7 Ways to Take Radical Responsibility for Your Current Weight that’ll Lead to a Healthier Weight in Your Future

At this point we’ve heard it a jillion times.

Diets don’t work. Exercise either (unless you’re aiming for the Navy Seals).

As I write we’re in early March and it’s a reasonable goal to lose eight pounds by early June (I playthe long-game with losing. Lose quickly and we gain it right back).

As over 50s, we know that going on a strict diet only leads to an annoying loop: down ten, up fifteen; down twenty, up thirty and so on.

But there’s a better way.

First Tell Yourself the Truth.

The nitty-gritty truth is that losing weight forever is super challenging. It’s not for the on-the-fence folks. It’s only for those who’ve hit bottom and have decided that it’s time for a life-altering change.

Second Create this Vital Habit.

As the kids say: I left it all on the field in “Aunt Bea,” but I’ll revisit this truism forever:

Any diet works. Take the Pop-Tart diet, the Saltines diet, or even fasting. Extreme diets are do-able for a day or two, until you never want to see another Pop-Tart.

Better: choose a structured eating plan that you can live with for life.

Two decades ago I chose Weight Watchers (not pedaling them) and I still use their (original) points plan. Whatever structure you choose — Keto-, Paleo-, vegan-, or low-carb — you need one that you’ll commit to “in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part.”

Swinging wildly from one eating plan to another. Not a recipe for success.

That said, when you begin a serious eating plan you might want to try pre-prepped food like Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem. Long ago, Weight Watchers offered this type of food and I gave it a whirl for a month or so until I was ready to go it alone.

Why I Recommend Keeping a Daily Record.

Keep a pretty notebook with a pen next to your fridge, and record what and when you eat every single day. Recording food becomes second nature once you’ve established the habit.

Twenty years later, I still write down what I eat every day.

Why? Keeps us honest. And if you don’t write it down, it’s easy to eat way more than intended.

The Joy of Inexpensive — Yet Solid — Therapy.

Book-therapy is a thing!!

The two inspiring books that I’m currently in love with are The Elephant in the Room — One Fat Man’s Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America by Tommy Tomlinson and Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins.

Both will fuel you for this tough trek we’re on.

But don’t stop at these two books: search Google for instant-inspo.

Tell Your Audience What Works & Why.

This strategy sounds funky, but trust me, it works.

Victor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist/psychiatrist, survived a Nazi concentration camp. Intending to survive, Frankl trained himself to notice every detail about life in the camp so that when the Nazis were wiped from the earth, he would teach new generations everything about his experience.

And that’s exactly what he did. (Read Frankl’s amazing book: Man’s Search for Meaning.)

I used Frankl’s insight into the human psyche to lose weight. As I was slowly losing, I’d pretend in my mind that one day I would teach others how I did it.

This interesting exercise works for many tough projects. I know of a woman who told her family members, “take notes” because she was on fire to build a super successful business. And she did.

Why to Eat Before You Eat.

Omg, this is such a fabulous tool. I’ve been doing this one for decades, but it’s a vlogger who named it.

Instead of beginning a meal feeling famished, instead Eat Before You Eat. Try half an apple with a teaspoon of peanut butter or a cup of soup before dinner. In the summer have a bowl or two of watermelon. This idea works with a banana, a small handful of nuts, or a snack-size smoothie.

Stopping at Five or Six.

I stop all eating by five or six o’clock. Same for my husband The Scarfer. (He might need a new name.)

Cutting out night time eating works.

I know the experts love to say, “a calorie is a calorie.” But someday they’ll figure out that a brownie in the morning with coffee isn’t the same as a brownie (or two) at night.

These day, I’m experimenting with the Royal Diet: breakfast like a king, lunch like a princess and dinner like a pauper. I also combine my WW structure with both royal eating and intermittent fasting.

Now, if you’re ready to be down ten down by early June, let’s recap:

• Really understand the challenge that’s before you.
• Pick an eating plan that you can live with forever.
• Journal daily (even two or three times a week will deliver the wisdom).
• Read the Elephant In the Room (and other inspiring books).
• Notice everything to share with your audience.
• Eat Before You Eat.
• Stop eating by 6 p.m.

Embed these deeply — as in, you have red hair, green eyes, and you journal your food every single day — and remember that it takes 66 days to create a true lasting habit.

As always, I’d love questions! Email me at: Wendy@theInspiredEater.com.

And remember, it’s not your imagination. Health is hard.

Happy March everyone!

♥, Wendy

P.s. Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And always feel free to email me at Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll get Aunt Bea right to you!

Some links may be affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. Of course you incur no additional cost.