Whatever's keeping you up at night--enough already! We check in with a bunch of experts who'll convince you to give peace of mind a chance.
Is your forecast for tomorrow always clouded with a chance of regret? Fear not. The experts weigh in on some of our most common concerns.
I have a bad feeling. I'm never going to lose this weight.
You can't put all your emotional eggs in the weight loss basket. People say, "I'll be happy when I reach this size...," but that's a problem, because either you don't reach the goal, or you do--and you're no happier than you were 40 pounds ago. Then you ask yourself why you did all this work, you go back to the way you were before, and the lose-gain-lose cycle begins.
Instead of worrying about the future, work toward leading a fulfilled life today. That will naturally make you want to be healthy. Eating right and exercising are my two fields, but when I meet with a client, I ask her about the things that really hold the secret to her success--what the most important areas of her life are, and how she feels about each one.
So do a little self-discovery. Look at what brings you joy and what isn't going so well. Have a life plan as opposed to a weight plan. Next, figure out how active you're willing to be and how much time you can devote to exercise. Then balance the calories--but don't deprive yourself. I've never found anyone who should be eating fewer than 1,500 calories.
Finally, set realistic goals, or you're bound to fail. Adjust your thinking about what's healthy for you, given your genetics. Some of the healthiest people on the planet are heavier than what we claim is the ideal. Being realistic is not only important, it's empowering.