After helping people fight obesity with surgical weight loss solutions in central NJ for more than 10 years, I’ve found the most successful patients have learned to “project manage” their weight loss.
In other words, they’ve re-organized their lives in order to make nutrition, exercise and other healthy lifestyle endeavors gain equal ground with the other aspects of daily life.
It’s extraordinarily difficult to prep healthy food, squeeze in a trip to the gym (between work, home and kids) and get to bed by 11 every night if you don’t have an organized schedule to fit it all in. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and discouraged before you even begin trying to get your life more organized.
If this subject is resonating with you, not to worry — here are five small steps you can take to better organize your day while regaining control of your health.
5 Steps to Organize Your and Manage Your Weight Loss
With these five steps, essentially, you’ll be organizing and managing your weight loss in the same way you might manage a project at work or school.
1. Sit down and think hard about what’s not working.
It’s hard to concentrate on cultivating healthy habits when your brain is constantly on overload. Successful weight loss requires time, planning and focus. If you’re also listening to a harsh inner voice filled with criticism, pessimism and negative messages, your chances of success will be diminished.
As much as you need to organize your time and environment, you will also need to organize your mindset.
2. Organize your surroundings.
Without a doubt, living or working in a chaotic environment is stressful.
When you can’t find the keys, you’ll be late for appointments. Likewise, if the kitchen is a mess, there is no food in the house and you can never find your favorite sneakers, you’re putting yourself at an unnecessary disadvantage.
Start with the most disorganized space and tame it. (This can usually be accomplished in less time than you think and the results will make you feel five pounds lighter).
3. Schedule your workouts the same way you schedule a meeting.
Pick a specific time each week to review your calendar for the days ahead and schedule your workouts accordingly. Treat them as you would an important meeting or appointment. And then get there — no matter what.
4. Plan meals, grocery shopping, and cooking once a week.
Reviewing your schedule for the week will help figure out where and when you’ll be eating meals, what foods you’ll need, and how much time you’ll need to cook. Look at the weekly grocery store circular and buy the healthy items which are on sale and stock up for the future. Planning ahead saves money.
5. Go to bed — no excuses.
Sleep deprivation interferes with weight loss by confusing hormones that signal hunger and fullness levels.
Research shows that people who stay up late consume more calories than those who go to sleep at about the same time each night. When you’re tired, your willpower wanes. Even as an adult, you still need to aim for eight hours of quality sleep per night.
Getting Started
Which areas of your life could see the biggest improvement if they were just a little more organized? Start there.
In just a few short weeks, you’re going to see the positive impact that “project managing” your weight loss has on your life — and your waistline.
About Dr. Seun Sowemimo, MD, FACS
Dr. Seun is a top NJ bariatric surgeon and the medical director at Prime Surgicare, with offices in Freehold serving Monmouth and Ocean counties. He is board-certified, Columbia and Yale University fellowship-trained in advanced laparoscopic, bariatric and general surgery.
To learn more, visit his YouTube channel or call Prime Surgicare at (732)-982-2002.