To help you in mentally preparing for weight loss on the HCG Program, we offer our 5 most useful tips.
So often on a weight loss journey people give up because it is just too hard. The physical aspect of weight loss can be difficult but add in the psychological aspect and things get even more challenging. We understand how tough it is to remain strong while dieting and here we offer some of our top tips on getting mentally prepared to lose weight. Implementing these tips can help to increase your ability to finish your program and continue on a path of healthy eating for life.
To mentally prepare yourself for weight loss, especially on a program like HCG, you need to really drill into your mind that it is time to break old habits and embrace a new way of life. Without this, you will not see the transformation you so longingly desire.
You are going to need a consistent focus. This leads me to step 1.
1. Goals. Why do you want to lose weight?
Sit down with a pen and paper and brainstorm all the reasons why you want to lose weight. Be it:
to improve overall health / reduce blood pressure / reverse disease
to feel more confident
to be more attractive
to fit into your clothes better
to be in control of your eating habits
to have a feeling of wellness and vitality
to have more energy for your children
We write goals down for a few reasons. For a start, writing goals means you are on your way to holding yourself accountable. You can keep your goals in front of you whether you write a list for the fridge, put post-it notes around your house or create a vision board of how you want your life to look and how you want to feel. This daily reminder means your goals are ‘front of mind’ and should direct you to make good decisions. Now, how are you going to achieve your goals?
2. Action Plan. Write down all the steps needed to implement your goals
Some of the steps I recommend are:
– Throw away the junk food, or if you can’t handle throwing it away give it to someone you know who eats like that
– Create meal plans to help you when hunger strikes or when you get home from work you know what you are cooking
– Create shopping lists each week and stick to them
– Prepare for plenty of options and ensure variety
– Have a healthy ‘cheat’ item on hand for a moment of weakness. My go-to cheat item is a few strawberries with zylitol
– Prepare for outings, check menus beforehand to choose the best hcg option
– Have some ‘grab on the go’ foods ready for when you are starving and have to run out the door. An apple, some fruit cut up in a container, a few crackers, some boiled egg whites for example.
– Avoid food-centered social situations that encourage you to eat junk. Think of these situations that are going to come up in your life and include in your plan how to deal with them
– How you will reward yourself for reaching milestones towards your goal
– Any other personal steps for you that will help you achieve your goals.
You’ve written your action plan, now what?
3. Believe in Yourself
There will be days when you feel like you want to go off track. And days when you do go off track. This is natural. The key is to return to your plan after any diversions and not let it be an excuse to go completely off course. This is where weight loss efforts fail, because people think once they’ve eaten one calorie-laden treat they may as well just eat junk all the time. It is not the case.
You’re unlikely to see consistent weight loss each week but keep at it as what you can’t see are the improvements happening inside your body. There could be centimetres lost from target areas, improvements in general health, blood pressure, blood counts, liver function etc. Weight loss plans can be frustrating and at times an emotional rollercoaster. But trust that you can get through it, and plan for the difficult moments. So, how do you keep the momentum going?
4. Reward Yourself
I strongly suggest giving yourself a small reward at the end of each week to celebrate your milestones. Obviously food rewards are out – you don’t want to fall back into old habits.
Some great suggestions:
– massage
– pedicure or manicure
– new piece of clothing
– a new accessory – earrings, bracelet,
– nice perfume
– an afternoon sitting at the beach or in the park reading a good book
Remember to make rewards part of your plan. And finally;
5. Choose the right time to start your weight loss journey
You want to choose a time with minimal distractions. Avoid times of significant life changes. Some life situations make healthy eating alot more difficult so be mindful of what’s going on in your household and use this to direct you as to when to embark on a weight loss journey. In saying this, don’t look for excuses not to get started.
I hope this information has given you some useful tips to help give you the mental strength to lose weight. Remember that our program includes naturopathic support so please do contact us if you need assistance. We are here to help.
