How many of you have been told by a healthcare professional that you “really should lose weight and exercise more”? This question typically gets a resounding show of hands in every weight loss group I lead, and it may sound familiar to you too. But let’s examine that statement. How useful is it? It doesn’t describe how much weight loss would improve your health or even how to go about losing the weight. Advice about nutrition and exercise is also missing. It tells you nothing about how often and how long to exercise or what type of exercise is safe for you.
As a psychologist at Joslin Diabetes Center, I work with patients who have medical conditions connected to weight. Many are told by their doctors or other healthcare providers that they need to lose the weight. But they are not given specific guidance about how to go about doing it. Here are some basic ideas that I discuss with my patients. Whether you have diabetes or not, these tips will help get you started on the road to weight loss and wellness.
Define the details
Of course, some people will get motivated by their doctor’s advice and make meaningful health changes without more specifics. But most people will not know where to start and might even feel discouraged or criticized by the discussion. A more effective approach defines the details. For example, how much weight loss, in what time frame, with what sort of safe and tailored exercises, how frequently and for what amount of time? What sort of approach to healthy eating best suits your health needs, cultural traditions, and taste? Once you define those things, you have created a clear and specific plan to move you forward toward weight loss and wellness.
Give yourself a tight timeframe
When you give yourself a tight timeframe, it helps you stick to your plans. I recommend giving each goal one month and moving on from there. For example, the first goal might be to walk 20 minutes three times a week. If you achieve this goal, then you can move on to the next. A follow-up goal could increase amount of time you exercise, how often you exercise, or even add a different kind of exercise to your routine.
Know your unique pitfalls
It is most important to identify and learn from challenges that may interfere with your progress along the way. We all have unique pitfalls, but if you know yours well, you can try to start creatively problem-solving them ahead of time. Evaluating and re-evaluating these strategies and your weight loss plan is also important in helping you reach your longer term health goals. The key is to maintain and sustain your progress.
Make realistic mini-goals
Your goals need to be realistic or they are a recipe for feeling like a failure and giving up. For example, you may wish to reach your “ideal body weight,” but that may feel overwhelming if you have a lot of weight to lose. I recommend cutting your larger goal into mini-goals that you add together along the way. Research teaches us that a 7-10 percent weight loss maintained over time results in health improvements you can actually feel. Chances are that if you’ve battled with weight before, 7-10 percent is not your goal. You could be thinking, “That’s only 30lbs, and I weigh 300. Who cares? I still won’t be thin.” That may be true, but if this amount of weight loss helps you feel better—and it will—it is worth fighting to achieve.
Consider each mini-goal achieved a big success
Studies show that this relatively small amount of weight loss results in improved blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, joint pain, stamina, self-esteem, and overall quality of life. If you make 10 percent your first goal, you can move forward from there. If you are someone who has lost and regained the same 30 pounds, I encourage you to think of each mini-goal you reach as your new highest weight and to fight to maintain it. Keeping that weight off is a major achievement.