Weight loss is arguably the most infamous of all New year’s resolutions. Everybody makes them but only a few actually follow through.
As if it’s not hard enough to keep weight loss resolutions, social media and its slew of celebrities and influencers flaunting their perfect bodies make it even harder.
As a result, most people resort to quick fixes. Following dubious fitness fads, taking diet supplements, drinking fat-burning tea, or getting surgery.
Which, more often than not, are expensive, ineffective, or worst, contains ingredients that can be a potential risk to your health.
So if this year is the year that you fulfill your weight-loss resolution, here are some tips to get you started:
Identify your motivation.
Before starting any weight-loss program, ask yourself: Why do I want to lose weight?
- Is it for your health?
- Is it to boost your self-confidence?
- Is it a short-term goal? (e.g., attending a wedding or reunion)
- Is it for another person? (i.e., your child, your partner, your parents)
- Is it for a job? (e.g., so you can perform better)
Because the answer to this will define your approach to losing weight.
Knowing your motivation and letting it guide you on your weight-loss journey, ensures that you’ll make a commitment to reach your goals.
Set your weight loss goals.
Everybody’s body is different. What type of exercise your body responds to, might not work as well for others.
So work with your doctor, trainer, or nutritionist to identify SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reliable, and Timebound) goals for your body type, metabolism, and current health condition.
Being able to easily and quickly identify areas where you can improve, gives you a better picture of where you are in your weight-loss journey.
Knowing exactly what area in your program needs improvement, allows you to immediately address the problem.
Seeing the numbers change in proportion to the amount of work you put in, can definitely boost your morale during your weight-loss journey.
But on days when you’re feeling unmotivated, reaching out to a community like HeySpotMeGirl – and getting advice from women who’ve also been in your position – will definitely get you up and working out in no time.
Make a plan.
Having a plan in your weight-loss journey, not only serves as your guide, it also keeps you accountable.
Create a personalized plan with your physician, trainer, and nutritionist that works with your current work schedule, daily routine, and health condition.
A sample plan can include:
- Changing your diet. Depending on your doctor or nutrionist’s advice, you can make extreme dietary changes (i.e., veganism, keto, complete removal of any processed food) or simply following these tips to add more of these food to lose weight effectively.
- Creating a personalized exercise regimen.
- This is especially helpful if you’re suffering from any injuries that might prevent you from doing high-impact exercise such as HIIT, CrossFit, or spinning.
- For seniors, consider adding more low-impact yet effective exercises like water aerobics or calisthenics in your exercise regimen instead.
- Purchase a gym membership. For most people, paying for gym membership is the ultimate show of commitment to shed the weight off.
Of course, things will not always happen according to your plan. That’s just real life. What matters is if you can course correct and get back on track.
Drink a lot of water.
Drinking water is such an underrated fitness activity. Keeping your body hydrated is the simplest way to make sure it performs at its peak.
Aside from transporting essential nutrient, drinking enough water during your workout helps in:
- Regulating your body’s temperature.
- Keeping your muscles loose, so you avoid cramps.
- Preventing dehydration.
- Burning fat more effectively.
If you exercise for more than an hour, make sure to drink water that has electrolytes for quick absorption in your body.
Water’s also calorie-free and don’t have the sneaky added sugars and caloric content that sodas, coffee, tea, and juices have.
Bringing a refillable water bottle ensures that you have enough drinking water wherever you’re working out.
Take a walk.
When you’re feeling unmotivated and don’t want to go to the gym, instead of skipping on your workout, take a walk instead.
You can take the stairs going up your office building, you can walk to the restaurant during your lunch break, or you can take a longer route while walking your dog after work.
You can also use it as an opportunity to meditate, get caught up on your podcast to-listen list, or just get acquainted with your neighborhood.
Conclusion
Losing weight is a lifetime commitment. So make sure that you have the right motivation before starting your program.
Also keep in mind, that even the best laid plans will have hiccups. What matters is how you bounce back and get back on track.
Lastly, don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for taking the first step towards reaching your goals.