Many women want
to be slim. Maybe you’re one of them. Perhaps you’re
getting married soon and you want to fit into your wedding gown
comfortably. Or perhaps you simply want to look (and feel) great
in a swimsuit or bikini. Maybe you've just had a baby and want to
get your pre-pregnancy figure back...
Whatever your reason for wanting to be slim, there are some things
you can do to become slim while staying healthy. If you are reading
this article, chances are you want to know what those things are.
Read on then, to find out.
First thing is to assess your current eating habits. This is
important because you need to know what’s not working. If
your current eating habits are keeping you overweight, and you
want to be slim, it figures that you need to change those eating
habits. If something is not working, change it.
Assessing your current eating habits.
Keep a record of your eating habits for a week. The record should
contain the following information:
. What you are eating
. How much you’re eating
. When you eat (note the times) – you want to know how far
apart your meals and snacks are.
. Why you’re eating at those times – is it because
you’re hungry, or are you ‘comfort eating’?
. How you feel after eating – pleasantly satisfied or bloated
and stuffed.
. How many glasses of water you drink each day
When you find out your current eating habits, you’ll need
to determine which habits are sabotaging your efforts to lose
weight. Those are the ones you want to change. More on that later.
Goal Setting
Determine what your weight goal is. Or you may prefer to monitor
your progress in terms of your waistline or hip measurements.
Whichever one suits you is best.
Form a mental picture of yourself looking the way you want to
look. Goals are more powerful and empowering when we visualize
them. Hold that mental picture in your mind at all times.
NOTE: Eating healthily is not all there is to getting slim.
You must become more physically active (read ‘exercise’)
in addition to eating properly if you’re to lose weight
permanently. This article deals with the healthy eating part of
that equation.
Action Plan
Now that you know what your ideal size is, you have a goal that
you’re working towards. You need to then determine a plan
of action to help you achieve that goal.
To help you decide on the right plan, bear in mind that eating
should be a pleasure. Ask yourself the following questions:
. Which nutritious foods do I enjoy eating ?
. How soon after eating do I get hungry again? Most adults get
hungry about 3 to 4 hours after eating a meal.
. Do I eat only when I’m hungry? Hint: You should.
. How can I stay full? Drink lots of water. Scientists recommend
between 6 and 8 glasses of water daily.
Your body needs it, and it helps you stay full.
With the answers to those questions in mind, form an action plan,
and start a new daily record to help you keep track of your progress.
This new record should contain the same columns as your initial
current habits record. This way you can monitor each improvement
and celebrate accordingly.
When deciding on which actions to take, you need to refer back
to your initial assessment of your current eating habits. Decide
which habits are preventing you from losing weight. Write down
alternative habits that you want to cultivate, which will help
you get slim.
These new habits you want to form are now your ‘targets’
– milestones on your way to your ideal body shape and size.
