Sunday Seven

7 ways to lose weight again, because we all fall off the wagon at times. 

1. Write down a Plan - it is obvious that whatever I was doing was not working. When I write a plan the chances I will accomplish it increase and I have something physical to hold me accountable to my goal. 

2. Do the Plan - there’s no power in writing alone but in actually accomplishing the plan. Just do it, it’s that simple. Oh and the simple the plan, the better. No one is excited about spending 6 hours per day to do one task. 

3. Journal - every time I keep a food journal I get amazing results. The results stop when I don’t journal what I eat. Journaling is also a great way for me to stay accountable to my plan. I also write down my water intake and exercise there. For more about Food Journaling, go here. 

4. Evaluate - It’s wise to evaluate your plan every so often. Looking back at the plan and the food journal together helps me evaluate my progress. Evaluation helps me make changes and guarantee that my efforts are not in vain. 

5. Reward - all that work requires a reward. It is important that the reward doesn’t hurt your efforts such as rewarding myself with a 3,000 calorie meal and a 5-hour nap. Rewarding myself with non-food, small rewards always encourages me to reach my goal. One time I rewarded myself with $5 to spend in an office store. I bought a bunch of new pens to celebrate reaching my short-term goal. Make a list of small things that matter to you such has a new ebook, one-hour uninterrupted reading, etc. 

6. Measure progress Visually - I once bought a bag of small stones and two small containers. Every time I lost a pound I moved one small to the container that read “pounds lost.” That visual reminder was the cue that I needed to remind me of all the work I put into my health. It was great to move those stones and it was also great to visually see my progress. 

7. Persist - I believe this is the greatest task of all. Do not give up. In my lifetime, I’ve seen my weight go up and down but the key is to be persistent about my health. We all have challenging weeks. We all face setbacks but persistence will guarantee that we don’t turn back but we make steady progress towards better health.