Losing weight is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions every year. However, only a fraction of those who said they will do it make it happen.
At Foothills Weight Loss Surgeons in Knoxville, we want to see you succeed and achieve your weight loss goals. Here are some things you can do to make sure this New Year’s resolution sticks and not just become another resolution you do each year:
Break a big goal into smaller steps
One of the most common mistakes people make when making weight loss goals is that they either make it too vague or too unattainable. So, when they start jumping into it and not seeing immediate results, they quit.
There’s a better way of doing it – making small, achievable goals.
You can be more specific by setting smaller goals like:
- Having at least one serving of vegetables per meal
- Exercising for at least 15 minutes each day
- Quitting one bad eating habit or gradually cutting back on it (e.g. drinking soda, eating fried food, etc.)
Create a plan
As they say, failing to plan is planning to fail. This holds true for goals like losing weight.
After you break your goal into smaller, achievable goals, it’s time to make a plan on how to get there.
One thing that can help is creating a sustainable routine you can follow each day. This may include prepping your meals ahead of time or setting your alarm clock at a specific time each day to do your workout.
Aim to cook your meals at home
There are so many benefits of home-cooked meals. You can save money and you know exactly what’s in there.
If you’re completely new to cooking, you can start with simple recipes that require few ingredients. Once you start getting the hang of it, you can expand and experiment with more recipes.
Write down your goal and your biggest why
Sometimes when we don’t see immediate results, we could easily get discouraged. You can prevent this from happening by writing down your ‘biggest why’ and posting it anywhere you can easily see it – bathroom mirrors, kitchen, work station, etc.
Your ‘biggest why’ will help you stay motivated on days when things get tough and when there’s that tiny voice that tells you to quit.
Find an accountability buddy
Whether it’s a friend or family, an accountability buddy can help you stay accountable with your goals. He/she will check in on you from time to time to make sure you’re doing things that are aligned with your goals.
Depending on what your agreements are, you can also serve as an accountability buddy for this person if he/she is also on a weight loss goal.
If you’ve tried almost anything, even medically-facilitated weight-loss strategies, and still struggle losing weight, you may benefit from a weight loss surgery (check the general qualifications here).
Foothills Weight Loss Surgeons has an experienced bariatric staff who will guide you all throughout the process – from getting informed about it to follow-ups after surgery.
Our very first step is viewing our FREE info series. This will help you understand what bariatric surgery is all about. You can register to take the online seminar HERE.
Achieving a goal such as losing weight is tough but with the right preparation, mindset, and tools, you can make it happen.
Foothills Weight Loss Surgeons is part of Premier Surgical Bariatrics in Knoxville, Tennessee. Foothills is affiliated with the Fort Sanders Center for Bariatric Surgery, a MBSAQIP accredited center.