Weight Loss Tip for Aug 27, 2012

Balance in your life involves balancing things you need to do that may be stressful, and things you enjoy doing that make life pleasant. When you have more obligations to fulfill than activities that provide you self-fulfillment, you are more likely to feel deprived at times. Such moments increase your chances of slipping off your Diet Center program and giving in to temptation.

An unbalanced lifestyle often leads to negative coping strategies such as skipping meals, overeating, smoking, spending too much money, watching a lot of television, drinking too much, etc. Such strategies are an attempt to restore balance by giving in to a moment of indulgence. A balanced lifestyle promotes self-fulfillment and the desire to eat healthy, exercise regularly, have time for socializing, have time for relaxation, etc.

You can assess your lifestyle by tracking your activities for a week or two. Then examine your list and rate your activities on the degree of enjoyment or stress that each activity provides. Next, determine the number of activities you have to do, but do not enjoy. Then determine the number of activities you want to do for pleasure. If you have more unpleasant, “have to do,” activities, you may need to focus on creating a balance in your lifestyle. Doing things that make you happy, can strengthen your ability to stick to your program and enjoy weight loss success.