Obesity can be a touchy subject to talk about, let alone deal with. Looking for support and guidance can be challenging, but a plan is essential when trying to overcome obesity. The saying goes: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
Making a 180-degree change is never practical. It can come like a shock or “cold turkey,” as some may call it. You can keep up the strain of a quick change for a while, but as soon as your environment or emotional state can’t support the weight, you may crash and fall back into your old way of life. Some refer to this as the Jojo effect.
5-step plan to help you gradually get over obesity
1. Know the truth
The hard part about planning is knowing the truth about your weight. This involves being very honest to yourself and looking inward. Then, contemplate what your goal should be. Knowing the specifics can be hard at times, but if you aren’t aware of your actual situation, it will be harder for you to construct a solid plan.
Here are a few things you need to know in this step.
- How much do I weigh?
- What are my absolute minimum dietary requirements?
- How much do I have to eat?
- What is my weight target?
- What foods should I and shouldn’t I eat?
This part can be extensive as you’ll have to make a detailed account of your goals, where you are, and what needs to be done to achieve them.
If you can spare the budget, it’s recommended to consult a nutritionist to help you at least figure out what your ideal nutrition plan should look like to reach your goal healthily and sustainably. Remember, this is not a short-term diet. This is transitioning into a new lifestyle.
2. Start small
Before committing 100 percent, it helps to start making small changes here and there. For example, it could be substituting your snacks with healthier versions or laying off excess sodium.
Reducing the amount of food you take can also be an excellent way to prepare your body for more significant changes later. However, since losing weight and getting over obesity is a journey, you’ll have to pace yourself and practice even before getting started.
3. Don’t stop, substitute
When trying to get over obesity, it can be hard to stop everything you’re doing and ultimately make a shift that could be impossible to sustain.
Instead, start adding healthy alternatives before reducing the amount of food you intake. One way to do this is by switching your liquids. If you’re having problems changing your eating, start with what you drink and work your way up.
4. Create a strong support
Having family, friends, professionals, or even strangers support you can help you go a long way to overcoming obesity. When making changes, it’s essential to receive affirmation that what you’re doing is good and that you are making progress.
When looking for that support, make sure you are clear with what works for you, and specify what you want to hear. It also helps to have an accountability partner to talk to along the way.
5. Identify as not obese
The problem with identifying as obese is that it makes unhealthy habits much easier to accept. Obesity becomes an excuse. On the other hand, if you identify as not obese and don’t have an eating problem, you can switch the narrative and pretend that unhealthy foods, habits, and obesity are unnatural for you.
Although this takes up a lot of willpower, and there are times that you’ll feel defeated, think of defeat as a short-term setback with the potential of making you even stronger and more successful in the future. Reflect on your mistakes as if they were teachers telling you what to improve and then act accordingly.
Long term, you turn into what you believe to be. Your mind doesn’t distinguish between real or positive affirmations. It will make real whatever seed of imagination you feed it.
