Sarah Pflugradt MS RDN CSCS - Better Daily Weight Loss Habits: Simple Changes with Lifelong Impact (Better Daily Habits)

No book, including this one, can ever replace the diagnostic expertise and medical advice of a physician in providing information about your health. The information contained herein is not intended to replace medical advice. You should consult with your doctor before using the information in this or any health-related book.

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First Rockridge Press trade paperback edition 2022

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I wrote this book for YOUwere
all just out here trying to adult
without messing up too much!

CONTENTS

My name is Sarah, and I have spent most of my career helping people just like you build healthy and sustainable habits to lose weight and keep it off. As a registered dietitian and certified strength and conditioning specialist, I know the importance of adopting habits that encourage nutritious eating, more movement, and lifestyle changes that support improving your health.

What if I told you that diet culture sets you up for failure? Yep, most diets intentionally dont address the real reasons why you are overweightthat way, you remain dependent on dieting. They help you lose a few pounds and send you off into the wild... destined to find that weight again.

Theres no doubt that weight loss is challenging, but its not impossible. We live in an obesogenic environment that promotes weight gain and is not supportive of weight loss, but you can change that. The strategies and techniques in this book will help alter your mindset about what it takes to lose weight. They can be adopted by anyone and are designed to help you take real and meaningful steps closer to your health goals.

As you read this book, set intentions for change and remind yourself of why you want to lose weight. I hope you have your health in mind, but its totally okay to want to feel good in your skin, too. Dont let anyone tell you different. Let your reasons be yours alone. Lets get started!

This book provides you with manageable tips to build sustainable habit change that can help you lose weight. More importantly, improving and maintaining your physical and mental health should be a primary focus as you embark on this journey.

If you have any medical conditions or are on any medications, have a conversation with your health-care team about your intention to lose weight, especially if you have particular dietary needs. This will ensure everyone is on the same page, and your health-care team will be better prepared to answer your questions when they arise.

I encourage you to track your success using the habit tracker in the back of the book ( from chapter 6, give yourself a check mark for each day you carry your water bottle with you. You can track habits daily or weekly. Each week, you will be able to see your progress and the formation of long-lasting healthy habits. And thats encouraging!

In addition to tracking, make this book your own. Write in it, use highlighters, and make notes in the margins. Turn the corners or mark the pages that have your favorite tips to return to and read again. This is your book to use as you like.

The connection between your habits and your weight is stronger than you might think. Your decisions, conscious and unconscious, affect your health. Changing your habits is more effective than any singular diet and is the key to long-lasting and sustainable weight loss. The way habits are formed has been studied extensively in psychology, and we know that changing habits takes time; it does not happen quickly. The process consists of evaluating your environment and determining which cues trigger your habits and lead you to repeat them. This is called the habit loop. will help you understand how your habits influence your weight, how they can be changed to aid your weight loss, and how that can guide you to improved health.

T raditional dieting has created an all-or-nothing culture of fast results or failure. This is not the recipe for sustainable or healthy weight loss, and it is certainly not an indicator of your ability to reach your goals. This book takes an evidence-based approach to habit change for weight lossdeveloping a flexible rather than restrictive mindset, with a focus on the whole body rather than simply dieting and exercising.

Habits form over time and become the unconscious actions that we perform each day: our routine. Change can be hard, especially when comfort and reward are attached to behaviors. The approach outlined in this book can help you adopt new, healthier habits and reach your goals at a pace that creates long-lasting change.

Setting Your Weight Loss Goals

When you set a goal, set yourself up for success by making sure its a SMART goal: S pecific, M easurable, A ttainable, R elevant, and T ime-based.

When setting goals, it can be tempting to try to get to the finish line in the shortest amount of time possible. If youve ever dieted before, you probably know that approach may backfire. So, instead of aiming straight for the lowest weight possible, set smaller goals. For example, set a goal to lose four pounds in a month, and work to maintain that weight loss for several weeks. When youve done that, set another goal and go from there. Think of it as taking the walking trail down a mountain instead of an old sled. You just might have a safer and overall more enjoyable experience.

Your goals dont have to be just about losing weight. Its good to have other goals as well. Perhaps you want to exercise more to lower your blood pressure or improve your blood sugar levels. Maybe you just want more confidence and to feel more in control.

Setting goals to make lasting improvements to your health does not have to be a solo act; as your comfort level permits, let your friends and family know about your goals. The support you receive will be immeasurably valuable, and you might just encourage someone to join you as an accountability partner. Remember, no ones weight loss story will be like yours.

The Connection between Your Routine and Your Weight

Humans are creatures of habit. Think about it: Your routine probably looks similar each day. You might go through the same set of actions each morning after you wake up, sort of like being on autopilot. Routines are comforting, and most people thrive on structure. Routines allow you to function with the least amount of stress. Changing one thing about your daily routine has the potential to throw off your entire day. This is what can make changing a routine, aka your habits, a challenge to accomplish.