How to NOT Maintain

by Linda Spangle, RN, MA

Dieters have a lot of common themes. Here’s one you’ve probably said at least once. “I do great when I’m dieting, but I always gain the weight back.” Your excuse? You’ve never learned how to eat right or how to maintain.

It’s easy to blame a lack of knowledge for your struggles. And you may be right. Maybe you haven’t learned enough about good nutrition, meal planning and consistent exercise.

The truth about maintenance

Here’s another possibility. Instead of saying you haven’t learned how to maintain, look at the opposite side of this statement. I’ll bet you know exactly how to NOT maintain or how to NOT eat right. You also know which of your activities or behaviors DON’T keep the weight off. So here’s the solution:

Think about all the things that contribute to you NOT maintaining your weight or staying on your diet plan. Here’s a list from one of my clients:

• Let my exercise program go. Stop taking walks
• Watch a lot of TV, especially in the evenings
• Drink more alcohol, use it to relax
• Spend time with my eating and drinking friends
• Skip all my self-care or nurturing activities
• Never say NO to a party or a fun gathering
• Convince myself I don’t care about my weight
• Stop reading weight loss or personal growth books
• Talk to my mother every day (she always makes me want to eat)

Now take this knowledge about what gets you in trouble and flip it the other way. In other words, do the exact opposite of everything that doesn’t work. You’ll immediately have a great maintenance plan.

How you WILL maintain

Make your own list of ten things that cause you to NOT maintain or stay on your diet plan. Then flip the list by stating each item in a positive way. For example, instead of giving up on your exercise plan, you might say that you always exercise three days a week.

Read your new list every day, and remind yourself that you absolutely DO know how to maintain your weight.

For more ideas on how to protect your diet or maintenance program, see Day 6 in 100 Days of Weight Loss.

©2007 Weight Loss for Life, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Reprinted with permission from Linda Spangle, RN, MA, Weight Loss for Life.
http://www.WeightLossJoy.com/
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