Life is not always a walk in the park. Losing weight is one of its less pleasant experiences, but it doesn’t have to be! Half the weight loss battle is mental, and your own struggles and complaints may be preventing you from achieving your health goals. To help you conquer your thoughts, here are four common complaints people have about having to drop pounds and four solutions to make it easier.
1. “I can’t eat my favorite foods.” We all have our vices when it comes to food, but thinking these foods are completely off limits is mentally devastating. Instead of cutting them out completely, know that YOU CAN have your favorite foods and still lose weight! You just have to be smart about it. Plan when you’ll be having these foods and adjust your meals the rest of the day to allow for your higher calorie indulgence. For example, a nutritious smoothie for breakfast and large salad for lunch can keep you satiated, fulfill your fruit and veggie servings for the day, and leave you with room to spare. Another strategy: Tweak your recipes to healthify your vice foods. A few simple swaps can go a long way.
Also, these vice foods are high in the making-you-happy category, and that is a huge success factor on your quest to lose weight. Because if you’re not happy, you’re not gonna stick with it.
2. “I can’t just let loose and eat whatever I want.” When you’re watching your weight, it feels like you’re watching it all the time. However, you’re more likely to give up if you don’t ever give yourself a break to simply enjoy food. So make time to let go by scheduling a “cheat meal” once a week. It’ll not only taste more amazing than you imagined, but emotionally, you’ll also feel so relieved to not have to count calories and restrict yourself. After thoroughly enjoying yourself, it’ll make going back to your healthy ways much easier because you will have satisfied all those cravings.
3. “I’m always hungry.” NEWSFLASH!!! Watching your calories doesn’t have to mean starving yourself — and it shouldn’t! Fiber, protein and healthy fats should be your go to nutrients. Filling up on these keep you feeling full longer. Eat tons of veggies, as well as fresh fruits, whole grains, lean protein, beans, avocados, and nuts.
4. “I can’t go out to eat.” You’ll be surprised at the amount of restaurants that now offer menu items perfectly suited for you health goals. So while you might have to forgo your local Italian restaurant for a while, you do not have to give up eating out entirely! When in doubt, order a huge salad or a veggie-heavy meal. And if you really want to indulge, split your meal with a friend or wrap up half for tomorrow.