Weight Management: Strategies for Success

One in every three Americans is fighting the weight loss battle. Tipping the energy balance scale in favor of using more calories than you consume is the bottom line for losing weight. Sounds easy! Then why are so many people losing the weight loss battle instead of the weight?

Whether you have tried to lose weight on your own or with the help of an organized program, the focus is too often on severely restrictive diets and unrealistic goals. Not being able to reach these goals can set you up for an endless cycle of failure and discouragement. Also, extremely limited food choices may trigger binge eating, which can undermine your efforts.

Increase your chances for success by focusing on managing your weight. Weight management involves adopting a lifestyle that includes a healthful eating plan and regular physical activity. The key to managing weight throughout life is a positive attitude and the right kind of motivation. Internal motivators such as health, increased energy, self-esteem, and personal control increase your chances for lifelong weight management success.

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Jumping Right In

Hi! Welcome to The Healthy Weigh of Life!

I'm not finished with all the 'decorating' I want to do around here at my new 'home' on the web, but while I'm working on it I thought I'd just jump right in and get posting. I have so much great, healthy, and helpful information to share with you, so why wait, right? Isn't that what we do? Put off until tomorrow what we know we should be doing today? Why? Why do we make the things that are the best for us some of the last things we do? We know that exercising and eating healthy are going to make us look and feel better, so why is it the one thing that we struggle with the most?

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm tired of settling for second-best when it comes to living when there's something I can do about it! To me, living is enjoying every day, feeling good in the clothes I'm in, being comfortable enough to get down in the floor and play with my kids, and not constantly thinking about my weight or letting it hinder me!

Consider this one of those WYSIWYG blogs... what you see is what you get. I am no expert, just someone with a lot of knowledge, information, and experience that I think can help others. I plan on sharing this journey with you while also sharing my personal highs and lows, the meals I'm preparing for my family and myself, as well as loads of information that will help you get healthy and I welcome you to do the same. Share with us what works for you and what doesn't. Tell us what you're eating or what yummy, healthy recipes you've found. What is your story? Your goals?

Don't worry, I'm not some skinny-minny that will be telling you what all you're doing wrong and what you need to be doing to lose weight. Please! We have ENOUGH of those out there. I'm just a normal person who has been on the weight-loss journey, and been successful in the past, and now needs to, once again, get her life back in-shape (no pun intended).

I know the pain, the emotions, and the struggles that come with trying to lose weight. I know what it feels like to want more than anything to be thin and healthy, yet feeling like you'll never get there. I know the frustration of not being able to play with your kids they way they want you to because of all the extra weight. I know the pain of having others look at you differently and treat you differently than they do thin people. I know the disappointment felt when looking in the mirror before getting in the shower. I know the shame and embarrassment of being in front of others or running into someone you haven't seen in awhile and wanting to run the other way and hide. And what about the physical pain that comes with extra weight? UGH! Nothing makes you feel older than what you really are like carrying around extra weight.

Those feeling are real, and hard to deal with sometimes. And even though it makes absolutely no sense at all, sometimes the feelings I described above are the very things that drive a lot of us right back to the chips and ice cream and double-fudge brownies. It's a vicious cycle.

But that's why I've started this blog. I'm tired of living this way and letting life pass me by while I sit eating my Cherry Garcia ice cream and crying about how fat I am!

So come along with me and let's get healthy together. If we all push this cart uphill together it will be easier. And then one day we can all jump on and ride it down the other side to Healthyville! (Ok, so that was a bit corny, but you get the picture.)