Gratitude May Help Prevent Holiday Weight Gain
Chicago, Ill. (PRWEB) November 23, 2015 -- Gratitude can be a powerful tool for weight loss this holiday season, according to wellness experts at Retrofit, the leading provider of weight-management programs.
“Gratitude keeps you motivated and helps you recognize your progress and results, whether it be feeling better to having more energy to keeping up with your kids,” said Jennifer Plotnek, MSW, lead behavior coach, Retrofit. “When you take a moment to appreciate any recent health-related accomplishments, whether it’s losing a few pounds or dialing down your blood pressure medications, it makes you want to continue losing weight and improving your health.”
While gratitude is often associated with Thanksgiving Day, Retrofit wellness experts report that this practice is important long after you finish your turkey dinner.
“The truth is that showing gratitude can and should be part of your everyday life, especially if you're looking to maintain your current weight during the holiday season,” Plotnek said.
While there's no magic pill for health and happiness, research has revealed some pretty compelling reasons to give thanks on a daily basis:
It may keep the doctor away. In a study published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, participants were asked to jot down a few sentences in a journal each week, focusing on particular topics. After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives than those who focused on sources of aggravation. What's more, the grateful subjects also exercised more and had fewer visits to the doctor.
It improves your mindset. When you focus on the positives in your life, you automatically become less critical and judgmental—both of others and of yourself. In his book “Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier,” Dr. Robert Emmons of the University of California at Davis cites research that suggests practicing gratitude can increase happiness levels by approximately 25 percent.
It helps you see beyond yourself. By acknowledging the source of the goodness in your life, you will likely connect to something beyond yourself— whether it’s to other people, nature or a higher power.
With your long list of to-do’s this holiday season, taking the time to thank others and stop sweating the small stuff may seem like a low priority. But it can help you get into the holiday spirit—and keep you there all year long. Best of all, it doesn’t even require a huge time commitment. Here are six ways to practice gratitude in five minutes or less:
1. Write down the most important thing you are thankful for first thing in the morning or just before bed.
2. When you hear yourself complaining about a particular person or situation, stop and instead of getting sucked into a vortex of negativity, ask: “What can I do to help this person or make the situation better?”
3. When you’re out buying gifts for others, pick up a small token for yourself that represents something for which you are grateful.
4. Come up with an appreciation mantra and repeat it five to 10 times when you wake up, when you’re stuck in traffic or waiting in line at the department store or just before you go to sleep. Not much of a wordsmith? Try something along the lines of “I am deserving of good health and happiness” or “I am enough.”
5. Turn pre-printed holiday cards into grateful greetings by including a short, handwritten note thanking those in your life for their support.
About Retrofit
Retrofit offers weight management solutions that help employers tackle obesity and deliver proven outcomes and lasting results. Ninety percent of participants lose weight and 68 percent keep it off 18 months later. Retrofit clients also are two times more satisfied than those on other weight-loss programs, according to a recent client satisfaction survey. Retrofit attributes its success to five key factors: 1) a scientifically based program design; 2) highly credentialed experts who drive a personalized experience and true engagement; 3) a multi-disciplinary, high-tech/high-touch approach; 4) the adaptability of the program to integrate or run discreetly within organizations’ broader wellness ecosystems, and 5) “happiness delivered” with proven outcomes that transform lives and workplaces. For more information, visit http://www.RetrofitMe.com. Also follow the company on Facebook and Twitter at @retrofitme.
Nora Dudley, Retrofit, Inc., http://www.retrofitme.com, +1 (773) 330-5540, [email protected]
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