A large number of us are conscious about losing those extra pounds from our body. Most of us do start taking steps to lose weight but even with the ones who succeed in losing weight, many face another challenge – maintaining long term weight loss. Permanent weight loss is a even greater challenge than the process of losing weight itself, since going back into old dietary and exercise habits after the initial weight loss is a reality for most people. This article concentrates on the four steps / levels to achieve permanent weight loss.
1st step / level
The 1st step / level concentrates on four factors which are Diet, Exercise, Stress and Sleep. Let’s go over each of these issues one by one
Diet
- Having a nutritious and balanced diet is very important for the body
- Going on a crash diet to lose weight is extremely harmful as the body repels and stores even more fat
- Eat food that makes you feel energetic
- Include more fruits and vegetables in your diet
- Try and include all food groups in your diet
- Control your portion size. Do not over eat
- Avoid eating processed food
- Include more regional and seasonal food in your diet
Activity / Exercise
- Make sure you work out for at least 30 minutes for starters. Gradually increase the time to up to an hour
- Set a goal for 10,000 steps everyday
- Keep moving. Don’t be stagnant at one place for too long
- Indulge in activities which interest you
Stress
- Can be mental, emotional, physical or environmental
- Surround yourself with positive people
- Don’t let your work affect your personal life. Professional goals are important but not more than your health
- Cortisol or the stress hormone is primarily responsible for weight gain
- Be mentally free. Concentrate on work while in office and finish your work in time. Don’t spend those extra hours in office
- Engage yourself in alternate activities to de stress
- Maintaining a journal helps
- Meditate, take deep breaths, walk in the open
Sleep
- Make sure you get 7 hours of sound sleep
- Rest your mind
- Sleep without any stress or troubling thoughts in your mind
The 1st stage / level requires maximum hard work. Your body may resist / repel initially to your efforts. You may take anywhere between 3 to 9 months to cross this level
2nd stage / level
- The 2nd stage / level is all about healthy habits in life
- Eating healthy, exercising, stress control and sound sleep are habits which you inculcate and persevere with
- Out of the 100% that begin with the first stage or level, only about 20% are able to reach the 2nd stage / level
3rd stage / level
- 3rd stage / level is all about routine and lifestyle
- Breaking the subconscious bad habits
- Doing all activities with a conscious mind
- Maintaining a conscious lifestyle
- This is the most powerful stage
- Out of all the people who begin, 5% manage to reach this stage
- Reaching this stage means you become fit and healthy for real
- You start to use your mind, energy, body and emotions in the direction of absolute health
4th stage / level
- This level is about enjoying the state of wellness and way of life you’ve accepted to be this physically and mentally fit
- You start appreciating the well being and healthy lifestyle
- Only 1% of the people who start the journey to weight loss reach this stage
- These people are blessed with high immunity and good metabolism
- These people have attained the mindset to stay fit on a permanent basis
The journey from the 1st to the 4th level isn’t easy. It needs perseverance and dedication. Hard work along with smart work, planning, staying committed your goals are the key to permanent fitness and good health. You need to be disciplined over a long period of time and sacrifice in order to enjoy this lifestyle. The changes you make to lose weight or reach a certain goal of physical fitness need to be inculcated in totality to be physically and mentally fit.