ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Weight Loss Management and Personal Responsibility

Updated on January 2, 2012

Weight Loss Management

The first step in weight loss is to make the decision that you are ready to do it. And you are ready to begin today -- right now -- from this point forward -- until you have achieved your goal. Planning to begin tomorrow, the first of the year, or on your birthday is likely the beginning of the end of your decision to lose weight.

I can say this because I have been there -- and it wasn't very long ago. I had been "thinking about" taking control of my health and my lifestyle choices that would result in weight loss for a long time. I thought about it every day and every day I would say to myself, "I'll start tomorrow morning." Hundreds of days passed by with no changes made on my part.

Then, just weeks ago, I made the decision to take control of my life and my weight, beginning that very moment. You can do it, too.

Weight loss management sounds official and perhaps difficult, but it really isn't. What will be difficult to varying degrees for each individual is the development of new, healthier habits and lifestyle choices and unlearning the older, unhealthy habits that got you to this point in the first place.

The good news is that for most individuals, regularly repeated actions and choices become habits within four to six weeks. You and I, we just have to get through the first 42 days before our new choices become automatic responses.

Weight loss is based on a simple equation: Take in fewer calories than you expend in physical activity. Please note, I am saying the way to lose weight is a simple equation. I am not going to pretend that the actual actions required to meet that equation will be easy.

It will be tough at times, especially at first. But one of the attributes of human behavior is that we value that which comes to us through effort, and effort will be needed for you to reach your goal.

Weight Loss Motivation Comes from Within

Consider Lifestyle Changes

Who's In Control -- You or Everyone Else?

Social psychology theory uses a term called "locus of control." This term differentiates between an internal locus of control and an external locus of control. People with an internal locus of control feel that they are in charge of their lives and life situations; by contrast, people with an external locus of control feel as if they have little to do or say that affects their lives but rather forces outside of them are in control of their lives and life situations.

In a study that determined the difference in adherence to treatment for high blood pressure, it was observed that people with an internal locus of control more closely adhered to the prescribed treatment regimen than did people with an external locus of control. I believe these observations translate also into weight loss management.

It stands to reason that if I believe I am in control of what happens to me, I also believe I am the one who has to do whatever is necessary to change my overweight or obesity status. I am the one who is in charge of, and responsible for, the state of my health.

I don't believe this to mean that people with an external locus of control cannot manage their weight, I believe it will take more mental effort for such people to remain motivated to do so.

Weight loss is never an easy proposition. The lifestyle choices and changes that must be made and maintained to initiate weight loss and sustain a healthy weight. Internal or external locus of control -- it can be achieved by everyone.

The motivation to become healthier through lifestyle changes in foods eaten, portion control and other choices to be made must come from within yourself. The motivation to become healthier through lifestyle changes that include more physical activity must come from within yourself.


Chart of U.S. counties rates of obesity in 2007
Chart of U.S. counties rates of obesity in 2007 | Source
working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)