Even the simplest and most effective weight loss plans can come unhinged if you allow yourself to break the pattern. We are creatures of habits, after all, and those habits will either help us stay lean or cause us to gain weight.
But even if you don’t currently have a weight loss plan, there is a way to get started on your weight loss journey without coming up with a structured program. In fact, all you need to do is to pick a couple healthy habits that, once started, will help you see returns on your weight loss for years to come.
Set Goals. How much weight do you want to lose? By when? Using an app like MyFitnessPal, you can set a goal for a weight loss amount and a time line. The app will tell you how many calories a day you need hit that goal by the time you’ve determined. A healthy weight loss range is 1-2 pounds a week. So, if your goal is to lose 10 lbs in 6 weeks, that’s roughly 1.5 lbs a week. MyFitnessPal will calculate, based on your current weight and exercise, how many calories you need per day to reach your goal.
Plan Your Meals and Make Them Healthy. Meal planning takes the stress and temptation out of your diet for the week. We make our worst decision when we are tired & hungry. Decide on everything before you go to the grocery store. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Then when you are starving and it’s 2 hours before dinner, you know that what you grab is a benefit to your health and goals.
Add in more fruits and vegetables, and a wide range. They’re loaded with helpful vitamins and minerals, and aid your body in myriad ways. Mix in plenty of whole-grain foods, too. Avoid processed foods.
Taking the time to meal prep on the weekends sets you up for serious success. Your chances of actually having that salad for dinner greatly decreases when it’s 6:30 and you still have to chop everything after being a work
Exercise Frequently and Consistently. There isn’t one magic exercise program that fits everyone. So, which do you choose?The best choice is exercise with the least obstacles and what you enjoy the most. Joining a gym across town or vowing to run 100 miles a week if you’re a beginner is likely setting yourself up for failure and injury. If you work from home, a power walk on your lunch break may work for you, or maybe invest in a Peloton. If you pass a gym on your route, it may work great for you to work out on your way home. What ever you decide, shoot for 4-5x a week and be consistent for the best results.
Sleep Matters. Strive for 7 to 8 hours every night. If you’re tired, you won’t have the energy you need to make other changes like exercise or meal planning.
Track It. Food tracking and journaling can help you see what you consume. If you notice a bad pattern, work to eliminate it. If it’s good, congratulate yourself and reinforce it. A pen and a notebook or a notes app work great, but apps like MyFitnessPal can really help as they already have all of the caloric and nutritional information added in (even for most restaurant meals!) which helps you see the full picture and saves you time.
Talk to Us About How We Can Help. Here at Stellar Performance Medical we have options to help you on your weight loss journey! Click here to read about what we have to offer.
Call or stop by our office to find out what therapies would work best for you!
