Have you experienced success in losing weight, only to succumb to old patterns and reversing all of your hard work?

Like you, I set out with great intentions, reducing my carbs, drinking only water, eliminating sugar, exercising regularly, quickly losing five pounds.

Then I have a family conflict, and I find myself eating sweet and salty Kettle Corn (the giant bag) on my way home from Costco. I’m derailed and lose motivation, landing back where I started.  Sound familiar?

Yet, there is a key to weight loss that resides in many success stories.

My best friend from college, a nurse practitioner, mom of four, and breast cancer survivor struggled to keep her weight down.  Having a strong value for health and fitness, she was in a cycle of starting a diet and exercise only to get derailed and felt defeated.   She took another approach eight months ago and is now fit, down twenty pounds, and feeling great. Her secret; she hired a coach.

There are five truths I believe are key for losing and maintain a healthy weight.

Truth #1:  Weight loss is a means to an end.  The bigger picture for losing weight is knowing why it is important to you.  Knowing your “why” is the motivational fire to keep you going.

Why is losing weight important to you?  What will being at your ideal weight give you?

These types of questions mine out core values.  My values are health, nature, and connecting with others.   For example, I want to stay healthy and fit so I can do things I love now and one day with my grandkids, like hiking, biking, and camping.

Truth One-Key Action Step:

• Understand that weight loss is a means to an end. Connecting your goal to your inner values is a key to sustainable motivation needed to be successful!

Truth #2:  Know what you are eating.  Losing weight and keeping it off requires us to change what we are eating.

Remember, fad diets, supplements, and weight loss pills don’t work.   Tracking everything you eat is a good place to begin.  Creating this awareness allows for small changes in your diet that can make a big difference in your weight over time.

I realized I was eating too many carbohydrates with refined sugar resulting a my weight creeping up and my waist expanding.

Over the last two years I quit eating foods with refined sugar and bread.  My weight drifted back down and has stabilized at my target weight.

Truth #2 Action Step:

• Achieving sustainable change starts with awareness and is best accomplished by taking small steps. Break large goals into small steps and focus on one step at a time

Margaret Johnson, Life-Coach

PS. Margaret is a talented professional who can help you in achieving your goals. Request a consultation with her today and get on the path to success!