How can you stay accountable during your weight loss journey. What are the most effective strategies for maintaining motivation and commitment. How does accountability impact long-term weight loss success.

Understanding the Importance of Accountability in Weight Loss

Accountability plays a crucial role in the weight loss process, serving as a cornerstone for long-term success. It’s the driving force that keeps individuals committed to their goals, even when motivation wanes. But why is accountability so essential?

Accountability in weight loss means taking responsibility for your choices and actions. It involves recognizing that your decisions regarding diet, exercise, and lifestyle directly impact your progress. By embracing accountability, you create a framework for consistent progress and sustainable results.

The Psychological Impact of Accountability

Accountability has a profound psychological effect on weight loss efforts. When you know you’re responsible for your actions, you’re more likely to make choices aligned with your goals. This sense of responsibility can:

• Increase self-awareness
• Boost motivation
• Enhance commitment to long-term goals
• Promote consistency in healthy behaviors
• Foster a sense of empowerment and control

By incorporating accountability into your weight loss journey, you create a powerful tool for overcoming obstacles and staying on track.

Setting Specific and Long-term Goals: A Foundation for Success

One of the most effective ways to establish accountability in your weight loss journey is by setting specific and long-term goals. Many individuals fall into the trap of seeking dramatic results in unrealistic timeframes, leading to disappointment and loss of motivation. Instead, focus on creating achievable, measurable objectives that span a longer period.

Crafting SMART Goals for Weight Loss

When setting your weight loss goals, consider using the SMART criteria:

• Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve
• Measurable: Establish concrete metrics to track progress
• Achievable: Ensure your goals are realistic and attainable
• Relevant: Align your goals with your overall health and lifestyle objectives
• Time-bound: Set a reasonable timeframe for achieving your goals

For example, instead of aiming to “lose weight quickly,” a SMART goal might be: “I will lose 1-2 pounds per week over the next three months by exercising for 30 minutes five days a week and reducing my daily calorie intake by 300 calories.”

The Power of Incremental Progress

By focusing on specific, long-term goals, you create a roadmap for success that allows for incremental progress. This approach offers several benefits:

1. Reduced overwhelm and stress
2. Increased likelihood of sustained behavior change
3. Greater sense of achievement as you reach milestones
4. Improved ability to adapt and adjust your strategy as needed
5. Enhanced long-term commitment to your weight loss journey

Remember, sustainable weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. By setting realistic, long-term goals, you build a foundation for lasting success and accountability.

Leveraging Food and Exercise Diaries for Enhanced Accountability

One of the most powerful tools for maintaining accountability in your weight loss journey is the use of food and exercise diaries. These simple yet effective tracking methods can provide invaluable insights into your habits, progress, and areas for improvement.

The Benefits of Food Journaling

Keeping a detailed food diary can transform your approach to eating and weight loss. Here’s how:

• Increased awareness of eating habits and patterns
• Better understanding of portion sizes and calorie intake
• Identification of emotional or stress-related eating triggers
• Improved ability to make informed food choices
• Enhanced accountability for dietary decisions

To maximize the effectiveness of your food diary, consider writing down what you plan to eat before consuming it. This practice can help you make more mindful choices and potentially reduce impulsive eating.

Harnessing the Power of Exercise Logs

Similarly, maintaining an exercise diary can significantly boost your accountability and motivation. Benefits include:

• Clear tracking of workout frequency and intensity
• Visual representation of progress over time
• Increased motivation as you see improvements
• Better understanding of which exercises yield the best results
• Enhanced ability to set and achieve fitness milestones

Consider using a simple calendar or specialized fitness app to log your workouts. Include details such as the type of exercise, duration, intensity, and how you felt during and after the session.

Integrating Tracking into Your Daily Routine

To make food and exercise tracking a sustainable habit:

1. Choose a tracking method that fits your lifestyle (e.g., smartphone app, notebook)
2. Set aside specific times each day for logging
3. Be honest and accurate in your entries
4. Review your logs regularly to identify patterns and areas for improvement
5. Use the data to adjust your strategies and celebrate progress

By consistently tracking your food intake and exercise habits, you create a powerful system of accountability that can significantly enhance your weight loss success.

