If you’ve found yourself with a higher body mass index (BMI) than you’re comfortable with, here are four simple steps you can take to help achieve a healthy BMI.
If you’re not sure where your BMI is at, use our simple BMI calculator to find out.
Read more helpful articles about BMI on Jenny Hub:
• BMI: Measuring Success
• Nature Vs. Nurture and Your BMI
• How to Score a Healthy BMI
Set realistic and achievable goals
Set yourself up for success from the beginning by setting goals that you know you can achieve. This way, you’re more likely to get to where you want to be. Telling yourself you want to lose 10kg in four weeks is not realistic and will only lead to reduced motivation when you don’t succeed at the unachievable goal. Knowing that you can do something (self-efficacy) is a key to driving your motivation.
Keep a food diary
People who monitor what they do are more successful with lifestyle changes. Recording what you are doing in a food or weight-loss diary serves a few purposes.
First, it gives you a baseline of where you are currently, and can help you identify areas that you might need to work on. Sometimes, we’re not aware of habits that are contributing to our weight until we stop to record them.
Second, the simple act of writing things down can also influence your behaviour and lead to change. It then helps to keep you on track.
Finally, keeping a diary can act as a powerful motivator and a reminder of how far you’ve come. Sometimes, when you don’t see changes physically (which is normal at times), it’s good to look back and remind yourself of where you started, and all the changes you’ve made so far that are collectively improving your health.
Choose to do activity you enjoy
There’s no point thrashing it out at the gym for hours if you hate it and can’t sustain that level of activity. Find ways of moving that you enjoy and will look forward to. If you’re doing nothing, start small and build up to being active for at least 30 minutes on most days.
Think of movement as a long-term habit and not just as a way to lose weight. As it becomes part of your routine it will not only help with long-term weight management but also boost your general health and wellbeing.
Get support
Having the support of others is a key to success and achieving a healthy BMI. Find people who will listen to you, respect your goals and understand why those goals are important to you. They may even join you on your lifestyle change. This might be a family member, friend or colleague – these are the people who will support and motivate you through the ups and downs.
At Jenny Craig, you also have the one-on-one personal support of your own Consultant, who is there with you every step of the way.
