Are You Ready to Lose Weight?

Knowing that you need to lose weight and actually making lifestyle changes in order to lose the weight are two very different things. Your readiness to take on the challenge of weight loss has a significant impact on your chances of success. Making the decision to start a medically supervised weight loss program is a great approach to weight loss, however this decision should not be taken lightly. If you jump into a weight loss program before you are ready, your commitment may disappear at the first challenge. Here are some things you should consider prior to embarking on this rewarding journey.

Motivation

One of the first questions you should ask yourself to help assess your weight loss readiness is if you are truly motivated to make a long-term lifestyle change. Weight loss depends on long-term lifestyle changes which means you will likely need to make significant changes to your current habits/behaviors. Making healthy lifestyle changes can have an impact on your personal life and your work life and you need to be prepared for these changes. The best way to keep focused on your weight loss goals is to remind yourself why you have decided to make these positive changes.

Life Stressors

It is wise to address any big distractions in your life prior to making significant changes to your eating and exercise habits. If you are already dealing with stressful major life events such as marital problems, illness, financial strain, etc. you may not want to add the challenge of starting a weight loss program. The extra potential stress of trying to lose weight may be too much so it is important to consider addressing the stressors in your life prior to starting your weight loss journey.

Be Realistic

It is important to have a realistic expectation of how much weight you want to lose and how quickly this will occur. The professionals here at Keep It Off can help you determine an appropriate goal weight and also give you clear expectations of how quickly the weight will come off. It is imperative to know that achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is a lifelong process .

Emotional Issues

Many people are emotional eaters and this can be triggered by anger, stress, grief, and boredom. The first step in resolving your issues with emotional eating is to identify your triggers and then figure out healthier coping mechanisms. Having ongoing professional support as well as the comradery from other weight loss patients at Keep It Off can really be helpful in resolving your emotional eating issues. Seeking outside support from a mental health professional can also be beneficial for some people.

Support and Accountability

Having support and accountability can be incredibly helpful during weight loss, especially in moments of temptation and feeling disheartened. A weight loss program that has both medical supervision as well as behavioral support/education can have a positive long term impact on your weight loss. Losing weight can be extremely difficult and even more so when you do not have the support from loved ones and friends. Even with the support of loved ones it can still be very helpful to have additional support from weight loss professionals. Support can also come in the form of comradery from others who are also trying to lose weight.

Embracing the Challenge

If you don’t have a positive attitude about losing weight, you might not be ready. If you dread what lies ahead, you might be more likely to find excuses to go off plan. Try to embrace the vision of your new lifestyle and remain positive. It is important to celebrate all your successes, big or small and even non scale related such as enjoying a new healthy food or completing an exercise challenge.

These are just a few factors to consider prior to embarking on your weight loss journey. If you strongly feel that you are not ready to take on the challenge, give yourself some grace and focus on what is holding you back and how you can overcome those obstacles. Seek help from healthcare and behavioral specialists then reevaluate your readiness for weight loss so that you can get started on the path to a healthier weight. You might never have definitive answers in life so do not let that rob you of a chance to achieve your weight-loss goals.