The Power of Accountability Partnerships in Weight Loss

Embarking on a weight loss journey can often feel isolating, but it doesn’t have to be. One of the most effective strategies for maintaining accountability and motivation is finding an accountability partner. This person can provide support, encouragement, and a healthy dose of competition to keep you on track.

Choosing the Right Accountability Partner

When selecting an accountability partner, consider the following factors:

• Shared goals and commitment levels
• Compatible schedules and communication styles
• Mutual trust and respect
• Ability to provide constructive feedback
• Positive and supportive attitude

Your accountability partner doesn’t necessarily need to be on the same exact weight loss journey as you. The key is finding someone who understands your goals and is committed to supporting your success.

Maximizing the Benefits of Accountability Partnerships

To make the most of your accountability partnership:

1. Set clear expectations and boundaries from the start
2. Establish regular check-ins (daily, weekly, or as needed)
3. Share progress, challenges, and victories
4. Offer and receive constructive feedback
5. Celebrate milestones together

Remember, the goal of an accountability partnership is not just to monitor each other’s progress, but to provide mutual support and encouragement throughout your weight loss journeys.

The Competitive Edge: Friendly Rivalry for Greater Success

Introducing a friendly competitive element to your accountability partnership can further boost motivation and results. Consider:

• Setting joint challenges or goals
• Tracking progress side-by-side
• Creating rewards for achieving milestones
• Engaging in friendly workout competitions
• Sharing healthy recipes and meal prep ideas

By fostering a sense of healthy competition, you and your accountability partner can push each other to new heights in your weight loss journeys.

Customized Weight Loss Programs: Professional Accountability and Support

While personal accountability strategies are invaluable, sometimes additional support is needed to achieve optimal results. Customized weight loss programs offer a comprehensive approach to accountability, combining professional guidance with personalized strategies tailored to your unique needs and goals.

The Benefits of Personalized Weight Loss Programs

Enrolling in a customized weight loss program can provide numerous advantages:

• Expert guidance from healthcare professionals
• Personalized nutrition and exercise plans
• Regular monitoring and progress assessments
• Access to advanced tools and resources
• Ongoing support and motivation

These programs often integrate medical supervision, ensuring that your weight loss journey is not only effective but also safe and sustainable.

Key Components of Effective Customized Programs

When considering a personalized weight loss program, look for the following elements:

1. Comprehensive initial assessment
2. Tailored nutrition and meal planning
3. Customized exercise regimens
4. Regular check-ins and progress evaluations
5. Behavioral counseling and support
6. Integration of medical interventions when appropriate

The most effective programs take a holistic approach, addressing not just diet and exercise, but also factors like stress management, sleep quality, and overall lifestyle habits.

Maximizing Success in a Customized Program

To get the most out of a personalized weight loss program:

• Be honest and transparent with your healthcare providers
• Follow the prescribed plan consistently
• Communicate any challenges or concerns promptly
• Utilize all available resources and support systems
• Celebrate progress and milestones along the way

Remember, a customized weight loss program is a partnership between you and your healthcare team. Your active participation and commitment are crucial for achieving optimal results.

Overcoming Common Accountability Challenges in Weight Loss

While accountability is a powerful tool for weight loss success, it’s not without its challenges. Recognizing and addressing these obstacles can help you maintain your commitment and stay on track towards your goals.

Identifying Common Accountability Pitfalls

Some of the most frequent challenges in maintaining accountability include:

• Loss of motivation over time
• Feelings of overwhelm or burnout
• Inconsistent tracking or follow-through
• Negative self-talk or self-sabotage
• External pressures or distractions

Acknowledging these challenges is the first step in developing strategies to overcome them.

Strategies for Maintaining Long-term Accountability

To address common accountability challenges:

1. Regularly reassess and adjust your goals
2. Develop a strong support network
3. Practice self-compassion and forgiveness
4. Incorporate variety and flexibility into your routine
5. Celebrate non-scale victories and progress

Remember, accountability is a skill that can be developed and strengthened over time. Be patient with yourself and focus on consistent progress rather than perfection.

