It is said that however good or bad a situation or a season is, it will surely come to an end.
Christmas, you see, is one of those seasons which we all look forward to from the start of every year. It’s a time when people, families, come together, celebrate each other, laugh together and make merry and while at it, feast together like never before. It is a time filled with that kind of a celebratory and cohesive atmosphere.
Like all good seasons, Christmas, too, comes to an end. Along with a few extra accumulated pounds, thanks to the (over) indulged feasting during this season, do we all cross over with to the following year.
To some of us, we harbor an intrinsic worry of what if we’ve outgrown our current wardrobe, what if our physical change is so obvious and people say some mean stuff that may rub us the wrong way, etc…etc.
The beauty of it is that weight gain is not permanent, neither are the inevitable worries that tag along. It is a state that can be easily, but patiently and gradually reversed.
As Jeff Olson, the author of The Slight Edge puts it, “The secret ingredient is to change how you think so you can achieve what you want. It’s the understanding behind the attitudes that are behind the actions. Your philosophy is what you know, how you hold it and how it affects what you do.
Your philosophy is your secret ingredient.”
In other words, positive philosophy>>>positive attitude>>>positive actions>>>positive results>>>positive lifestyle.
In this post, we’re going to discuss a number of ideas that have proven to work (on me, too) time and again. These ideas include:
- Acquire the right mindset.
To begin with, it is important to mention that chances of achieving set goals and objectives largely depend on one’s state of mind. An individual has to decide to be willing and to have the right state of mindset, for when this is done from the on-set will, in many ways, be a catalyst to your goal. - Adjust your diet.
Now that we’ve had a paradigm shift of perspective on matters weight loss and embraced the idea of positive philosophy, it is vital to understand that the goal, which is to lose those accumulated extra pounds, may be almost unachievable if our diet remains the same. For this reason, we must, therefore, prepare to substitute or completely forego some types of food all together.
The following is a summary of some of the foods and drinks that are recommended during this course and those that ought to be completely foregone.
• Wheat products such as (but not limited to) bread, cakes, biscuits and pancakes may be substituted for organic foods like boiled potatoes, arrow roots, yams and the like.
• Avoid processed foods such as sugar and fried stuff like potatoes for they contain high levels of calories. Fast food is never a great idea during this weight-loss journey.
• For their generous levels of vitamins, cereals like beans, peas, oats, black beans and green grams are also highly encouraged during this course.
• Fruits and vegetables are also widely known for their almost non-existent calories levels and their ability to boost the immune system.
• Most importantly, stay hydrated. Ensure that you drink lots of pure and lemon water instead of beverages like soda, coke and beer.
TIP: To make it easier for you to cultivate proper eating habits, get into weight loss-encouraging online or offline groups.
For example: About a month ago, I took up a no-wheat challenge from an online group known as 21-Days Challenge_ Jane Mukami. The main purpose of this challenge was to hold myself accountable as I stayed off all wheat products for the next 21 days. Truthfully, it was quite challenging at the beginning for the body needed some getting used to, (that’s why it’s called a challenge anyway, right?), but the progress soon became bearable. By the time I got to the end of the challenge, my body felt able enough to carry on and on, but it was time to examine the changes. Now here’s the best part. I learnt that I had become a few inches leaner especially around my waist region, and had also shed 4 pounds while at it! You see? It’s very doable.
- Portion control.
Earlier on, we had agreed that some sacrifices, (like fore-going some foods) may come in handy if you want to rock and walk through Spring with your triple H, (i.e. head held high). Now, for that same reason, let’s half the portion on our plate.
TIP: Make it a habit to go grocery-shopping in person and cook from home. It’s easier to stay disciplined while serving consistent, small but enough portions of the food you cooked.
- Skips.
Physical exercise is a celebration of what your body can do, not a punishment of what you ate.
Rope-skipping is one exercise that most people find easy to start and adhere to. Why?
Because it can be done anywhere, any time of the day or night and by people of all ages.
Another advantage is that one can draw up their own rope-skipping schedule that they can comfortably stick to.
For example: I made a fitness decision a few months ago and drew up a one month, beginner-friendly, rope-skipping schedule. Once again, the purpose was to begin and adhere through the challenge and that I managed. My schedule was like this. 800 skips for 5 days a week and 31 days later, I had successfully achieved a total of 16,000 skips and had become 3 kilos lighter! And all I had was a rope and a good pair of shoes.
That’s all you need, too. Very convenient.
The point is that if you shift your focus and implement on your positive philosophy, encouraging results await you in the end.
- Walk, walk and walk some more.
This is another lenient physical exercise that burns calories and brings you closer to your goals.
Amazingly, there happens to be numerous opportunities that we can secure and utilize so as to achieve this. Examples include;
• Taking the stair cases instead of the elevators or escalators.
• Walking through those short distances instead of taking the bus or a ride, even
• Stationary walking works just alright.
Basically, the more you’re in motion, the more the calories you burn, and the closer you get to your weight loss targeted goal.
All these (above ideas and more) seemingly little but positive actions repeated over time result to the compound effect. And the compound effect, like we mentioned above, is the goal towards which you’ve been working hard towards.
In the end, you’ll have attained double success in the following succession.
a) Weight loss target achieved, and
b) Boosted self-esteem.
We’re all some work in progress. With patience and persistence, the results are all worth it.