Weight loss may seem like an insurmountable feat, but it is possible for almost everyone to shed the extra pounds. If you are obese or overweight, weight loss or weight management may require that you take on a healthy lifestyle. This may involve learning about nutrition and exercise, adopting a positive attitude, setting attainable goals, and having the kind of motivation that will get you to enjoy long-term success. Your beliefs, drive, enthusiasm, perseverance, and focus will assist you in meeting your weight loss goals. As such, behavior change for weight loss is a must if you want to succeed.
The real challenge to weight management is changing some habits for good. These are habits you have developed around the things you eat, how you eat, how you cook, and the activities you participate in for relaxation. The habits that you have cultivated can impact your weight, either negatively or positively. When you are aware of how your habits impact your weight, you can begin to work to change them. Still, according to one study, behavioral changes can be difficult to maintain beyond 3 to 6 months.
However, weight loss is not impossible, and it has many health advantages. It can help to keep health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes at bay.
Research suggests that certain universal behavior changes for weightloss can help people who are attempting to shed pounds. These behaviors are some of the most helpful:
A food diary is a great way to document your meals, but it can also cover much more. You could add food cravings and go-to snacks, the times you eat, where you eat, what you are doing while you eat, why you eat a particular food, and who you eat with. Maybe you eat ice cream when you feel stressed. The diary will assist you in identifying the bad habits that compromise your weight management efforts. Once you are aware of the things that you are doing wrong, you can make the necessary changes.
Establish your weight management goal. Maybe you want to lose weight or maintain it. It may be that you want to improve your overall health or look better in your clothes. Create specific goals and lay out how you plan on achieving them. Will you do more home cooking? Will you opt for healthy snacks? Also, identify any barriers that could get in the way of achieving your goals and plan for them. May your busy schedule doesn't allow you much gym time. If so, you could use a part of your lunch break to get a 10-minute workout in. Still, it’s best to start with small goals and work your way towards the more challenging ones.
Sometimes, to lose weight you need to change your mindset. It may help to emphasize and focus on changes that are positive. Behavior change for weight loss takes time, be it 3 months or 12 months. You want to think positively, visualize your goals, accept your reality, get positive social support, and commit to improving your weight. Additionally, set negative thoughts to the side, and get back up when you slip. Keep returning to your weight loss program, even if you miss a few days of working out or eat the wrong foods.
What is getting in the way of your weight loss? Identifying these is key to making behavior changes for weight loss. Do you lay the syrup heavy on your protein waffles? Maybe you constantly snack in front of the TV. It could be that you skip lunch and overeat during the next meal. Perhaps you could do with increased physical activities based on your current sedentary lifestyle. Identify your unhealthy habits and make a plan to fix them.
Behavior change is a structured method for improving lifestyle habits such as exercise, diet, and other practices that might influence behavior. Behavior modification for weight loss can make you more in tune with your eating habits. As such, they help you make the necessary lifestyle changes to achieve a healthy weight and maintain it.
Some specific weight loss behavior changes that you can make include:
Where you eat and what you participate in while you eat are things that you can control in your home. For instance, you can make eating only at the kitchen or dining room table a priority. You can avoid eating while watching TV, reading, having phone conversations, cooking, or working on your PC. Doing so will minimize your chance of overeating. Other things that you can control are not buying the tempting food that you often crave, stacking your cabinets with low-calorie foods, and keeping healthy snacks around.
Much like in your home, you can decide what foods you will and will not have in the office. For instance, you can avoid keeping snacks in your desk drawer and avoid eating at your desk. Also, take healthy snacks with you to work if you need to much on something between meals. Make use of your breaks by going for short walks and opting not to eat. Furthermore, avoid working through mealtime since this could slow down your body’s metabolism. Consequently, you could end up overeating the next time you eat. When special meals are served at work, pick the healthiest food options or eat nothing offered.
If you have a tendency to go back for seconds, make your plate of food at the kitchen counter and keep the serving dishes off the dining table. Also, to be sure to balance your plate by filling it half with vegetables, a quarter with lean protein, and the other quarter with your choice of starch. Furthermore, another behavior change for weight loss is to opt for smaller portions by using smaller bowls, glasses, and plates. You’ll consume less.
For starters, to manage food intake before your meals, drink a large glass of water to help you feel full. This will help you to eat less food. Rather than give in to your cravings, wait 20 minutes before eating the desired food. Your craving might just go away. Carry a bottle of water with you to sip on throughout the day, whether you are at home or work. Keep your meals balanced and avoid high-calorie condiments, like mayonnaise or sour cream. Practice eating slowly, take breaks, and engage in conversation, if possible. This will help you to eat less.