Leveraging Technology for Enhanced Accountability

In today’s digital age, numerous technological tools can support your accountability efforts:

• Fitness tracking apps and devices
• Smart scales with automatic data logging
• Virtual coaching and support groups
• Meal planning and tracking apps
• Habit-building and goal-setting platforms

Explore different tools and find the ones that best align with your preferences and lifestyle. The key is to choose technologies that enhance rather than complicate your accountability efforts.

The Role of Mindset in Weight Loss Accountability

While strategies and tools are essential for weight loss accountability, the foundation of long-term success lies in cultivating the right mindset. Your mental approach to weight loss can significantly impact your ability to stay accountable and achieve your goals.

Shifting from a Diet Mentality to a Lifestyle Approach

One of the most crucial mindset shifts for sustainable weight loss is moving away from the concept of “dieting” and towards a holistic lifestyle change. This involves:

• Focusing on overall health rather than just weight
• Embracing balanced nutrition instead of restrictive eating
• Viewing exercise as a form of self-care rather than punishment
• Prioritizing sustainable habits over quick fixes
• Cultivating a positive relationship with food and your body

By adopting this mindset, you create a framework for long-term success and accountability that extends beyond the number on the scale.

Developing Resilience and Self-compassion

Weight loss journeys often come with setbacks and challenges. Developing resilience and self-compassion is crucial for maintaining accountability in the face of obstacles. Practice:

1. Acknowledging setbacks without self-judgment
2. Learning from challenges rather than viewing them as failures
3. Celebrating progress, no matter how small
4. Practicing positive self-talk and affirmations
5. Viewing mistakes as opportunities for growth and learning

By cultivating these qualities, you build a strong mental foundation that supports your accountability efforts and overall weight loss success.

The Power of Visualization and Positive Affirmations

Incorporating visualization techniques and positive affirmations into your daily routine can significantly enhance your accountability and motivation. Consider:

• Visualizing yourself achieving your weight loss goals
• Creating a vision board representing your health and fitness aspirations
• Repeating positive affirmations that reinforce your commitment
• Mentally rehearsing healthy behaviors and choices
• Imagining how you’ll feel when you reach your milestones

These mental exercises can help reinforce your commitment to accountability and keep you focused on your long-term objectives.

By integrating these mindset strategies with the practical accountability tools discussed earlier, you create a powerful framework for sustainable weight loss success. Remember, true accountability starts from within, and cultivating the right mental approach is key to achieving and maintaining your health and fitness goals.

4 Proven Weight Loss Accountability Tips

Many people find it difficult to lose weight because they don’t have the motivation and someone to push them forward. The result is that they fail to see the scale ever going down again and are stuck in a weight loss plateau. If that is also the case for you, read this article and find four excellent weight loss accountability tips.

RELATED: Important Role of Semaglutide for Weight Loss

It is undeniable that motivation to start and maintain a weight loss routine is critical in the long run. But, the trouble is that motivation tends to be fleeting, and you might lose it at some point due to stress or the lack of energy to keep it up. That’s when weight loss accountability comes in to help you stay committed. Without motivation, you can never achieve your goals.

Accountability for weight loss means knowing that you are responsible for your choices, from what you choose to eat to when to exercise. It keeps you committed by making you accountable for whatever results from your diet and exercise regimen. If you know that there is a responsibility expecting you to lose weight, you’ll be more dedicated to your weight loss journey. Here’s how to hold yourself accountable for weight loss.

Set a Specific and Long-term Goal

The problem of many people who are motivated at first but then fall into disappointment is that they want to see too many dramatic results within too little time. Remember that every process takes time, and weight loss requires patience. It would be best to set up a specific and long-term goal and only change or bring the goal to the next level once you have achieved the previous one.

The best thing about making specific and long-term changes is that they are more achievable since you only focus on one particular goal at a time, resulting in noticeable progress. So, instead of setting up a goal as unlikely as losing 5 pounds per day, go for a more practical plan like going to the gym five days per week and including more fiber and lean protein in your diet.

