Your employer is offering a wellness program with benefits covering a range of wellness services aimed at weight loss. As you look through the list of qualified providers, you wonder who will be the best match. You have tried numerous times to eat better and exercise more, but you have ultimately stopped because you lost interest, motivation or simply didn’t have time. Now however, with your employer helping to foot the bill, you have once again begun to think about trying again. How can you decide which program to choose?
Before choosing a qualified weight loss provider, it is a good idea to look at habits of those who have been successful at losing and keeping weight off. The National Weight Control Registry has data on over 10,000 successful weight loss participants (losing and keeping off a minimum of 30 pounds). In looking at habits of successful weight loss participants, they found that those who continue to keep the weight off do the following: eat breakfast every day, weight themselves at least once per week, watch less than 10 hours of TV per week and exercise about 1 hour per day. While the first 3 behaviors are conceivable, you might gasp at the thought of exercising for an hour per day. If weight loss is an ultimate goal for you, don’t despair.
Before choosing a provider to help with your weight loss goal, here are ….. questions to ask yourself:
- How ready am I to change what I do during the day? Thinking about small but significant choices you make during the day that have an impact on weight loss will play a big part in your overall success.
- Am I willing to tolerate the gradual (and slow!) change that ultimately help me in the long run? Although fast, quick and easy is more fun, it doesn’t work. How patient are you willing to be in order to be successful?
- Why do I really want to lose weight? Thinking about what motivates you helps when all you want to lie on the couch and take a nap.
Focusing on one health behavior like exercise can help in other health behaviors, as well. What I like about focusing on physical activity is that it gets you up and moving. There is something to be said about moving the energy. The other thing about exercise is that it has potential to change how you feel about yourself making other changes (like food choices) more acceptable. When you find activities that work for you in your schedule, exercise really can make you happy. Or happier. Of just plain easier to be around. So remember, the weight loss journey can be a path to self-discovery. One that, at times, is easier some days than others; but don’t despair. It is in the small steps that the magic happens.
Joy Of Active Living is proud to announce we are now a qualified provider for Empowris™. Ask how the cost of our services can be subsidized by your provider.
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