It's Not a Race

I was reading a brochure on the ACS website and ran across a few tips that might be helpful to my readers.

1. Start slowly – small steps can add up to big changes
2. Promote healthy changes in your community, worksite or schools
3. Cutting back can be as
simple as watching your portion sizes. Share a restaurant entrée with a friend or just eat half and have the rest the next day
4. Low-fat and fat-free don’t always mean low-calorie. Low-fat foods that are high in calories from sugar and other refined carbohydrates won’t necessarily help control your weight

What I’ve really noticed about embarking on a lifestyle chance is that it has to be gradual and you have to enlist support. You’ve got to have people who can turn to and people who are really willing to help you put forth your best effort. And you also have to realize that you’re human. While you may have all the inspiration and motivation in the world, you’ve got to slowly make the changes in your life or they won’t stick.

In my three years of college, I worked out and watched what I ate the most last semester because my roommates were so health conscious and we leaned on each other. Plus it helped that they were members of the same gym and we always encouraged the other person to hit the gym on a daily basis. At the beginning of the semester we made it our goal to hit the gym three or four times a week. Later on in the semester, it was almost on a daily basis, and we were working out for longer periods of time.

Building up that stamina at the gym allowed us to stick with our workout program, and it kept us motivated to keep going. Going to the gym and walking 5 miles your first day of dieting is great, but are you going to be able to do that tomorrow? What about in four days or in a week? You’ve got to take the right steps to make sure you’re no overdoing it or making it hard for you to stick with lifestyle changes.

Ultimately, it seems like weight loss is being more aware of your life and your body, about finding that balance. It’s about really seeing what you’re about to put into your mouth instead of letting your head tell you how hungry you are and eating the whole plate. It’s about listening to your body and knowing your limitations. You don’t want to starve yourself or gorge yourself, and you don’t want to kill yourself the first day at the gym. It’s about moderation.

Maybe this week your goal is to workout three times a week. Maybe the next week your goal is to not eat after 8 p.m. Maybe during another week you want to limit your pop consumption. Whatever it is, take your time. Make the changes stick and notice how your body feels. Chances are, it will appreciate the effort.

ACS is right. Start slowly. Small steps can add up to big changes.