Start a Food and Exercise Diary

Besides mentally setting a goal and attempting to achieve it, writing down everything you have done throughout the day to reach that particular goal is another weight loss accountability tip. A food diary is a great way to track what you eat and how much your food portion is. One strategy is to write down what you eat before you eat it. This can help you become more aware and make you think twice before deciding to include it in your meal.

On the other hand, keeping a fitness record is one of the most effective ways to stay on track with regular exercise. It may be as easy as writing down when you exercise on a calendar, as well as how much and what type of exercise you take. It would be best to stop thinking of exercise as something you must do to lose weight and instead think of it as something you can do because you’re getting healthier.

Find an Accountability Partner

Having an accountability partner can help you stay committed because a person with the same goals accompanies you. What’s more, by having someone willing to go through the weight loss routine together, you can confide in your issues and concerns and expect that person to help you out. Most importantly, you can compete with your partner to see who is going faster and farther in the journey. Competition is essential because it encourages you to make more effort to reach the target.

RELATED: 5 Essential Benefits of Enrolling in a Medical Weight Loss Program

Enroll in a Customized Weight Loss Program

Suppose you have implemented all the strategies above to keep yourself accountable for your weight loss, yet the motivation hasn’t returned. If so, why not enroll in a customized weight loss program? At Yunique Medical, we offer a customized program tailored for each individual to address different goals and needs. You will be encouraged to follow a physician-recommended diet plan and suitable workout routine while medically supervised and getting one-on-one support.

Everything is all about you in a personalized weight loss program, making you more dedicated and resulting in a higher chance of success. Many of our clients used to have difficulty losing weight, but they found our unique program and could never be happier. This means you are not alone in your weight loss journey. Consider joining our weight loss community to retain a healthier, slimmer you.

Keep in mind that although you cannot fully control how much weight you lose at a specific time, you can choose to be more responsible for your decisions. Being committed over the long term makes losing pounds every week more feasible.

Yunique Medical provides FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE for optimized health and performance. We offer customized, scientifically advanced treatments to create a new state of human thriving. Why be ordinary when you can be optimal?

HUMAN 2.0 begins here!

Contact us to schedule your FREE consultation at one of our three locations in Florida – Ocala, Fruitland Park (The Villages), and Daytona.  

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Accountability And Weight Loss: The Missing Link

Posted at 10:34h
in Advice
by admin

If you have struggled to reach your goal weight, or maintain it, in the past, accountability could be the missing link. It’s one of the five key pillars of our Intelligent Weight Loss Method. So what is accountability and how can it support your weight loss efforts?

WHAT IS ACCOUNTABILITY?

Merriam Webster defines accountability as: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions. Accountability is about deciding on a course of action or goal and creating a framework that holds you to account, ensuring you’re staying consistent in carrying out that action or working towards your goal.

There are various actions we can take to create accountability that supports us in achieving a goal.

WHY IS ACCOUNTABILITY KEY FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

My team and I speak with clients who have had varying degrees of success with losing weight and keeping it off in the past. It’s easy to think “I’m a grown adult, I know what to do and I should be able to get on and do it by myself”. But life happens. Many things can get in the way of preventing us from achieving things that are important to us. Accountability really can be the factor that makes all the difference in ensuring you stay on track, achieve your goal weight and maintain it long term.

Research, as well as our own clinical experience, demonstrates just how powerful accountability can be when it comes to achieving a goal like losing weight. A study on accountability was carried out by the Association for Talent Development. The researchers found that individuals have the following probabilities of completing a goal by taking these actions:

• Having an idea or goal: 10% likely to complete the goal
• Consciously deciding that you will do it: 25%
• Deciding when you will do it: 40%
• Planning how to do it: 50%
• Committing to someone that you will do it: 65%
• Having a specific accountability appointment with someone you’ve committed to: 95%

ACCOUNTABILITY AND WEIGHT MAINTENANCE

Many clients come to see a nutritionist believing we will provide them with a diet plan to help them lose weight. Of course we do this. Every client we work with receives a bespoke health and nutrition plan tailored to their needs. However, many new clients aren’t so aware of the extent to which accountability is such a valuable part of the service we provide. Often the value becomes more clear as we work together over time.

