Live Accountable But Be Kind to Yourself

In recent years, obesity has risen to epidemic levels and accounts for a significant increase in rates of cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, musculoskeletal disorders, and diabetes. If you have a body mass index equal to or greater than 30, you are considered obese. Losing weight and keeping it off requires more than a physical commitment to eating better or exercising more. That's why the wrong mental approach can lead to frustrating failure.

It is important to flush the overweight mentality out of your head and start thinking like a thin person. Once you visualize yourself as thin, you will be motivated by how good you look and feel without the extra weight. Although you cannot change the past, attitude is often more important than facts. You have a choice every day regarding your attitude, so avoid the powerful negative effects that cause many dieters to abandon their weight loss plans.

• Stay in the Moment When Eating - The clearer you hear you body's hunger signals, the better you will be able to manage what you eat, when you eat, and how much you eat
• Avoid Emotional Eating - Make it a habit of waiting five minutes before responding to your urges. When something causes you to think about eating, do not respond by eating things that are not in your diet plan.
• Live Accountable - One of the keys to weight loss success comes from the accountability with which you track your progress, but be smart. If you weigh yourself more than once a week, you will experience unnecessary "ups and downs".
• Become a Healthy Eater - Setting goals, making lifestyle changes, and working hard to achieve them is all about having the positive reinforcements in place to reward yourself with a non-food pleasure like a special spa day.
• Exercise Can Be Fun Too - Adding even a little daily exercise to your routine will make a big difference in your health, weight, and well-being. So, quit making excuses and start moving more.

In our eat-and-run world with huge-portion sizes, maintaining a healthy weight can be tough. Unfortunately, losing weight and keeping it off can be even tougher. Every "body" responds differently, so no single diet works for everyone. Everybody has to develop their own healthy relationship with food to curb emotional triggers and avoid overeating. Rally the support of friends and family is critical to holding yourself accountable.

If you really intend to improve your health and well-being, don't get too wrapped up in a timeline for your reaching your goals. Tell yourself that every new day comes with new opportunities for success and focus on those. Hedonic hunger is a dimension of appetite and food intake that includes frequent thoughts, feelings, and urges about consuming palatable foods in the absence of prolonged food deprivation. Those who struggle with these emotions often report feelings of guilt or shame over their perceived lack of control over food.