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 Salazar, a technology consultant, both suffered from asthma and obesity.
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.
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.
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, visit www.CohenLifestyle.com.ph, or visit Cohen Lifestyle Phil on Facebook and @cohenlifestyleph on Instagram.
