People who have been on a diet will know how much willpower it takes to follow the regiments. The real challenge with a diet is how hard it is to keep up for the rest of your life, so sooner or later people drop the diet and go back to eating as they used to, often putting on more weight than they lost. I finally decided I did not want to do that any more.
Jackie Keller, a health coach in LA showed me a different way. Her program was not based on willpower but willingness to do what it takes to change my lifestyle. I took small steps that I could be successful at over a period of time. Step by step I began to change my lifestyle. Each step built on the previous success and soon the weight began to come off. Patience was a huge key in this process.
Jackie helped me set up a program where I was not depending on willpower.
The Five Steps to Losing Weight Without Willpower
Planning and organizing are key steps. Here are the five steps that I took to lose 125 pounds.
Step 1: Willingness to Set Up My Home Environment for Success
The first thing I did was to give away the food I should not have in the house if I wanted true success. Then I worked hard to not bring into my home things that required willpower not to eat. I know that this is a challenge with a family. Perhaps you can have them keep tempting foods out of sight.
Step 2: Willingness to Shop Once a Week for Nutritious Foods
No picking up an item at the store because it looked good or that I was suddenly in the mood for it, unless it was an item I could fit into my designated meal plan.
Step 3: Willingness to Prep My Food in Advance
Willingness to take time to prep my food so it is organized and ready to go when I am ready to prepare a meal. None of my meals take more than 15 to 20 minutes to prepare.
Step 4: Willingness to Be Active Every Day
- I wear a pedometer and work to get 10,000 to 12,000 steps a day. Be sure to take breaks at work and do a little walking. Walk after your lunch. I look for time to walk when I can enjoy the sunset or sunrise.
- I worked with a trainer to get a routine that would challenge me to get stronger.
- I found an activity (bike riding) that I love. It has become part of my lifestyle.
- I look for opportunities to get functional exercise. I plant a garden, mow my lawn, shovel snow, paint the walls and clean my house.
Step 5: Willingness to Have 3 Meals and 3 Snacks a Day
Willingness to have 3 snacks and 3 meals a day. This keeps my metabolism working all the time.
The Importance of Patience and Consistency
It is small steps that can make a big difference in your health, your weight and your happiness. When you put plenty of “willingness” into developing a program that support weight loss and stay with it you will find the weight will come off and stay off.
