Home
>
Weight Loss
>
Overcoming the 7 Roadblocks to Maintaining Weight Loss

Overcoming the 7 Roadblocks to Maintaining Weight Loss

1. Become aware of what you are eating.

Before I started my diet, I was an "unconscious eater". I was not aware of anything I put in my mouth. I ate because it tasted good, I was depressed, I was bored, I was stressed, or any number of other reasons which were not related to my body's nutritional needs.

It would not be unusual to have candy around and find empty wrappers and not remember eating it. Until I dieted and started reading labels, being aware of the contents of the food, and becoming a "conscious eater" I was eating all the wrong foods for all the wrong reasons. By being aware and reading labels, I now make choices. Do I really want to put all that sugar in my body? Wouldn't a piece of fruit satisfy that craving for something sweet? Make it fun. Become aware of what you are eating. Make informed choices. Pay attention!

2. Find an exercise that you enjoy.

You already are aware of the need to exercise to maintain your weight loss. Are you doing an exercise that bores you or you approach with a sense of dread? Find something that is fun for you. Do you like to dance, or swim? Have you always wanted to learn to play tennis? How about flying a kite? Think out of the box and go for it. Find a friend that enjoys the same activities and make a commitment to each other and support each other when one of you is not so motivated. You can use the internet or the local paper to find activity partners. Be brave, take up ballroom dancing! Have fun. Make creative decisions. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk those few blocks instead of driving.

The benefits of exercise cannot be overemphasized. You can reduce back pain by improving flexibility. Many diseases are linked to obesity.

3. Don't rely on the scales. How your clothes fit is a better indicator. It is important to keep track of how much you weigh, but another indicator that cannot be ignored is how your clothes fit. Haven't you noticed that the scales can indicate that you weigh the same, but your jeans are getting pretty tight? Pay close attention. You may be consuming too much salt and are retaining water. Be aware and make the necessary dietary changes to get those jeans fitting comfortably. It is too easy to ignore the signs and rely on the scales and begin to gain your weight back.

4. Tune into your feelings.

What did it feel like when you first lost weight? Remember all the compliments you received? How your self-esteem soared? It has been a while now and no one is giving you feedback. Go back in your mind and reconnect with those feelings of how proud you felt for your accomplishment. Dig out those old "fat" clothes and try them on to remind you of how far you have come. Buy some new clothes that you would not have dared wear when you were overweight. Become your best cheerleader. Honor your efforts and accomplishments.

5. Splurge once in a while.

The key to this is to make it once in a while. You will find that you can splurge successfully. The danger here is to fool yourself into thinking that you can do it all the time. You can justify it by telling yourself that you had that pie with ice cream 2 nights in a row and you did not gain anything. It is too easy to fall into the habits that created the weight gain in the first place. Instead of going ahead with that rich desert, stop and ask yourself what you really want. Are you eating because of stress, or depression, or some other emotional need? Ask yourself what you would gain by eating that and if you are willing to take the consequences. It goes back to being a "conscious eater". Make wise choices to splurge. You will appreciate the occasional splurge much more anyway.

6. Find the healthy choice foods that you love and keep them on hand.

Many times you will eat the wrong foods because you are too hungry. You go out to do errands and run late and don't keep healthy snacks in your car and end up pulling into the nearest fast food restaurant. Many wrong choices are based on not having the right foods on hand when hunger strikes. If you love low fat yogurt or carrot sticks, make sure you always have them on hand. Take health bars with you in your car. Find the foods that satisfy you and make sure you have them at home and at work. It is just too easy to get off track because you did not plan ahead.

7. Remember to celebrate yourself.

There are so many creative ways to sustain your momentum. Use all the money you are saving by bringing your healthy lunch to work to save for a vacation. Buy new clothes once in a while that flatter your figure. Compliment your gorgeous self when you look in the mirror. Honor the fact that you were disciplined enough to lose the weight that you did. You know how difficult it was to get started on your weight loss program and the times when you did not think you could do it any longer.

Get out that swimsuit and go to the beach! You look great!!

Nancy Heimstra, Life Coach
http://www.spirit-alchemy.com

recurring maid service Buffalo Grove ..

In The News:

The iconic Mary Kay pink Cadillac goes electric with the Cadillac Optiq, available only to the company's top 1% of sales force performers.

Cybercriminals abuse trusted Intel driver to gain kernel access and shut down Windows Defender, enabling undetected malware deployment since July 2025.

Using email aliases for online shopping and subscriptions can protect your privacy by preventing companies from linking your activity across websites.

New research shows AI overlap does not equal job replacement, with knowledge-based roles seeing most integration while physical jobs remain least affected.

Scammers target seniors who avoid social media by exploiting public records like obituaries and real estate filings to steal personal information and money

Recovery team in Italy use AI-enabled drones to detect missing hiker's red helmet, leading to successful recovery after months of ground searches

Google Salesforce system breach exposes business data while scammers use incident to target users with fake security calls and phishing attempts.

Google announces Pixel 10 lineup with Tensor G5 chip and Gemini Nano AI, introducing Magic Cue, Pro Res Zoom up to 100x and satellite emergency support features.

C San Diego study reveals 86% of school safety companies monitor students 24/7 on personal devices, raising privacy concerns.

Users can now add their favorite outlets' coverage to the Top Stories section of Google search results by utilizing the 'preferred sources' feature. With just a few clicks, you can add Fox News.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS shows an unexpected frontal glow that Harvard's Avi Loeb says cannot be explained by sunlight reflection or standard cometary outgassing.

Receiving order confirmations for purchases you never made could mean your email address is being exploited in fraud operations targeting multiple retailers.

First wireless brain implant works with Apple's official protocol, enabling hands-free control of iPhones, iPads and Vision Pro through thought alone.

Data brokers sell personal details that scammers use to target retirement funds through fake financial advisor calls and convincing phishing attempts

Ten innovative tech solutions from gait sensors to smart pill dispensers help adults 65+ track fall risks and prevent injuries before they happen.

Meta AI internal documents revealed chatbots were allowed to flirt with children and engage in romantic conversations until the company was exposed by Reuters.

ChatGPT will avoid giving direct mental health advice under new OpenAI rules following instances where the AI model provided harmful or misleading responses.

Your phone tracks you in more ways than that little GPS icon suggests. Here’s how to find and clear hidden location logs on iPhone and Android.

Authorities in France and the Netherlands have been notified. Meanwhile, impacted customers are being told to stay alert.

Apple just rolled out a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature to specific models, following a recent victory in a legal dispute.

Kidney dialysis provider DaVita experienced a ransomware breach by the Interlock gang affecting 916,000 people in the second-largest U.S. healthcare attack of 2025.

A Chinese-made Unitree R1 robot walked Manhattan streets and shopped for shoes as part of KraneShares' $28 million AI robotics fund promotion campaign.

The ShinyHunters cybercriminal group breached Google's Salesforce system through vishing attacks, stealing business contact details and customer data.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.