Several employers have begun encouraging their employees to lose weight. With so many fad diets out there, it can be confusing as to what really works. Employers that are starting a weight loss program should sit down with their employees and go over some of the misconceptions about weight loss. Try to create 3 or 4 different weight loss plans for your employees to follow and let them select the one that best suits their lifestyle.
Step # 1 – Bring in a Fitness Expert
If you go to a gym and use a personal trainer, ask them if they would be willing to come in and offer some fitness tips to your employees. The personal trainer will be able to create some diet and exercise programs for the different body types you have employed at your company. Then the employees can follow the correct weight loss plan. The personal trainer will be able to set the myths and misconceptions straight about weight loss and tell your employees how to really lose weight. They will talk about the importance of eating meals (not skipping meals) and what foods will actually help them burn calories.
If you can pay the personal trainer, have them meet with each of your employees one-on-one. The personal trainer will be able to discuss their body image and how they want to be seen by other people. They can make a special diet and exercise plan for each employee, this way everyone will be working toward their own goals with a plan that is custom-made to their body.
Step # 2 – Staying Positive about Weight Loss
Losing weight is no easy task; it takes several weeks of hard exercise and a healthy diet to start to see results. So many people give up exercise and diets after only a week or two because they did not see any results. You need to give the new program at least 6 weeks before you should expect to see any results. To help your employees stay positive about weight loss, you need to remove all the temptations from the office. Don’t leave the vending machines full of soda pop and candy bars. Purchase fresh fruit platters for your employees to snack on. Baby carrots and celery are wonderful snack foods for your employees. If your employees don’t have access to the sugary snacks, they won’t eat them and most employees will snack on the new healthy foods instead.
Step # 3 – Remind Employees of Their Goals
Don’t let your employees give up on weight loss after a few days. You need to keep up with your employees each week and ask them how they are doing. You don’t need to be a drill sergeant about their weight loss, just have a causal conversation with them about the new weight loss program and find out how they are doing.
Schedule a staff meeting and surprise everyone with a yoga class instead. Encourage all of your employees to do exercises while they are at work. Try to get them to walk on their lunch breaks, even if you need to be the ring leader to get them all outside. If they can exercise for 30 minutes at work and another 30 minutes at home, they will be on their way to achieving their weight loss goals.
If you are offering incentives for weight loss, keep a scorecard of how the different teams are doing. This will inspire your employees to work harder at their weight loss goals, especially if they know there is a big reward for them if they lose a lot of weight.