals!

PS. Want to learn more about effective meal planning and weight loss strategies? Check out my Plan for Success series HERE!

The post How to Sidestep your Weight Loss Barriers appeared first on The Diet Oracle.

We are nearing the end of our month-long discussion of June’s Diet of the Month, The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day and Extended Fasting by Jason Fung, MD and Jimmy Moore–which is good, considering it is now JULY!!

I have really enjoyed reviewing this book and have learned so much by taking intermittent fasting for a spin. I don’t know about you, but I am such a creature of habit and choosing an eating plan that was off my beaten track really brought to light a few habits I didn’t even know I had! Shaking things up a bit is a great way to break out of a rut, whether you’re struggling to get the pounds off or just feel bored with your daily fare.

Intermittent fasting was definitely a new experience for me and after trying it out for an entire week, I’ve come away with a few tips that will help you to be successful should you decide to give intermittent fasting a try. While some of these tips would apply to pretty much any diet plan, others are fairly specific to fasting.

• First things first: get your head in the game. If you imagine you can just waltz through a week (or more) of intermittent fasting without some mental preparation, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise.
• Consider going in via the shallow end if you’re new to fasting. If you have never gone 12 hours without eating, that’s probably where you should start. But, if a 12-hour fast poses no challenge, try an 8:16 schedule or one of the gentler fasting schedules included in The Complete Guide to Fasting. As Fung would say, there is no single, right way to fast and there are countless options for designing your own.
• Lean hard on that coffee (or tea) and bone broth. As I’ve mentioned many times before, I do not think I could have gotten through my 24-hour fast days without these on hand. The coffee with half and half really made it possible for me to survive the morning without breakfast and a hot bowl of bone broth loaded up with herbs got me through to dinner.
• Stay busy. Fung mentions this bit of advice several times in his book and I couldn’t agree more. A bit of distraction can make all the difference when you’re trying to get through a longer fast. Whether tackling a project at the office, working in the garden, or re-organizing the garage, keeping yourself occupied can take your mind off of eating.
• STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. Unless you are a glutton for punishment, try to avoid hanging out in food areas while you are fasting. Appetite is driven by more than just hunger pangs; virtually all of our senses can signal to us that it is time to eat.
• Emphasize fats. Though many of us have been ingrained with the notion that low- or no-fat is the way to go when trying to lose weight, this might not always be the best advice. By making a point of including more fats during my week of intermittent fasting, I frequently ended up eating less than expected simply because I felt full with a smaller portion.
• Prepare in advance a few grab-and-go meals that are appropriate for your eating plan. For myself, I found having such things as hard-boiled eggs, cooked bacon and breakfast sausage, grated and/or sliced cheeses, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, pre-made salad, cooked and sliced meats, and (last but not least) a batch of homemade pho bone broth stashed in the fridge to be of immense help. You don’t want to ever be scrambling for something to eat. That is a recipe for diet disaster.
• Have a few easy swaps in your bag of tricks so you don’t wind up playing the short order cook. Part of the beauty of intermittent fasting is its simplicity! Don’t make life difficult by thinking you have to cook food for yourself that’s entirely different from what the rest of the family is eating. For example, if you’re making pasta with bolognese sauce for dinner, you can easily serve up spaghetti noodles for the crew and steamed zoodles for yourself. Or, if fajitas are on the menu, offer a plate of warm tortillas as well as lettuce leaves for wraps. These little swaps take at most 3 extra minutes to prepare, but will make meal times less stressed for everyone.
• On longer fasting days, break your fast gently. Try having something small 30 or so minutes before your meal. Chew your food well and eat slowly. Wolfing down a plateful of food after a stint of fasting is a sure fire way to get a bellyache.
• If at any point during your fast you feel dizzy or nauseous, you should seriously consider ending your fast and having something to eat. Fung emphasizes this point as well. You should not feel bad while fasting. If you do, you might want to try a shorter fasting period or a different intermittent fasting schedule.

Intermittent fasting is a fairly straightforward and simple way to try to lose weight, but it is not without its challenges. Though there isn’t much heavy lifting in the kitchen, any serious change to your eating habits is going to require planning and commitment. If you’re thinking intermittent fasting might be a good fit for you, I hope these tips will help you reach your goals!

The post Intermittent Fasting: Tips for Success appeared first on The Diet Oracle.