What is Your Diet Plan and Why
By
Harvard Medical School publishes a series of health information booklets. I am on their list since I bought one. Last week they wanted you to buy their book Weigh Less and Live Longer. The excerpt that came with the buy message gave advice on how to calculate the calories you need to eat each day to avoid gaining and to cause some weight loss.
They know all of us want to look better naked… and that being in the ideal weight range is better for our long term health. We hear all about the obesity epidemic and how is is going to wreak havoc with the generation now in school. I have heard many dire predictions. Many of them may well come to pass.
What is your next action?
There is nothing you can do for others except encourage them and set a good example. There are only two things in your control, your attitude and your actions. What actions are you planning to take for your health? What kind of food (your diet) do you plan to eat?
For me, my next actions have to revolve around getting regular exercise. I have a plan and am implementing it bit by bit each day. Why do I do it? Because as bad as life can be at times, I love it. I love my grandchildren and I love to serve. I write this stuff here for the love of it. I do it even though it makes me zero dollars. I want to do for my body what it needs – good fuel, regular work and excellent rest.
Decide to be healthy
You must decide why you want to be healthy. That may sound dumb but if you don’t know your why you won’t have a when. Decide what’s really in the health game for you. Things like better memory, better performance in your work, more stamina, better sleep, and better tolerance of stress are among the things you will derive along with firmer muscles and smaller sized clothes.
Implement change one step at a time
Once you decide the benefits are greater than the difficulties you must overcome, you can implement some kind of a plan. First would be understanding how many calories are in the portions of food you eat now. Keeping a food diary for two weeks, being honest with yourself and writing down everything that passes your lips is important. Once you know your average caloric consumption, you can calculate the calories you need to eat to maintain your ideal body weight. Then you need to do it.
Weight watchers, the American Diabetic Association, and many other diet plans (I had some results when I stuck with the Abs diet plan from Men’s Health) can help reach your nutritional goals. You have to understand the diet, maybe get some help from a person familiar with what you are trying to implement, and keep some records of your efforts.
Attitude determines your altitude
More important than the diet is your attitude toward personal accomplishment in this area. If you regularly tell yourself that you can’t so it, you will fail. It is your self encouragement that determines your success or failure. Even if someone tells you “you can”, and you believe them, your self talk can turn easy victory into victim. It is helpful to write out your thoughts about your chances of success and then determine if you believe the words you have written. If you are positive about your ability and believe you are capable then when you hit a rough patch you will figure it out and not just quit.
I don’t know you, but my suggestion is you find someone you trust to listen to you and ask them what they think of your attitude. If you truly trust them and you get an answer indicating a negative attitude on your part, ask some specific questions and then make a plan to meet that challenge.
Suggested reading and a request
Books you can read to help you with attitude are The Beck Diet Solution
If you have read any of these books, how about writing an opinion about their usefulness to you in the comments section. Ever used a coach or a friend or relative in that capacity to make an important change like improving your diet. What was your experience?
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