Weight Loss - Treat Yourself Like Royalty

Winning After Losing: Keep Off the Weight You've Lost - Forever
by Stacey Halprin

(Page 7 of 7)

A wonderful way to celebrate the new you and reinforce your self-esteem and your self-worth is to treat yourself like royalty. You've worked hard to get to this point and you deserve to reward yourself and feel like a queen or a king as often as you can. The better you treat yourself, the more you start to believe that you deserve to be treated well-and then the better you treat yourself. You've been caught in enough vicious cycles in your life to know how a cycle works. So use that know-how to create a victory cycle. Now that's beauty!

HOT TIP

Smile and the World Smiles with You!

For me, putting my best face forward means taking care of my teeth. They were in terrible shape from eating tons of sugar, so one of the first things I did after losing weight was find a dentist to repair and restore my smile. I also had my teeth whitened. (If you're thinking you can't afford to have proper dental care, I say you can't afford not to. Turn every stone until you find a way to get it done.) Now taking care of my teeth is one of my highest priorities. I brush and floss at least two times a day and I drink coffee with a straw so I don't stain my teeth. Certain shades of lipstick like coral and red will also show off the brilliance of your smile.

If you have a budget that will allow you to spend some money on your own pleasure and comforts, take advantage of it. If you don't, you can still treat yourself like you treat your best houseguests without spending a dime. Think of it as four-star living on a shoestring budget. Use the thick, fluffy towels you keep in the back of the closet for company. Eat dinner on your favorite plates. Use your china and crystal. Spend time in your living room when you don't have company. (There's a reason it's called a living room! Make the name fit.) Take the plastic covers off your furniture and find out how comfortable it is without them. Sit on your sofa, or better yet, lounge on it, instead of just admiring it when you walk by. Wear the clothing and perfume you're saving for a hot date or a special occasion and sleep in your sexiest nightgowns, even when you're alone. (You can't feel good in your sleep shirt that has food stains on it!) Recycle your jumbo plastic tumbler and drink from pretty glasses that you like to look at and hold. Pull your best handbags out of storage and wash your hands with those pretty little soaps that are collecting dust in your guest bathroom. Say good-bye to depriving yourself of life's finer things, beginning with the ones under your own roof, and say hello to celebrating the new you and your new way of life!

THE IMPERFECT TEN

The Top Ten Things That People in the Winners' Circle Have in Common

People who stick to a healthy game plan and keep the weight off have some important things in common. This list isn't based on scientific research or surveys, and it may cause some unwanted side effects, like rolling eyes, whining, and moaning. In no official order:

1. They believe in every fiber of their being that they can keep the weight off. No matter how many times they've failed in the past, they know this time is different, even if they don't make that claim to others.

2. When they need help, they admit it and get it. They never fool themselves into believing they can go it alone.

3. They plan ahead and don't let themselves get into food situations that might make them give up control, and they stick to their plan. They don't care how many people roll their eyes when they order olive oil, no butter, or salad with the dressing on the side.

4. If they stray from their food plan, at the very next mealtime, they eat healthy. Even if they ate a row of Oreos, they get right back on track. They don't say, "I blew it so I might as well keep eating." They don't starve themselves after bingeing to make up for the calories, because the winners know it does not work. (Starving will eventually lead to tilting back the fridge!)

5. They weigh themselves, but not obsessively. (If you're asking, "How often is obsessive?" you're probably weighing yourself too much.)

6. They never shop for groceries or go to a party hungry. They are well aware that's an accident waiting to happen.

7. They practice forgiveness for themselves and for others. They know that harboring bad feelings will eventually lead to harboring unwanted pounds.

8. They have a strong reason for wanting to maintain their healthy weight.

9. They practice living in the moment. They don't allow themselves to dwell on the past or the future.

10. They don't say, "Sure, Oprah can be thin because she can afford a personal trainer and a cook!" (No one burns the calories for her.)

About the Author

Stacey Halprin lives in New York City.