Losing the Next Ten

So, you’re on a roll with your weight-loss program. You have met your goal to lose the first ten (or 20 or 40) pounds. Congratulations! Now you’re cruising along for the next ten. Your plan is to keep doing exactly what you’ve been doing and not change a thing, right?

Well, yes... and no.

Losing the next ten can be more challenging than losing the first ten, so it’s the perfect time to set new goals. Having weight-loss momentum can reinforce your commitment to doing what’s already working; things like staying “in the box,” practicing “More is Better,” and hitting your 2,000 calories of physical activity each week.

But you also need to keep expanding your skills, pushing for new strategies, trying new recipes and increasing your physical activity. By actively seeking out new strategies, you can maintain and even build your momentum as you work towards your long-term goals. Setting new goals for the next ten pounds can help you keep momentum while you stretch beyond your comfort zone to discover new strategies. Think of losing the next ten as a new adventure – a process of discovery!

Let’s revisit the basics...

Take out your record book and write down new goals for the next ten pounds. Set a goal to try a new recipe each week until you lose the next ten (maybe you’ll find a new favorite!). Spend a little time reviewing your food records from the beginning of your weight-loss program. If you haven’t been writing down your recipes, now is a good time to start. What HMR strategies do you repeat every day? What new ones will you try?

Can you add one of these strategies to wake up your shake routine?

• Make an HMR mousse or ice cream using a food processor
• Try a shake made with PB2
• Make a pudding parfait with HMR 70 Plus and fruit
• Remember, HMR Multigrain Cereal counts in your records as a check in the shake column – try the cereal with fruit, cinnamon or nutmeg.
• HMR Chicken Soup is a check in the shake column, too – so make sure soup is a part of your weekly routine. Have you tried these ideas?
  • Use it to make mashed potatoes
  • Make it as a sauce and pour it over veggies
  • Make it thick, like a sauce, or thinner, like a soup, and mix it in with an HMR Entree like Chicken Pasta Parmesan or Mushroom Risotto.

What about the HMR Entrees? Find you’re eating the same two or three?

• Try cooking with entrees, like a one-pot Turkey Chili with added peppers and onions
• Bake a Lasagna casserole with added layers of spinach and mushrooms
• Add a Savory Chicken to a homemade pot of veggie soup

Now look at your fruits and veggies - have you tried anything adventurous lately?

How many colors are you eating throughout the week? Check out what’s in season and venture beyond frozen baggies in the microwave!

Is your PA routine becoming ho hum?

Are you hitting 2,000 PA calories every week, but not working on your variety? Set a goal to try a new type of PA each week - a new class at the gym, or a walk with the neighbor. Write down what you try, what didn’t work, what did work and why. Explore and experiment.

Again, think of losing the next ten as a process of discovery. Keep what already works and commit to trying something new. You’ll find that when you approach each new goal with a sense of excitement and discovery, losing the next ten will be full of surprises! Every recipe, every new food, every PA experiment has the potential to increase your momentum. Momentum keeps the ball rolling all the way down to your goal weight and beyond!

Join in the conversation on our HMRdiet forum. Find out what other dieters and staff are saying about their strategies for success. Sharing your story could help someone who is just getting started, and you’ll be reminded of just how far you’ve come already! Plus, you never know where you might find the key to losing your next ten!
 

 

by luv2run on 07/25/2012 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: Weight-Loss, HMR, Recipes, motivation, exercise, in the box, planning, strategies