Today's post is based on keys to a successful weight loss journey. The following are some of the things that I have found help people the most. These aren't in any particular order. I just wrote them as they came to me.
Set realistic and specific goals. You
have to start with goals, both long term and, more importantly, short term. General goals like, "I want to lose weight", or "I want to look better" aren't specific enough, and goals like "I want to lose 30 pounds in 2 weeks" or "I want to drop 5 sizes in 2 weeks" aren't realistic. Goals like these will just set you up to fail. It didn't take 2 weeks to put the weight on, so don't expect it to come off that quickly, especially if you want to keep it off.
So, your long term goal might be something like this: "I'd like to lose 5-10 pounds by next month" or "I'd like to go down a size or 2 by next month." Keep the goal reachable--if you only have 5 pounds to lose--this goal is going to be tougher to reach. You could add on a longer goal as well, say "I'd like to lose x amount in 6 months."
Short term goals would be along the lines of "I plan to work out for at least 20 minutes every day this week" or "I will eat a healthy breakfast everyday." Your short term goals do not have to be weight related. Especially at the beginning of a weight loss program, if you are strength training, you may not see a huge change on the scale. Your clothes, however, will start to get looser indicating that something good is going on. Try to add on a new short term goal each week.
Eat breakfast everyday, and don't skip meals. Yes, you will need to lower your calorie intake in order to lose weight, but that doesn't mean you should be skipping meals. Your body needs fuel to function. If you deprive it of that fuel, it won't necessarily go into your fat stores to find it, it will instead go into starvation mode and hang onto every calorie you put into your body, thus slowing your metabolism down.
Breakfast is an especially important meal. Think about it, if dinner, or even a light snack after is the last thing you eat, it's at least 8 to 10 hours until you get up in the morning. If you skip breakfast and wait until noon to eat, that could be potentially 15 hours since your last meal. Your body is
not happy. If you regularly skip breakfast, you probably are either a 4:00 in the afternoon, or a late night snacker. This is your body's way of trying to make up for the calories you didn't consume earlier. Breakfast does not have to be a big deal and it doesn't have to be "breakfast" food. If you don't like eggs or cereal, have a sandwich. If you just can't stomach a big meal in the morning, make a smoothie or have some Greek yogurt, but eat something and then you can have a bigger snack an hour or two later to bridge the gap.
Find healthier options that you enjoy eating. Healthy eating doesn't mean that you can never eat pizza or ice cream again. Healthy eating doesn't mean that you are going to be forced to live on rabbit food for the rest of your life. Trust me, there are healthier options out there for everything that you love to eat. Cooking things yourself is the easiest way to do this. With the help of the internet, finding recipes that include healthier alternatives is easy. Will there be failures, of course. But you will also find things that work. In my opinion, a tootsie roll will
never be a substitute for a chocolate craving, but a piece of dark chocolate (yes, I can eat just one) or a chocolate pudding or yogurt cup works for me.
If you eat out a lot or do fast food, I suggest you look into the Eat This, Not That website (linked on the right sidebar). You'll be surprised to know that the McDonald's McDouble isn't completely ruled out--just rethink those fries. If you have it with a Fruit n Yogurt Parfait instead, your lunch is only 550 calories (if you order it without cheese, it's even less) and it only cost $2.00. The McDouble is actually less calories than the Classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich. If you
have to have the fries--order a Hamburger happy meal. It's all about substitutions.
Know what a portion is. This one is actually quite easy. A portion of protein should be the size of your palm, a portion of carbs, the size of your fist and a portion of fat, the size of your thumb. Remember, most vegetables are freebies--eat as much as you like (they also keep your plate looking full--remember 1/2 your plate should be veggies), just don't load on the butter or salad dressing. The exception to the freebies are starchy veggies like potatoes and corn. Eating enough fruit is important too.
Eat protein with every meal and snack. Eating a bit of protein with every meal will help keep you fuller longer. It takes the body longer to break down the protein. Some good snack options that incorporate protein are: a small apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter or a piece of string cheese, hummus with whole wheat crackers or pretzels, greek yogurt with berries mixed in, etc.
Keep track of what you eat, and what you do. Keeping a food and exercise journal is important to keep you on track with both your eating and fitness goals. If you have it written down, you can see where things are working and where they are not. This will allow you to continually tweak things when they aren't working, and understand what things are. It also holds you accountable. Sometimes you may stop and ask yourself, "Do I really want to write that down?" "Maybe I should eat something else instead."
Stop drinking your calories. Calories from sugary drinks like pop and juice and alcoholic drinks can add up fast. Drink more water and tea (a cup or two of black coffee is okay as well). Add slices of frozen lemon, lime or orange to your water or tea. I also like the LaCroix flavored carbonated water, just be careful, carbonated beverages can cause bloating.
Do not use artificial sweeteners. More and more studies are showing that people who use artificial sweeteners have a harder time losing weight.
From WebMD:
June 30, 2004 -- Sugar substitutes may offer sweet treats for calorie-conscious dieters, but a new study shows that they may also play tricks on the body and sabotage weight-loss efforts.
Researchers say artificial sweeteners may interfere with the body's natural ability to count calories based on a food's sweetness and make people prone to overindulging in other sweet foods and beverages.
For example, drinking a diet soft drink rather than a sugary one at lunch may reduce the calorie count of the meal, but it may trick the body into thinking that other sweet items don't have as many calories either.
Researchers say the findings show that losing the ability to judge a food's calorie content based on its sweetness may be contributing to the dramatic rise inoverweight and obesity rates in the U.S.
This does not mean you should drink regular pop. If you must use a sweetener, use stevia.
Put exercise on your calendar. We put other important things on our calendars. Exercise is important! Join a class, or make workout plans with a buddy to hold yourself more accountable.
Find activities you enjoy. If you hate what you are doing for exercise, I guarantee you that you will not stick with it for very long. Do you like being around other people? Then a class would be good for you. Are you competitive? Then some sort of team or individual sport might be your best option. Do you like to dance? Find a club or class that is dance based. Just ask yourself what you like to do--there's a class, team or group out there to do it with!
Mix it up. If you are doing the same routine day in a day out, you will either a) get bored and quit or b) plateau and get frustrated that you can't lose any more weight and quit. Try new things. No one says you have to change forever. If you love to bike, do that, but once in a while take a hike instead. If you love to swim, change it up by running your laps once in a while--the water provides great resistance and you use your muscles in a completely different way.
Surround yourself with supportive people. This is a big one that I've talked about before. Stay away from people who want to sabotage what you are doing. Let them know if they are doing or saying something that you feel gets in the way of your health and fitness goals. Ask them for their support. If they give it, great, if not, stay away from them if you can.
