Planning a Unique Strategy for Successful and Consistent Weight Loss
Be honest - don’t you want the process of losing weight to be simple? Most of us harbor a belief that it can be, and that’s a direct result of how weight loss is marketed to us. The number of times we’ve heard, “calories in, calories out”— throughout our lives is incalculable. While it’s true that consuming fewer calories throughout the day than you burn off will lead to weight loss, your method of achieving that calorie deficit will be unique. Allow your original set of circumstances, including lifestyle and genetics, to dictate the type and frequency of the routines you consciously choose to implement. And, use this self-information to form a strategic plan for shedding unhealthy fat that includes three primary areas of focus: nutrition, exercise, and self-monitoring.
#1.) Nutrition
Extremely restrictive dieting plans can certainly help you achieve fast results, but the statistics don’t lie. Only about 20% of overweight dieters manage to maintain their weight loss, no matter the form of diet plan, in the long term. Prolonged weight loss success and real vibrant health comes far more frequently from making smaller changes to our nutrition on a daily basis. To start your change-making, try the following:
~Give your pantry and fridge a makeover, and ditch tempting foods that might steer you off track.
~Calculate your BMR and activity level before deciding how many calories you should take in per day.
~Research portion sizes. Make sure you know what a food’s proper serving size looks like on your plate.
~Count calories. Many free sites exist where you can keep track of your net calorie count.
#2.) Exercise
The first thing to know about exercise is that finding what fits is a trial and error process. Developing a routine you can stick to may take time, so flexibility with activities, schedules, and frequencies will help you figure out an exercise schedule you actually like!
~Your exercise plan should consist of three main forms: cardio, strength training, and flexibility training. And, it’s totally possible to double up on them at once. For instance, yoga conserve as both your strength training and flexibility training for the day in a single session.
~Varying the intensity of your workouts can be helpful, since a harder intensity is often synonymous with less time spent training.
~Incorporate as much movement into your life as possible. NEAT, or Non-exercise activity thermogenesis, is how we burn calories simply by living our lives, and we do more of it the more we move!
#3.) Self-monitoring
If you really intend to maintain weight loss, then it’s important to change your habits slowly and track your progress. Be aware of functional milestones as your body starts to change. Notice when your
clothes are fitting looser as you lose weight and as it gets easier to move around. Follow the tips below to assist with your self-monitoring endeavors:
~Test your body fat on a regular basis. Body fat percentage is far more useful than a number on the scale, since your scale can’t differentiate between fat and lean muscle tissue.
~Maintain an exercise journal. Doing so can be an excellent motivator and can help you decide when it’s time to switch up your workout routine!
~Keep a food journal. Writing down your food choices forces you to consciously acknowledge them. Having to go through even this minor inconvenience can signal to your brain that you should think twice about your nutritional decisions.
~Join a local weight loss club or national support group. Even virtual weight loss support can help!
Once you have a personal weight loss plan in place that includes exercise, proper nutrition, and self monitoring, the last thing to know before implementing it is that it’s going to change. Remember that you can maintain your consistency while also practicing flexibility. Our best advice is to keep things balanced. Try to work treats into your diet by indulging in, perhaps, a handful of chips or a small piece of chocolate every day, and don’t stress or restrict too much. That can lead to binging on the very foods we’re trying to steer clear of. Lastly, don’t give up! You’re going to make mistakes and veer off course. But, just like in meditation when noticing thoughts, acknowledge whatever human foibles arose, and move forward by letting them go.