I have recently transitioned two of my clients to maintenance programmes. When I do this, we spend time talking through the most important things my client needs to have in place to ensure they maintain their results long term. Lack of a clear maintenance plan is one of the big reasons so many people go on to regain weight they have lost. I will ask my clients what they’re aware they need to do in order to maintain their results long term. More often than not, they identify ongoing accountability as one of the most important factors. Four years ago I created our Maintenance Membership Programme for clients have reached their goal weight and are committed to maintaining it. It has been hugely successful with no client on our Maintenance Programme regaining their lost weight.

HOW TO CREATE ACCOUNTABILITY

Of course you can work with a nutritionist and have a qualified, experienced expert to hold you accountable. Our approach to accountability is not about telling you off, if for any reason you’ve not stuck to your plan. Far from it. It’s about supporting you in getting clear on what you want to achieve and how you’re going to achieve it, and then checking in with you to see how you’re doing. It’s about guiding you in getting back on track if for any reason you’ve deviated from the plan.

If you aren’t working with a nutritionist, there are other ways of creating accountability while you’re focussed on weight loss. Here are some strategies to consider:

• Weight and / or measure yourself regularly. Once a week on a set day can work well.
• Recruit a friend or family member and arrange to check in with them regularly as to how you’re progressing.
• Keep a food diary. You can share your MyFitnessPal profile with a friend for added accountability.
• Find (or set up) a support group. This might be an organised in-person group, an exiting online group or something you can create yourself. If you have a couple of friends who share a similar goal to you, why not set up a WhatsApp group so that you can support each other and hold one another accountable?

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

I am a qualified nutritionist with well over a decade of knowledge and experience and yet, at times, I can still deviate from healthy nutrition and lifestyle habits that I know support me. Creating accountability is what helps me stay on track consistently. How do I do that? I have a personal trainer who trains me via Zoom three times a week. While I enjoy working out, it’s unlikely that I get out of bed for a 7am training session, consistently, three times a week if there wasn’t someone on the end of Zoom holding me accountable.

I also use a WHOOP strap and fill in a daily habits journal as part of that. It tallies up the days you’ve carried out habits, both those beneficial to health and those not. It makes me very aware of how many days I’ve meditated, drunk alcohol etc. On top of this, WHOOP creates  monthly reports to feed back the data around the extent to which your habits are supporting or compromising your sleep and recovery. I go over my report with a friend who also has a WHOOP and has made much more of an effort to understand the technology and reports than I have. We then look at what’s going well and areas where I could focus on improving the next month. Knowing that someone is going to see my habits journal definitely helps keep me accountable.

WORK WITH US

If you feel that you could benefit from having an experienced expert to support you and hold you accountable, we can help. Book yourself in for a complimentary 25 mintue call or contact us and a member of our team will be in touch soon. We can talk through your challenges and explore whether one of our Intelligent Weight Loss programmes is right for you.

Psychologist’s recommendations for weight loss

Clinical psychologist’s recommendations for people involved in weight loss (article obtained from the information booklet of the company ROSHE (Xenical)

So, you have decided to lose weight. For many, these words sound like a mockery – around so many friends who have tried to do it using different means – diets, pills, exercise, but none helped; newspapers and magazines are full of suggestions to lose weight in a few days; full of expensive drugs – but all to no avail. So what’s the matter? whether to lose weight is you?0007

Let’s put it another way:

What can you do to lose weight?

1. SET UP TO WORK HARD

It is important to understand from the outset that there are no quick fixes. The main mistake of those who want to lose weight is the desire to do it very quickly (“Lose weight by three sizes in a week”). All methods of rapid weight loss, as a rule, are ineffective, and some are even dangerous to health. The second important mistake is the belief that someone (doctor, trainer, nutritionist, psychic) ​​will do it for you. Losing weight is a serious and mostly independent work. Take responsibility for this work.

