How to Lose Weight After Your Holiday

How many times have you come back from your summer holiday and promised to take action? But a few weeks later, you’re back to old habits and your weight is inching back up again?

This is a very common scenario so you’re certainly not alone. In fact, considering that two-thirds of the population in our society are overweight or obese, it’s probably fair to say that most people have no idea how to manage their weight.
So if you want to get a different result to most people, you need to do things differently. Here are 4 steps to successful post-holiday weight loss.

1. Think months instead of weeks.
Most people looking to lose weight after their holiday want to lose weight as quickly as possible. Who can blame them? But the fact is quick fixes don’t work.
The first step then is rather than aiming for miracles to unfold in ten days or less, you must think long-term.  Be prepared to invest a bit of time in getting this right.
A lifetime of struggling with your weight will not be transformed overnight. Most people know this, but still feel drawn to promises of quick fixes. Don’t be one of them.

2.  Say No to Deadlines.
A common mistake I see people make when losing weight is putting themselves under a deadline. I know a deadline is meant to force you to take action, but impatience for results is not compatible with long-term weight loss.
Weight loss is often unpredictable. Sometimes the weight falls quickly, other times it slows down or stops altogether. If you’re on a deadline, will you be ok with natural weight loss plateaus, or will you panic and try and starve yourself? (Starve yourself is the wrong answer!)

Small changes are best for long term weight loss

3. Small changes are best.
When it comes to losing weight, drastic changes are a disaster. They are often unpleasant and therefore unsustainable. Make small changes over time and you will be amazed at the results.
Some examples of small changes include:

• Cutting back food portions
• Replacing one snack
• Removing one temptation from your environment
• Going for a 5 minute walk.

Don’t fall into the trap of having to impress others with the changes you make. In the beginning, even if the changes seem tiny, it doesn’t matter. You’re building a habit. You’re creating a track record of success, that you can add to.

4.  Keep going.
You have to keep making small changes every week. If some changes don’t work, either jettison them or refine them.
Make more and more changes, and keep on track, no matter what happens. Even if you have a bad day, bad week or even a bad month, it doesn’t matter. Just keep going.
This is actually the hardest part of losing weight for the long-term. Most people will feel tempted multiple times to quit partway through. But keeping going is absolutely crucial to success.
The Difference
The temptation when you come back from your summer holiday is to try the latest fad diet. After all, that’s what everyone else is going to be doing.
But if you want results that are different from the usual yoyo dieting, then you need to take a different approach. You need to forget about how fast you can lose weight and instead concentrate how you can achieve weight loss that is long-term.