At Scottish Slimmers, we pride ourselves on our decades of experience in weight loss and wellbeing, so we know a thing or two about how to successfully create habits to achieve your goals.
Let's start with a question, can anyone honestly say their New Year’s resolutions have changed their lives forever... this year or any year?
If you're the rare exception, congratulations!
Changing habits takes time, which is often forgotten, so we all need a little patience and a lot of resolve. When the scales don’t move as quickly as we think they should, it can leave us feeling deflated, unmotivated, and unhappy.
We’re here to remind you, first of all, that it’s okay to have down days, the trick is to learn and understand your own body and mind, the triggers and temptations, and to keep coming back to your plan.
We're also here to help keep you motivated but don't take our word for it, there are many reasons to take control of your eating habits, and a few quite specific to weight loss:
- Breathing easy: Losing half a stone can help your breathing, especially at night. You might even find it cures snoring!
- Travel in style: Let's face it, sitting in confined spaces - on the train or the bus - isn't something to relish so look forward to less cramped and more comfy journies.
- Glowing skin: It may be obvious but, if it’s good going in, you’ll look good going out. Once dull, grey skin gets a makeover when you nourish your body.
- Mood boost: Lowering your weight can help reduce anxiety and increase brain activity, giving you sharper focus and clearer thinking.
- After only a month of eating better – you will feel refreshed, revived and healthier!
Scottish Slimmers will help you stick to your plans and habits for longer and the most effective way to reach your goals is having a game plan...
Plan: it is worth investing time in planning. make an appointment with yourself a the same time every week to plan- preferably with no distractions. It should be some 'me time'.Create meal and exercise plans for the coming week. By creating your meal plan before you eat, rather than tracking what you have eaten once you have eaten, you will have more chance of eating only what's on the plan.
Set realistic targets: The when is as important as the what - if it's unlikely you'll make it to the gym before work, schedule a time you can commit to. Similarly, if you're new to swimming, starting with 10 lengths is more achievable than 50! Don't set yourself up for a fail.
Set specific targets: Are you a late eater or a night time snacker? There's little point saying you'll give up all food after 7pm. It's far more useful to say you'll swap the crisps you usually eat for plain popcorn.
Create a shopping list: With a list, not only will you find it easier to stick to your planned meals, but you'll also save money as you won't be buying anything you don't need.
Batch cook: Scheduling time to batch cook is a habit worth building, you'll have healthy meals for several days, or weeks if you freeze. Meal planning the best use of time, reduces waste and saves on the food budget, especially if it cuts out lunchtime meal-deals.
Unconvinced? Think about your summer wardrobe and your holiday photos.
Think about your long-term health and wellbeing, all of which will be
improved losing just a few pounds. If you haven't started, start now, is there a good reason not to?