2. CHOOSE QUALIFIED BATH SPECIALISTS

If you decide to lose weight, abandoning the idea of ​​​​instant healing, and tune in to a sustainable result, contact trusted specialists. Usually weight loss is a team effort. First of all, it involves a dietitian and an endocrinologist who will help to form the right diet.

3. DON’T START ON MONDAY

Monday.” This is a fundamentally wrong position. If you violated your regimen, diet or exercise system – that’s okay. This is not a reason to quit. It’s better to do something halfway than not do it at all.

For example, you ate something at dinner that disturbed your diet. It’s annoying, but it’s already happened. Return to your diet in the evening when you have dinner. You can scold yourself all you want for what happened, but that won’t help you. Just keep going.

You need to remember that weight loss is an undulating process and you will never drop a kilo a week until you achieve the desired result. At some point, the gained kilograms may return (for example, you lost 10 kg, and then recovered by 6 kg). This is due to the fact that it is very difficult to quickly change the habitual decision of nutrition, and even more so the work of your body. We can say that you will take three steps forward and two steps back. And here the most important thing is not to give up and not despair. Tell yourself that falling back is completely normal and try to find the reason why you gained some weight again (it could be dietary errors, stress, the wrong daily routine, or something else).

4. LOOK FOR UNPLEASANT EMOTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH OVEREATING

It is important to understand that being overweight is very closely related to psychological problems. Often people eat more than they need to get rid of them. Sometimes this is explained by the fact that a person cannot express his emotions, and mostly negative ones. For example, your boss yelled at you. You can’t answer him, so you go and eat some sausage sandwiches. Or another example – a wife, greatly offended by her husband, cannot afford to go for reconciliation and instead of trying to resolve the conflict with her husband, she receives comfort from her own refrigerator.

But why do people seek solace in food? Food is one of the main pleasures in our life.

When a baby is crying or frightened, a portion of breast milk quickly calms him down. We are all children to one degree or another. But for some people, food becomes the only way to console themselves and enjoy themselves. This is due to many reasons, the main ones are ways to manage your feelings, which are accepted in the family.

5. TRACK BYTE EVERYDAY STRESS

You can often hear: “I don’t eat stress, I just eat a lot every day and that’s it. , lack of rapport with children, etc. Try to understand how you feel just before you overeat.For example, one woman, a housewife, found herself eating very, very much only on weekdays.By carefully monitoring her emotions, she suddenly realized that, being at home alone, she experiences a strong feeling of loneliness, thinks that no one needs her, and it was overeating that saved her from unpleasant thoughts to feelings.0007

6. DON’T BE AFRAID TO ADMIT PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

The next important step may be to seek psychological help.

Many people are embarrassed to seek help from psychologists, and it is completely in vain. Finding your own emotions and thoughts associated with overeating can be difficult. But it’s even harder to change them. A qualified psychologist or psychotherapist who deals with this problem will offer you ways to detect and overcome negative thoughts and emotions associated with overeating.

Another important target is family problems. If you find that the stresses that cause overeating are family-related, contact a family psychologist or psychotherapist. Family therapy can help you and your partner see problems that you may not see yourself. Addiction is a common problem among overweight people. You can say that you are rhyme dependent if:

• It is difficult for you to make independent decisions without consulting with other people
• You are afraid that you will not cope with independent tasks at work
• You are very afraid that your partner may leave you.
• You do not object to your partner, friends, parents out of fear that you will be abandoned or no longer communicate with you.
• You are afraid to be alone.

Situations in which an addict feels uncomfortable are often accompanied by overeating as a way to relieve anxiety and discomfort. That is why addiction is one of the most important targets for working with a psychologist or psychotherapist.

7. CHANGE HABITABLE BEHAVIORS

If you observe yourself, you will notice that there are certain ways to pass the time that are closely related to overeating. For example, you sit in front of the TV and eat chips. Or always eat when you cook for your family. Often this is again associated with getting pleasure. Try replacing these familiar ways with something else. For example, instead of watching TV, try walking more or spending this time with your friends. Look for new ways to have fun, try expanding your social circle, or find new interests in life other than work and food. Changing behavior is a very difficult task and the help of a psychologist or psychotherapist may also be needed here. This is especially true of addictive behavior, which we talked about earlier. At the same time, working with a psychologist, you need to take independent steps. For example, defending your own opinion over and over again in conflict situations, you can make sure that the consequences of this are not necessarily catastrophic for you.