If you feel like visiting a restaurant, avoid buffet style. When ordering an appetizer, skip the chips and dip and get a salad or chicken soup. When ordering a high-calorie dish or dessert option, share it with others. Also, get a doggie bag to take your leftovers home and plan to eat only half to avoid overeating. You’ll avoid wasting food as well. Another thing that you can do is ask the server to put high-fat sauces and salad dressings on the side, so you can add as little as you want to the food.
One common problem that can cause weight gain and make it difficult to lose weight is stress. While your body is designed to cope with short-term stress, chronic stress can lead to a cascade of problems that affect your metabolism and make your body believe it is starving and needs to hold on to all those extra pounds. This can make it even harder to lose weight.
Chronic stress can cause Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS). This is the non-Addison's form of adrenal dysfunction, where the body's stress response cannot keep up with life's chronic stressors. The NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response is a system of related organs that work together to manage stress. However, long-term stress can cause the adrenal glands to become fatigued as they try to keep up with the demand for the stress hormone cortisol over a long period.
Consequently, this can lead to malfunctions throughout the body. Symptoms often seem unrelated and puzzling because the different circuits in the body are thrown off balance. This includes the Bioenergetics Circuit (made up of the thyroid, pancreas, and liver), which impacts how your body produces and uses energy.
When this circuit becomes unbalanced due to stress, initially your metabolism is increased to help the body get ready to fight or flee. However, in the long-term it can cause the metabolism to slow, causing issues like obesity, thyroid problems, and blood sugar problems. Patients tend to gain weight with AFS, and it’s difficult to lose it. Behavior change for weight loss might be necessary. However, if you have AFS, it’s best to work with your doctor to make the right changes for your body, which can be more sensitive due to AFS.
According to an article in the journal Biopsychosocial Medicine, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for weight loss targets in particular the behaviors and thoughts linked to eating and exercise habits. Lifestyle changes are usually required to achieve weight loss success. Establishing and sticking with your goals can assist you in changing your behavior gradually. Furthermore, decreasing feelings of negative emotions can allow you to behave in a way that supports your weight management goals. This means it's best to set small, achievable goals and avoid beating yourself up over the occasional slip-up.
Weight loss is generally linked with improved well-being and improved cardio-metabolic health. There is often an improvement in self-esteem, confidence, happiness, and body image. However, significant weight loss can also be a roller coaster for some people. Some persons may not be mentally prepared to handle dramatic weight loss because they might no longer recognize themselves. This could cause unhappiness.
Also, for others, weight loss could make them feel vulnerable. Losing weight removes the “fleshy protective barrier” that they were using to hide their true selves. As such, they now feel exposed. Furthermore, fear and anxiety could also set in, and rather than feel accomplished, some might feel pressure to prevent the weight from returning. As such, it may help to see a therapist or health coach to help manage some of these feelings.
Adopting behavior change for weight loss requires a particular mindset that's dedicated and positive. You have to be committed to sticking to your goals in order to have weight management success. Many people need to modify their behavior in their daily lives to see changes in their body weight. Things like changing when you eat, what you eat, how you eat, and how you relax can help to provide healthful benefits.
If your weight is affecting your health, or you think stress might be playing a role in your weight-loss struggles, the team at Dr. Lam Coaching can assist you. We provide a thorough assessment and free initial consultation on how you can improve your weight and overall well-being. We offer a free, no-obligation phone consultation at +1 (626) 571-1234.
Annesi, James J. "Behavioral Weight Loss and Maintenance: A 25-Year Research Program Informing Innovative Programming." The Permanente Journal, vol. 26, no. 2, 2022, pp. 98-117, https://doi.org/10.7812/TPP/21.212. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9662257/
Grave, Riccardo D., et al. "Personalized Cognitive-behavioural Therapy for Obesity (CBT-OB): Theory, Strategies and Procedures." Biopsychosocial Medicine, vol. 14, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13030-020-00177-9.
Olateju, Iyanu V., et al. "Role of Behavioral Interventions in the Management of Obesity." Cereus, 13(9), 2021, https://doi: 10.7759/cureus.18080. https://www.cureus.com/articles/70862-role-of-behavioral-interventions-in-the-management-of-obesity#!/
Behavior change for weight loss involves taking on a new mindset of positive thinking, setting attainable weight loss goals, and making specific lifestyle or behavior changes that will help you to lose weight. You may have to increase your physical activity, avoid takeout, eat more balanced meals, or only eat at the table.
