Overcoming Obstacles To Weight Loss
(I presented this topic to my latest weight loss class. The group came up with some really helpful ideas on how to plan for and overcome obstacles to dieting.)
So many of us set goals to lose weight, improve our eating habits, and get lean. What keeps us from achieving those goals? OBSTACLES!
We encounter them everyday – while out with friends, dining with family, when we’re with co-workers – and we allow them to keep us from making healthy choices and losing the unwanted pounds.
What is the best way to tackle those challenges? Identify them and make a plan to overcome them before they derail you.
Here are some ideas from the Slim Down class:
Scenario: It’s Memorial Day weekend, and you are attending a cook-out at a friend’s house. You do not know what the host has planned for a complete menu, but you are asked to bring a dish.
- Bring something you can eat
- Stick to grilled options for protein
- Load up on veggies, fruit & foods w/out sauce or dressing
- Avoid coleslaw in dressing and potato salads
Scenario: At your office, you and your co-workers go out to lunch each day. It’s a social event that you have taken part in for years, but now you’re eating healthy.
- Brown bag it & encourage co-workers to do it also
- Bring your own protein/starch & order a veggie salad at restaurant
- Choose broth soup & veggie salad
- Choose grilled foods and vegetables
- Eat something on the way to restaurant so you’re not hungry but can still be social
Scenario: You and your family are going on a 1-week vacation. You are attending theme parks and museums on your trip, and you are staying in a hotel without a refrigerator or kitchenette.
- Stop at grocery store for non-perishable foods items & produce
- Bring snacks from home
- Check to see if you can bring your own food into parks or keep cooler with your own food selections in car
- Research restaurant options where you’re going for healthiest options
Scenario: You are eating at a new restaurant in town. The restaurant does not publish its menu online, and this is your first time dining there.
- Check on the cuisine and look at calorie counts for similar restaurants
- Ask for a to go box right away and put ½ of your food in it
- Snack before you go
- Drink lots of water before you eat
- Choose high nutrient/low calorie/simple whole food meals (grilled chicken, steamed broccoli, plain baked potato with salsa)
You are a busy parent. Nearly every weeknight, you are running your kids to sports games or practices, music lessons, and other involvements. You spend your dinner times either in the car or watching/waiting on your kids.
- During the weekend, make extra meals/portions that can be reheated for weeknights
- Don’t eat in the car
- Plan healthy options and take a cooler/lunch box full of foods for you and the kids (i.e. Peanut Butter & Jelly – whole wheat bread, whole fruit jam, natural peanut butter — , carrots & apple)
Define your possible roadblocks and pre-plan how you’ll tackle them. It CAN be done, and you CAN be successful at achieving your weight loss and healthy eating goals!
~ Kara Paris, Personal Trainer and Slim Down Instructor
Tags: diet, nutrition, weightloss
