Can-do attitude, action plan key to weight loss resolutions
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/keeping-weight-loss-resolutions/MY02009
- With Mayo Clinic preventive medicine specialist
Donald Hensrud, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Donald Hensrud, M.D.
Donald Hensrud, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.
Dr. Donald D. Hensrud is chair of the Division of Preventive, Occupational and Aerospace Medicine with a joint appointment in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, & Nutrition at Mayo Clinic. He is an associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Dr. Hensrud directed the Executive Health Program at Mayo Clinic for more than 10 years.
He received his B.S. from the University of North Dakota, M.D. from the University of Hawaii, M.P.H. from the University of Minnesota and M.S. in nutrition sciences from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed residency training in internal medicine and fellowship training in preventive medicine at Mayo Clinic and completed a clinical nutrition fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Dr. Hensrud is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Preventive Medicine and the American Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists, of which he is a past president.
His career interests have combined nutrition, weight management, and prevention. He is the author of many scientific articles and book chapters and was editor of Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody; The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook, which won a 2005 James Beard Foundation award; The Mayo Clinic Plan: 10 Essential Steps to a Better Body & Healthier Life; and The Mayo Clinic Diet, published in January 2010.
Dr. Hensrud says healthy lifestyle habits in diet and physical activity are extremely important as evidenced by a large body of scientific evidence. He also says implementing these lifestyle habits is realistic, sustainable and enjoyable. A primary goal of his work is to help people achieve this.
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Feb. 16, 2012
Can-do attitude, action plan key to weight loss resolutions
By Donald Hensrud, M.D.
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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