You have finally decided to put yourself in diet? Departure is only the beginning of the path to weight loss. To reach the goal you have to cross four stages, at least mental.
«Cognitive processes strongly influence the loss (and the relative maintenance) of extra pounds, therefore knowing how to manage them is fundamental "confirms ,
psychotherapist, president of Aidap (Association of the country's eating and weight disorders).
The expert suggests you the strategy right to smoothly face the four steps that lead to ideal weight.
1 STAGE OF ENGAGEMENT
Before starting a diet, carefully consider what period of your life you are in, so that you understand yours motivation and, above all, your holding capacity.
"Make a good decision on how you want to follow the diet," explains Dr. Banderali. "If you are serena and without any particular worries, you can also opt for a rigid regime that requires strong motivation.
If you feel instead stressed and nervous, you should only choose a dietary model to follow more easily, without you feeling guilty at the slightest mistake ».
Just in order not to let yourself go and give up everything at the first setback, you will need it write down the sensations you feel when you eat more than you should, in order to re-read them during the subsequent phases and understand your moments at risk of binge.
2 INITIAL PHASE
In the beginning, weight loss is fast enough. «So you are happy and you feel gratified, but don't let your guard down »Warns doctor Banderali.
«The change in eating behaviors is long and difficult to root: according to studies, the new habits must be maintained for almost a month to take the place of the old ones.
In this phase, then, do not focus on the single weight measurement but on the long-term trend: analyzes the progress of the diet on the basis of at least 4 weighings ».
3 PLATEAU PHASE
After the initial phase, weight loss is slower or even stops. "Don't get down on yourself, it is a normal response of the organism which, by receiving less food, lowers the metabolism.
Try to intensify physical activity to speed it up but not stress yourself; losing weight is a long way and you need to take breaks. It's like when you go up the stairs: every now and then there is a landing where you stop for a while to catch your breath.
So, give your body time to get used to new lifestyle and you will see that you will start losing weight again », says the psychotherapist.
4 MAINTENANCE PHASE
«Train your mind for long-term weight control: even weighed twice a week, considering the fluctuations of a couple of kilos to be normal.
Then focus on the results obtained, such as joining one size smaller. When you feel like eating, focus on these goals ”, concludes the expert.
