Permanent Weight Loss through Lifestyle Changes
By Hollis Taylor
Lifestyle change is a permanent change. The name itself implies that it will last since it will be a lifestyle. At anytime we can change our lifestyles in many different ways. We all have lifestyles now that have developed over the years influenced by our surroundings, choices, and location. Many of us have some unhealthy eating habits that have emerged as a direct result of our interaction with the world around us. We are influenced as children about “cleaning our plate” and what foods we are introduced to. We are also influenced by sugar highs, fullness feeling, and price. At some point in our lives almost everyone ends up adjusting what they eat for health reasons, many of us struggle most of our lives. There are many signs of unhealthy eating habits such as obesity, depression, eating disorders, diabetes, cancer, and addictions of all kinds. Unhealthy food is more accessible and often easier to handle, and it seems cheaper. When we are ready for change many of us have a list of things that need to be changed. But to change our entire eating habits all at once we would find ourselves overwhelmed and this often leads to failure, of our own doing.
When you are trying to change your life from unhealthy to more healthy you must approach it with gentleness, patience, and compassion. When I changed my own lifestyle I found that when I didn’t rush to get started, made small changes, and made one at a time it stuck longer and I was better able to adjust myself to the changes. Its started with soda, I just weaned myself off and then quit. I stopped drinking multiple sodas, reduced to once daily soda, then to eventually quit completely. I was never perfect and still will occasionally think I want a soda. I fell off many times and there were even periods of time that I would increase my soda and then find myself having to redo the process. When you have to redo the process enough times you get tired and frustrated with going back and forth. Eventually, if your persistent, you move forward and find healing, I promise. I had to forgive myself, a lot, and then get back on board. This began my journey through weight loss and lifestyle change.
I haven’t “achieved” my lifestyle change – there are always areas to improve. So even today I am making an effort to make small changes to how I communicate, how physically active I am, and including fun in my priorities. An understanding that we can never be perfect but the simple pursuit of getting better is what manifests a healthy balanced holistic life. A sense of gentleness and compassion for the process.. constantly forgiving ourselves for any stalls, falls, or mishaps. When you have this approach to your lifestyle changes you can find a sense of healing from deep within. This healing will clearly begin to shine on the outside. When your healthy inside the reflection on the outside will be healthy and happy. Healthy and happy is one of the sexiest traits on any person regardless of their sexuality.
Transformation is available for anyone regardless of how far they are from their destination. No matter how low you feel. No matter how unhealthy you feel. No matter how impossible it seems, I assure you that it is possible. Transformation does not require perfection but instead requires determination and persistence. Once you find the determination and persistence deep within you it will grow the more you transform so don’t worry about having enough to do the whole thing. You only need some right now. Right Here. Simply reach inside and feel determined to be healthy today. Tomorrow morning reach inside again and feel determined again, that’s persistent. Each day is a new day and just because you had cake for breakfast doesn’t mean you RUINED the day, simply insist on returning to healthy eating habits, that’s persistence. Know you can do it and remind yourself as much as possible until you remember it always. Just KNOW. Transformation is right in front of you, simply step over here and consider the other perspective, apply it, then see what happens. We are all on a journey to improve our health as we age, I offer guidance for you on your journey.
Regardless of where you are on your journey, choose a small step you can take. What will it be?
- 1/2 hour of physical activity daily
- daily positive messages to yourself/others
- double your vegetable intake daily
- stop drinking soda
- quit smoking
- write 50 words a day
- take a picture every day
- play your instrument
- read a page from a book
Now let’s create a strategy:
Call: 1-888-INGENIO, extension 05051094