Let’s say you want to lose the weight, and you decide the
best way to do it is to start dieting and also start an exercise program. This
is a common way to go about losing weight—a good way.
Did you know that there is an issue of “fit” here? What this
involves is the fit between who you are, and the means you choose to achieve
your goal of losing the weight.
The method or methods you choose as tools to get the weight off need to
mesh with who you are and how you like to live your life. If you choose dieting
and fitness programs that don’t “feel right”, it will most likely disrupt your effort at some point—probably
sooner rather than later.
So, if you choose a diet that is totally alien to you—for
example, a low-carb diet when you really don’t like meat or fish or cheese, or
a weight-loss plan with a daily calorie count that is drastically below what
you are used to eating, or an weight-loss diet plan that requires you to follow
particular recipes when you don’t have time to do it—all of this will not jive
with life as you know it. Yes, of course, dieting requires certain changes, but
you need to pick a weight-loss diet plan that asks you to change in ways that
are more comfortable for you, rather than demanding changes that feel strange
and painful.
The same is true for any exercise program you decide to
undertake. It should feel doable; it should be something you think you can
enjoy. You know the join-the-gym-then-quit syndrome. People sign up thinking
suddenly they’ll be able to make themselves go to the gym 3 times a week, but
then can’t do it. For many women, starting out with a couple of walks a week is
a gentle way of easing into exercising. It doesn’t feel strange, and it’s not
too hard. That’s the idea.
If your dieting/exercise program is a really good fit for you, you are starting off with an effective tool. When you feel good about what you are doing, when you feel like it all fits you well, you will undoubtedly be more fully engaged in the weight-loss process, and you will be far less likely to fail.
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