Your Weight Loss Program Will Be a Success if You Plan Ahead
This time you will lose the weight you want and keep it off. How? By planning ahead. Any weight loss program is a change in your lifestyle. Most people are resistant to change and prefer the status quo.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re going low carb, South Beach, or just cutting your calories, make sure you have the tools you need. Number one priority is a reliable scale. A digital readout is best, as you can see it clearly from a standing position. And you don’t have to guess whether you weigh 130 pounds, 129 pounds or 131, the readout will tell you.
You need a tape measure. Sometimes the scale doesn’t budge but you’re still losing inches. Measure yourself around your chest or bust line, your waist, stomach and buttocks. You can also measure each thigh. Those body parts have the most fat deposits. Upper arms can get flabby as well, but it’s more difficult to measure around your arms accurately by yourself.
A journal is important and not just for keeping track of what you eat. You can make notes of how you feel and see if you’re bingeing when you’re upset. Tracking your exercise progress, noting your weight and your measurements on a weekly basis will give you a feeling of progress.
If your weight loss hits a plateau, you can look at your journal and see if you’ve been slipping up, either by eating too much or not exercising enough.
The next step is to set a weight loss goal. “Trying to lose some weight,” is a way to failure. Don’t “try.” Do it.
See: How To Set a SMART Weight Loss Goal
If your goal is more than a few pounds, give yourself a reasonable amount of time to accomplish it. Headlines that scream LOSE 7 LBS THIS WEEKEND are meant to sell magazines but are not a realistic goals.
To lose one pound of fat you have to either burn off 3500 calories or eat 3500 calories less than what your body requires.
The average person needs 2000 calories a day. Of course if you’re very active or sedentary, your mileage will vary.
See: How to Calculate a Calorie Deficit
If you cut 500 calories from your daily consumption you can expect to lose one pound a week – 500 calories a day times 7 days equals 3500.
Increase your exercise by 250 calories a day in addition to cutting calories and your weight loss goal would be 1.5 pounds a week or 6 to 7 pounds a month.
If you need to lose 25 pounds it will take you about 4 months. That rate of weight loss is safe and the weight will probably stay off. Write down a weekly target weight on your calendar.
Now you’re not “trying to lose weight,” you’re actively pursuing your goal!
Must Read
7 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism
How to Count Calories
28 Day Calorie Counting Boot Camp
It doesn’t matter whether you’re going low carb, South Beach, or just cutting your calories, make sure you have the tools you need. Number one priority is a reliable scale. A digital readout is best, as you can see it clearly from a standing position. And you don’t have to guess whether you weigh 130 pounds, 129 pounds or 131, the readout will tell you.
You need a tape measure. Sometimes the scale doesn’t budge but you’re still losing inches. Measure yourself around your chest or bust line, your waist, stomach and buttocks. You can also measure each thigh. Those body parts have the most fat deposits. Upper arms can get flabby as well, but it’s more difficult to measure around your arms accurately by yourself.
A journal is important and not just for keeping track of what you eat. You can make notes of how you feel and see if you’re bingeing when you’re upset. Tracking your exercise progress, noting your weight and your measurements on a weekly basis will give you a feeling of progress.
If your weight loss hits a plateau, you can look at your journal and see if you’ve been slipping up, either by eating too much or not exercising enough.
The next step is to set a weight loss goal. “Trying to lose some weight,” is a way to failure. Don’t “try.” Do it.
See: How To Set a SMART Weight Loss Goal
If your goal is more than a few pounds, give yourself a reasonable amount of time to accomplish it. Headlines that scream LOSE 7 LBS THIS WEEKEND are meant to sell magazines but are not a realistic goals.
To lose one pound of fat you have to either burn off 3500 calories or eat 3500 calories less than what your body requires.
The average person needs 2000 calories a day. Of course if you’re very active or sedentary, your mileage will vary.
See: How to Calculate a Calorie Deficit
If you cut 500 calories from your daily consumption you can expect to lose one pound a week – 500 calories a day times 7 days equals 3500.
Increase your exercise by 250 calories a day in addition to cutting calories and your weight loss goal would be 1.5 pounds a week or 6 to 7 pounds a month.
If you need to lose 25 pounds it will take you about 4 months. That rate of weight loss is safe and the weight will probably stay off. Write down a weekly target weight on your calendar.
Now you’re not “trying to lose weight,” you’re actively pursuing your goal!
Must Read
7 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism
How to Count Calories
28 Day Calorie Counting Boot Camp
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