Can’t seem
to lose weight despite your best intentions? Your mindset might be holding you
back. In this day and age, when there’s a plethora of unhealthy food to consume
and unhealthy lifestyle choices to make, it can be difficult to follow a diet
program. But if you have the right attitude to lose weight and maintain your
ideal weight, nothing is impossible.
Sheryl
Ehmene Uy-Garcia and Francis Salazar, two Cohen’s Lifestyle Program graduates who
have maintained their healthy weight for more than three years, can attest to
the effectiveness of conditioning one’s mind to lose weight. Before adapting
their new mindset, Uy-Garcia, an advertising sales unit head in her mid-30s,
and Francis Salazar, a technology consultant, both suffered from asthma and obesity.
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Sheryl Garcia,
who weighed 152 lbs., reached her healthy weight of 112 lbs.
in just six
months.
|
They turned
to the Cohen Lifestyle Program, a rapid weight-loss and
wellness program through nutrition. Salazar started the program in 2011 weighing 325
lbs., and in eight months, he lost 153 lbs. Garcia, who weighed 152 lbs., reached
her healthy weight of 112 lbs. in just six months.
 |
Francis Salazar
started the program in 2011 weighing 325 lbs.,
and in eight months, he lost 153
lbs.
|
Salazar and
Garcia share the following “mental diet” tips that they learned from joining
the program:
Assess your relationship with food. Before you can effectively lose
weight, you have to understand and deal with the
root cause of your problem first –your relationship with food. The two Cohen
clients reveal that they were emotional eaters before trying the program. Salazar
shares, “I ate when I was happy; I ate when I was sad.” It’s important to be
aware of why you may overeat and to stop feeding your emotion in order to successfully maintain your ideal weight.
Always remember your weight-loss motivation.
Losing
weight can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be, especially when you focus
on why you want to lose weight. “During one of my monthly ER visits, the doctor
warned me that my asthma was fatal and I would expire early if I didn’t take
care of myself. I enrolled in the Cohen’s Lifestyle Program because their
approach is very personal. They made me focus on my ‘why’ – to live longer for
my husband and kids,” shares Garcia. As for Salazar, his family’s medical history
compelled him to finally say goodbye to obesity. “A couple of my uncles died
due to diabetes and stroke, and my mom knows that my current situation is a ‘ticking
time bomb.’”
Have a support system. There may have been times when you wanted to give up, but with
the help and support of your family, you can push through with your weight-loss
journey and reach your goal. Garcia and Salazar stayed committed to the Cohen
Lifestyle Program with the help of their families. “A key factor that helped me
stay committed to the program is my supportive husband who encouraged and
cooked for me whenever he could,” shares Garcia. In
addition to family
support, it is also important to have the support of others who understand what
you are going through and are supportive of your desire to lose weight and be
healthier. Cohen Consultants
often meet with their clients, such as Francis and Sheryl, to help them on
their weight-loss journey.
Set realistic expectations. Weight loss doesn’t happen
overnight. You have to work for it, including sacrificing some indulgences.
“Before Cohen, I only ate pork, rice and soda, no vegetables and fruits, but
now, my plate always has salad with protein,” Garcia shares. Salazar says, “It
was okay to indulge once in a while, but not overindulge. It’s okay to enjoy
food. We eat to live, not live to eat.”
Sometimes no
matter how hard you try to stick to your diet program, set-backs happen which
can slow down your weight-loss progress or even increase your weight. The most
important thing is you do not completely let go of your goal and you get back
on track with your weight-loss program as soon as possible. Before
you know it, you can reach your goal. Salazar
says, “Now that I no longer need to lose more weight, it is okay to indulge
once in a while, but not overindulge. It’s okay to enjoy food. We eat to live,
not live to eat.”
Change your perspective on food and
diet. Your mindset
on food and diet is an essential factor in losing and maintaining weight safely
and effectively. Salazar shares, “I learned that food is not supposed to run my
life. That food is there for nourishment, but not to control me. I learned to
be a more moderate and responsible eater.” Garcia reveals, “It’s time to think
of my family, not just my comfort. I eat to survive and only occasionally, eat
to enjoy. Cohen teaches the discipline and the tools on how to make the right
food choices, and I haven’t had any asthma attacks from the first day I started
the program!”
To
know more about Cohen’s Lifestyle Program,
