Weight Loss Tip: Do What Works for You Not What Works for "Them"

We are all different and sometimes that means what works for one person, ie our teachers, parents, best friends, co-workers, doesn't work for us.

This is true for just about every facet of our lives, including successful weight loss.

I firmly believe there is no one plan, diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle that will work for all of us. What is universal is how much our attitude plays a role in our weight loss success.

One of the best weight loss tips I can offer is for you to find something that helps you to feel good about yourself and moving towards your health goals...in other words, be loving towards yourself...and you will have success.

On the other hand, if you are constantly criticizing yourself and the progress you are (or are not) making, comparing yourself to others then you will not have success. At least, not permanently.

Don't "should" yourself into further failure, as in

• It should work for me, it is how Sue/Mary/Bob lost weight
• I should be able to stick with this

Criticizing ourselves and "shoulding" ourselves only makes us wrong and puts our focus on what we don't want. Shift that focus to what you DO want.

So look at what you are doing a little more objectively and with love. Evaluate it as you would help your best friend out...without judging her as wrong or bad. And if you find that what you have been doing isn't working, then be open to the possibility that something else might work for you and it is time to try a different path.

Begin to focus on positive things that work for you, help remind you of your success, how you deserve health, what your goal is, and that you can do it.

Here are some ideas or tools that have worked for me or people I know

• Daily affirmations
• Dream board (or vision board) with images that represent the body & life you want
• Meditation, or visualize your healthy body
  
• Pictures of yourself when you were a healthy (healthier) weight
• Post positive messages on your mirror
• Picture of a bikini
• Find a weight loss (or walking) buddy
  
• Loving notes in or on the cupboard/freezer/frig reminding you to think before you eat
• Listen to (or watch) positive body image messages
• Write in a journal WHY you want to change your body, your successes & challenges
• Express gratitude for the current level of health you have & the possibility of even more

You don't have to do them all...and not all of these techniques will work for you, so feel free to use what feels good and throw away the rest! Or use them to springboard an entirely different idea that helps YOU...and if you come up with one, let me know what it is--post it in a comment here so other people who are struggling can benefit from your weight loss success!