8. REJOY THE SMALL RESULTS

A very common problem of modern man is unrealistically high demands on himself. Many people who want to lose weight are no exception. You can often hear: “I weighed 100 kg, I’ve been trying to lose weight for several months, but I only lost 5 kilograms. Is this the result?” And what happens in such a situation? You devalue your own results, your mood deteriorates, and as a result, you completely lose faith in success and the desire to continue dieting.

Therefore, it is very important to appreciate small achievements. Even if you have dropped one kilogram, this is already a victory. Let it be small, but if you were able to lose one kilogram, then you can lose two kilograms, and then ten.

One of the main points in your work with excess weight should be self-reinforcement. Simply put, your performance needs to be rewarded. The paradox is that very often it is delicious food that is for a person a means of encouraging himself. “Now I’ll come home from work and eat something delicious.” Now you have a completely different situation. You need to reward yourself, just for the fact that you did not eat what you wanted for a long time.

Try to find other ways to reward yourself. Do something that you have been wanting to do for a very long time but have been putting off: meeting with friends, going to the cinema to see your favorite movie, buying fashionable clothes.

9. LOSE WEIGHT TO LIVE, NOT LIVE TO LOSE WEIGHT

And, finally, the most important thing. Weight loss is not an end in itself. Start living in a new way now, and not when you lose weight. It’s no secret that many obese people are very shy about their appearance and try to limit their contacts with friends, public appearances, etc. And many of these people have an attitude: “Here I will lose weight, I will start to look decent, then I will meet friends (or arrange my personal life).” This is a very big mistake. Start doing everything that is planned right now. We often attribute our own thoughts to others. Maybe. Your friends do not care what you look like, and they have long been unable to understand why you are avoiding them. But, only by meeting with them, you can be sure of this.

Of course, there can always be people in your environment who will pay attention to your excess weight, but believe me, these will not be all the people you meet in life. Not all people evaluate you by the number of kilograms and appearance. Many of them care about your mood, someone is waiting for your help, and someone needs your professional knowledge. The most interesting thing is that if you communicate more, despite your fears, your mood will improve, and this will contribute to weight loss. Many women, trying to lose weight, go to extremes, bringing the body to complete exhaustion. One of the reasons for this is the unrealistic standards of beauty imposed by fashion magazines and television. Excessive passion for weight loss can be very dangerous for your health. Focus on your well-being and the recommendations of specialists. And remember that there are no absolute standards for “normal” weight. For example, you have lost a lot of weight, you feel great, but your weight is still 5 kg more than is “appropriate” for your height. There is nothing wrong with that! Better control your weight at this level and enjoy life.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

Yakov Kochetkov,

clinical psychologist,

Institute of Psychiatry, Moscow.

Go on a diet: why do Russians face a term because of weight loss drugs | Articles

A resident of Zhigulevsk in the Samara Region is facing jail time for ordering weight loss products over the Internet. As the examination showed, the capsules of the drug contained a large amount of the potent substance sibutramine. Similar stories just this month occurred in the Krasnodar Territory and the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug. Medicines for weight loss containing this substance can be absolutely legally bought in Russian pharmacies with a doctor’s prescription. However, ordering such drugs on the Internet can lead to real criminal liability. Izvestia went through the details.

Deadline for order

In Zhigulevsk, Samara region, customs officers during operational-search activities detained a woman who was found to have illegal strong substances. The fact is that some time ago, the suspect ordered weight loss products on the Internet. However, as the examination showed, 537 capsules of the drug contained almost 289 g of sibutramine. Samara customs initiated a criminal case under Part 1 of Art. 226.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Illegal movement of potent substances across the border of the Russian Federation”). This article provides for imprisonment for a term of three to seven years.

