Would you like to turn your weight loss plan into a lifestyle? Most people understand the importance of a healthy body weight and desire to maintain it. They work hard to lose weight and keep it off, but sometimes it does not work long-term. They put in the effort and get good results for a while, and then something happens, and they find themselves back where they started. The situation is frustrating because it becomes a pattern in their journey.

Everyone is different and has a different story for their weight loss journey. Read on about strategies you can apply to break the pattern and succeed in your journey.

1. Let self-love and compassion guide you

Any changes that you want to make to achieve good habits for weight loss must come from a place of love and self-respect for yourself. Do not start a weight loss and management journey because negative emotions such as guilt, shame, and fear fuels you. If you say, for example, I hate my body and will hit the gym daily to change it, you can do this for only a few weeks. You will not be able to sustain the habits for long because you will need the self-hatred to continue to motivate you.

Shame-based calls to change seem like a good idea theoretically, but they don’t work sustainably. So instead, plan to make these changes because you want to do this yourself. Because you are worthy, deserve to feel good about yourself, and want to be healthy.

2. Start with small and realistic goals

Another way to turn a weight loss plan into a lifestyle is to examine your eating habits closely. Are there low-hanging fruits that you can begin with? By this, I mean things you tend to eat out of habit but, you know, are not helpful. For example, I have heard people say they can’t enjoy a meal without a soda or glass of juice. For others, it could be things they snack on mindlessly, like cookies.

You will be off to a good start if you can design strategies to address these areas. The idea here is to target those things in your diet that you can do without. You keep returning to them simply because you developed a habit around them, which you can also break. All you need is determination and a plan to do it consistently. Then, plan to replace these things with something healthy, like your favorite fruit and nuts.

3. Do not make extreme changes to your diet

Whatever weight loss strategy you decide to take, try not to make extreme changes, as you cannot sustain these in the long run. According to research, it will be hard to create lifelong habits since they work only temporarily. By extreme diet, I mean when you make significant changes like skipping meals or eating only particular foods like a vegetable and smoothie-only diet.

If you need an extreme weight loss plan, at least have a sustainable follow-up plan. Otherwise, you will go back to your old habits and might regain all the weight. You might even gain beyond what you had in the beginning. Remember that your body needs to receive essential nutrients from all food groups whenever you go on a diet. Extreme diets will not always be nutritionally balanced. Also, these diets will not support your goal of transforming your weight loss plan into a lifestyle.

4. Be in it for a long haul

Regardless of your weight loss plan, understand that you will need to apply it for a significant amount of time to see results. In addition, you will need to continue doing something so you don’t gain the weight back. In other words, this is a lifelong journey. There is no particular stage where you can let yourself off the hook and live without a strategy.

 After experimenting with different ways, I found that controlling my portion size was the best way to manage my weight. It has become a habit, it is practical, and I have been doing it for years. Of course, the choice of food from healthy groups is also essential. I have achieved self-control, which allows me to decide what I want to eat, and I do not fear certain foods because I know I am in control. This example shows why it is essential that your strategy is realistic and achievable for you. It would be best if you personalized your plan so that you can make lifelong habits out of it.

What’s the big takeaway for you? To lose weight and keep it off, you must have a long-term perspective that supports your goal. See if you can employ the strategies I discussed above in your pursuit to turn your weight loss plan into a healthy lifestyle.