Many women want to be slim. Maybe you’re one of them.
Perhaps you’re getting married soon and you want to fit into
your wedding gown comfortably. Or perhaps you simply want to
look (and feel) great in a swimsuit or bikini.
Whatever your reason for wanting to be slim, there are some
things you can do to become slim while staying healthy. If
you are reading this article, chances are you want to know
what those things are. Read on then, to find out.
First thing is to assess your current eating habits. This is
important because you need to know what’s not working.
If your current eating habits are keeping you overweight,
and you want to be slim, it figures that you need to change
those eating habits. If something is not working, change it.
Assessing your current eating habits.
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Keep a record of your eating habits for a week.
The record should contain the following information:
.What you are eating
.How much you’re eating
.When you eat (note the times) – you want to know
how far apart your meals and snacks are.
.Why you’re eating at those times – is it because
you’re hungry, or are you ‘comfort eating’?
.How you feel after eating – pleasantly satisfied
or bloated and stuffed.
.How many glasses of water you drink each day
When you find out your current eating habits, you’ll need
to determine which habits are sabotaging your efforts to
lose weight. Those are the ones you want to change.
More on that later.
Goal Setting
============
Determine what your weight goal is. Or you may prefer to
monitor your progress in terms of your waistline or hip
measurements. Whichever one suits you is best.
Form a mental picture of yourself looking the way you want to
look. Goals are more powerful and empowering when we visualize
them. Hold that mental picture in your mind at all times.
NOTE: Eating healthily is not all there is to getting slim.
You must become more physically active (read ‘exercise’) in
addition to eating properly if you’re to lose weight
permanently. This article deals with the healthy eating part
of that equation.
Action Plan
===========
Now that you know what your ideal size is, you have a goal that
you’re working towards. You need to then determine a plan of
action to help you achieve that goal.
To help you decide on the right plan, bear in mind that eating
should be a pleasure. Ask yourself the following questions:
.Which nutritious foods do I enjoy eating ?
.How soon after eating do I get hungry again? Most adults
get hungry about 3 to 4 hours after eating a meal.
.Do I eat only when I’m hungry? Hint: You should.
.How can I stay full? Drink lots of water. Scientists
recommend between 6 and 8 glasses of water daily.
Your body needs it, and it helps you stay full.
With the answers to those questions in mind, form an action plan,
and start a new daily record to help you keep track of your
progress. This new record should contain the same columns as your
initial current habits record. This way you can monitor each
improvement and celebrate accordingly.
When deciding on which actions to take, you need to refer back to
your initial assessment of your current eating habits. Decide
which habits are preventing you from losing weight. Write down
alternative habits that you want to cultivate, which will
help you get slim.
These new habits you want to form are now your ‘targets’ –
milestones on your way to your ideal body shape and size.
Taking Action
=============
To form healthy eating habits, start with small changes.
Don’t make too many changes at once. Set yourself main
targets, such as ‘I will drink 8 glasses of water each day’,
then set smaller targets to help you reach each main target.
Using the example above, a small target could be ‘I will drink
an extra glass of water after each meal’. When you break down
your targets, they don’t seem so daunting. They seem easily
achievable, so you feel encouraged to stick to them.
Decide on the foods you will be eating regularly. Make sure
they’re foods you enjoy.
Eat small portions, about 5 or 6 times each day, instead
of three large meals. This helps keep your metabolic rate
high, and helps you lose weight naturally.
How to stay motivated to continue eating healthily
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1.Believe that you can do it, and accept responsibility
for your health and for the way your body looks.
2.Reward yourself each time you successfully complete a
small target. Celebrate each small success – don’t wait
until you’ve lost tons of weight before you reward
yourself. Make the journey enjoyable by treating yourself
each time you make progress.
3.Keep in mind what you hope to achieve – remind yourself of
how lovely and healthy your body is becoming each day as a
result of your new eating habits. Remember, each small
step in the right direction is bringing you closer to
your main target.
With a clear goal in mind, a feasible action plan and tips to
help you stay motivated, you should find it easy to form habits
that keep you slim and healthy at the same time.
Here’s to your new healthy eating habits!