In the same month, officers of the department for combating drug smuggling of the Southern Operational Customs detained two residents of the Krasnodar Territory – a mother and a daughter – while receiving parcels with drugs containing sibutramine. Postal items arrived in Krasnodar from Kazakhstan. According to the expert’s conclusion, the ordered medicines contained sibutramine with a total weight of more than 3 kg. Criminal cases were also initiated against women on the grounds of a crime under Part 1 of Art. 226.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Photo: Privolzhsky Customs Administration

A little earlier in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, a case was opened against a woman who ordered fat burning drugs on the Internet. 33 packages of such funds were seized from her – sibutramine was also found in them. According to the suspect, she ordered drugs via the Internet in Kazakhstan for further sale. A criminal case was initiated against the woman under Part 3 of Art. 234 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Illicit trafficking in potent substances for the purpose of selling on a large scale”). She was chosen a measure of restraint in the form of an obligation to appear.

Strictly prescription

Generally, sibutramine preparations act as central nervous system stimulants in order to make a person feel fuller. However, after the use of such means for weight correction, side effects such as insomnia, headache, and even anorexia often occur.

Some time ago, sibutramine was indeed used quite often, but studies have shown that it negatively affects the central nervous and cardiovascular systems, Natalia Kruglova, a dietitian, a member of the National Association of Dietitians and Nutritionists of Russia, told Izvestia. “In general, it was canceled a long time ago in the USA, it is not used there, as well as in Europe, since this is a rather dangerous substance. There is even evidence that, in some cases, sibutramine leads to an increased risk of suicide attempts in people who take it ,” she stressed.

In European countries, the use of sibutramine in various weight loss products was suspended in 2010, when the European Medicines Agency published the results of studies on the risks of side effects of the drug. In the same year, the US Food and Drug Administration required the manufacturer to indicate in the instructions for use that sibutramine should not be used in patients who have ever had cardiovascular disease. In addition, sibutramine has also been placed on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list.

Photo: RIA Novosti / Pavel Lisitsyn

As for Russia, sibutramine was included in the list of potent and toxic substances back in 2007, according to a decree of the Russian government. This list included not only sibutramine in its pure form, but also its structural analogues, as well as all dosage forms in which it is included with pharmacologically inactive components.

This substance, although it has an appetite-suppressing effect, is in fact a psychotropic one, nutritionist Daria Rusakova told Izvestia. Patients find a way to buy these drugs on their own, she says, but by law they can only be prescribed by a doctor. This rule has been in force in the country since 2014. Then the Ministry of Health added preparations containing sibutramine as the only active substance to the list of medicines for medical use subject to quantitative accounting. This means that you can buy such drugs only in pharmacies by prescription.

– Medicines containing sibutramine are on the market, but this is a prescription drug. It is simply impossible to use it uncontrollably. But these are far from the first remedies that a dietitian or endocrinologist will prescribe, because we have certain guidelines. It is possible to resort to them only if a person has normal pressure, he does not suffer from hypertension, and only under the supervision of a doctor, Natalia Kruglova explained.

Import liability

Purchasing drugs containing sibutramine in a pharmacy in Russia is absolutely legal, but a person may be held responsible for ordering such drugs via the Internet if they are delivered from other countries, lawyer Arseniy Levinson said in a conversation with Izvestia. Thus, the acquisition from abroad of strong drugs will be classified as contraband.

– The practice of opening such criminal cases has existed for many years. There used to be registered medicines and dietary supplements containing sibutramine in Russia, but then it was recognized that they were unsafe. Therefore, dietary supplements containing this substance are not currently sold in Russia, but there are separate medicines where sibutramine is contained with other pharmacologically active components. The problem is that, in principle, a person who orders a drug on the Internet sees that such drugs can be sold in Russia by prescription. Paying for an order on the site, he does not even know that this parcel may be delivered from abroad, which will already be a violation of the law, he stressed. “We have come across such cases more than once: a person comes to receive a package and is detained and prosecuted, and quite severely at that. Thus, a person faces from three to seven years in prison for smuggling potent substances (Article 226.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) .

Photo: IZVESTIA/Alexander Kazakov

In cases where these drugs were intended for sale in large quantities, then the lot is considered as such if it contains 0.