Where and how to get started

Making a lifestyle change to lose weight can be challenging and finding the right balance between exercise and healthy eating which you can maintain can be difficult. It can be a constant struggle to burn enough calories to create a calorie deficit and lose the lbs.

Introduction

Counting calories isn’t the only factor you need to consider. There are often other issues that you may not even realize that is hindering your goal of losing weight such as lack of sleep (important for recovery), stress (cortisol leads to midline fat), consistency (exercise constant stressor or not enough overload on the body) and time to see change.

How to get started: Set yourself some daily, weekly and monthly goals. Stay consistent and hold yourself accountable; Be realistic with expectations and make positive changes in your lifestyle to help you get towards your goal

Key Questions you need to ask yourself

When starting on your weight loss journey try asking yourself these crucial questions:

• Are my weight loss goals realistic? Experts agree that a realistic weight loss goal is to focus on losing about 1 to 2 pounds a week. Any more than that and you would have to cut your calories so low, it may not be sustainable.
• Am I seeing any results? Forget about the scale and determine whether there are other changes happening that may indicate you’re on the right track such as losing inches, even if you’re not losing weight.
• Have I given myself enough time to see results? It often takes 3 or more months to see significant changes and, for a lot of people, it could take longer, keeping in mind that the process isn’t always linear. It takes years of bad habits to gain weight, so expect to spend more than a few weeks to undo those habits and take the weight off.
• Are there other benefits I’m getting beyond the scale? Results don’t only just show up on the scale, they show up in your mind and body. Are you getting anything else out of your exercise and weight loss program? Do you feel better? Sleep better? Feel stronger? Make a list and refer back to it if you ever feel discouraged.

Take positive steps forward on a daily basis towards your weight loss goals. Praise yourself for any positive improvements you have made and don’t dwell on any setbacks that may come up, stay positive, stay motivated!