The Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies - Meri Raffetto [43]
With a realistic and safe approach to weight loss, you can expect to see little or no weight loss the first three weeks while you're getting used to adding low-glycemic foods to your diet. After that, you should aim for 1- to 2-pound weight loss per week. This pace indicates you're losing fat, not muscle or mere water weight.
Making your goals practical
Your goals must fit into your lifestyle; otherwise you won't be able to accomplish them. For instance, if your day is scheduled around traveling from place to place, setting a goal of eating lunch at home likely isn't practical. Why not make a goal to bring your lunch or have a low-glycemic deli sandwich and salad instead? If you travel for work, setting a goal to go to the gym may not work regularly, so you may want to plan on walking or finding a workout you can do in your hotel room.
The only way to make changes work long term is to be sure they make sense in your particular lifestyle.
Choosing "want to" rather than "have to" goals
If you choose a goal because you "want to," not because you "have to," you're more likely to be successful. For instance, if you enjoy eating ice cream at night and you decide to eliminate it because you "have to," you probably won't stay on course for long. The "have to's" bring up negative emotions and lead to guilt when you do indulge. They also lead to resistance. People resist what they "have to" do and look forward to what they "want to" do. That's just human nature.
So instead of saying, "I have to give up my nightly dish of ice cream to lose weight," think of a way to convert that statement into a "want to" statement, such as, "I want to decrease my ice cream intake to half of what I typically eat as one way to reduce my glycemic load for the day."
Strengthening your goals
Have you ever set a goal that you quickly forgot about a week later? When a goal is weak and not grounded with your internal vision, you're more likely to push it aside and not work toward it. Use these simple steps to help strengthen your goals so you can get the results you're looking for:
Write or type out your goals in detail. Getting your goals on paper is one of the best ways to give them clarity and specificity. Having your goals in writing helps lock them into your memory and increases your focus.
Place your goals where you can review them daily. The particular spot doesn't really matter so long as you're guaranteed to see the goals each day. Seeing your goals each day helps keep you motivated so that you stay in forward motion even when life gets hectic.
Tell some supportive friends and family about your goals. Make sure these individuals want to help you succeed and provide a good support system for you.
Focusing Your Choices with a Food Journal
Some people find they need help holding themselves accountable to their goals. If you're among them, I suggest you start a food journal — a daily record of everything you eat and drink, how active you are, how you're feeling about your food intake, and any emotions or challenges you experience regarding eating.
A food journal can be extremely helpful in making long-term changes to your eating habits. Case in point: A study published in 2008 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed that those who kept a record of their food and beverage intake had roughly double the weight loss of those who hadn't kept any records.
Often people think they're making healthy choices, but their lives get so busy that they don't realize when they're engaging in mindless eating. Using a food journal decreases unconscious eating, which is often the culprit in eating the wrong foods too often or too much food altogether. A food journal also serve as a source of encouragement as you follow your progress and track your activity. Keeping one as you begin a low-glycemic lifestyle can show you what's working well, what parts of the diet are more challenging for you, and whether you tend to lean toward your old comfort foods when you're stressed or busy.