Can-do attitude, action plan key to weight loss resolutions

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It's long past the time to make New Year's resolutions, but it isn't too late to assess how you're doing on the ones you made. Weight loss is one of the more popular resolutions, and one of the more challenging ones to continue.

Now is the time of year when you experience the many obstacles of sustaining health behavior changes to promote weight loss. Good intentions to begin the year require renewed vigor to reach your goals.

So, what can help keep you on track? Before going there, let's look at some things you should consider when you're beginning a weight loss program. Is this a good time in your life to do this? Are you able to commit the time? Or, are there things going on in your life that you need to attend to first? There are other similar considerations outlined in Chapter 1 of our book "The Mayo Clinic Diet".

Once you decide to make a commitment to continue your weight loss efforts, then you can identify obstacles you may be experiencing and consider solutions and strategies to deal with them. These obstacles may include time pressures or something more specific such as portion control. The important point is there are many obstacles, they vary for each of us, and the strategies to overcome them may vary individually as well.

When undertaking weight loss, everyone experiences obstacles and challenges. Expect them and use problem solving behaviors to address them. For every obstacle, there are strategies and potential solutions. They may not be perfect, but something can be done. By approaching obstacles in this manner, you can adopt a can-do attitude, which will make you much more likely to achieve your goals.

Beginning on page 180 in "The Mayo Clinic Diet", there's an action guide that describes many different obstacles in nutrition, physical activity, and behavioral change along with strategies on how to deal with them. You may have experienced others. Please share with us what obstacles you've experienced and how you've overcome them.

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