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When it comes to losing weight are you a perfectionist? You know who you are: you'd never miss a workout, even when you're sick. You step on the scale and no matter what it says, even if it's a few pounds less than the last time you weighed in, it's still not enough.
It's great to be motivated, but you also have to cut yourself some slack from time to time. If you set the bar too high, any setback, no matter how minor, can cause your progress and success to tumble like a house of cards so you have to start over-again. You can put an end to the pressure and stop stressing by adopting an 80/20 approach-that is, you should strive to make healthy choices 80 percent of the time. This leaves room in your weight loss and fitness programs for both planned and surprise setbacks.
Here's how to do it:
• Avoid using "good" or "bad" to describe yourself, your food or your behavior. These words promote the all-or-nothing pattern you're trying to escape. Instead, choose the words "healthy" or "unhealthy."
• Establish a range for your goals to allow for more flexibility. For instance, "I will walk 30 minutes four to six times this week" is a healthier goal than aiming to walk every day.
• Take a day off from exercise each week. Use the time to focus on a nurturing activity, such as reading a good book or writing.
• Make peace with the idea that an occasional "maintenance" week or weekend is okay. You can allow yourself to make mostly healthy choices, but also cut yourself a little slack from your regular routine.
• Place a note on your mirror, in your car or on your calendar to remind yourself to relax and let go of trying to be perfect.
• Have realistic weight-loss expectations. Nothing causes more frustration than thinking you should be losing weight faster than you are. Aim to lose up to 1 percent of your body weight each week, but realize that plateaus are a normal part of the journey.
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