Losing weight is often coined as being easy to do, assuming you make huge life changes that can take months or years to achieve. While it's definitely worth making changes you want to in your life, deciding to lose weight and actually executing it are two very things. Losing weight should be something you want to do for yourself, not others. Therefore focusing too much on what we believe others think of us can put you on the wrong path from the beginning.
Here are 15 easy steps that will encourage you to make larger changes and help you not get discouraged along the way:
1. Only drink water.
Cut out everything you drink except for water (unless you are drinking a smoothie or something as a meal replacement). These drinks provide calories we often don't think about because they go down so smoothly. If you absolutely can't give up your morning coffee, make sure to at least count it in your calories each day. Besides, 75% of US adults don't drink enough water each day. Not only will this help encourage weight loss, but it will probably help you feel better as well!
2. Practice portion control.
Sometimes it's not about what we eat, but how much we eat. Being aware of the number of calories you need each day (and how many less you need to eat to lose weight) and making sure to keep track as go throughout the day will help you realize how much of you eat is probably useless. It will also help you identify areas where you can make your meals smaller or cut out a snack somewhere. Adapting your portions and meals to your everyday life and schedule will make it easier and less stressful.
3. Give yourself positive reassurance.
Even if you aren't seeing the results you want, stay positive and tell yourself that you will get there. Meaningful weight loss does not happen overnight, it often takes months or years to achieve.
4. Find a physical activity you actually enjoy.
You're probably thinking, "But there are none." Which, even if you're like me and aren't good at or enjoy playing most traditional sports, there are many options for exercise. Yoga, dancing, walking, bowling, running, roller skating, and biking are all examples of fairly common physical activities that most people can do and enjoy. Finding something you like to do and want to do, that can also help you burn off calories, will help you enjoy the process of losing weight and hopefully help you see results.
5. Find small ways to walk more.
Whether it be walking to the next bus stop, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or even just taking your dog for a walk, finding ways to incorporate more walking into your daily routine will help you get exercise without going through too much of a hassle.
6. Limit eating out to once or twice a week.
This can be hard, but try to view eating out as a reward for watching your calories throughout the week. This isn't an excuse not to count your calories on the days you eat out, but it can give you something to look forward to and plan for.
7. Count calories.
As stated multiple times above, counting and keeping track of your calorie needs and intake is vital to weight loss. Knowing exactly how many calories you need (it may be more or less than 2,000 calories a day depending on many factors of your body and lifestyle), and working to make sure you burn more calories in a day than you take in, is one of the oldest and most effective tricks to losing weight. Learning how to read a nutrition label and downloading a calorie counting app like MyFitnessPal are great ways to get a jump start on your weight loss.
8. Buy expensive work out gear.
This one is simple: if you buy expensive work out gear, you're going to want to use it. You most likely won't want to spend $200 on fancy work out gear and then not use it, therefore, splurge a little and buy something nice to work out in.
9. Don't weigh yourself regularly.
Focusing on a number can be damaging to your self-esteem and be stressful. And, if you're like me, what's the number one thing you turn to when your stressed and feeling down on yourself? Food. While I'm not saying to never weigh yourself, it's important to know that the number on the scale may not (and often is not) a true sign of how much fat you have lost. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat.
10. Don't be too hard on yourself.
If you binge one day or indulge a little too much, don't be too hard on yourself. It happens and one day (or even more) of indulging doesn't mean you will lose all your progress or will never be able to lose the weight.
11. Plan your cheat days.
Sometimes it's impossible to avoid cheat days. Maybe you have a large event with lots of food, or a wedding to go to where it would be rude not to eat the cake, it's OK. We are allowed to still live our lives and eat what we want to. If you don't want it to be a complete cheat day, still count your calories. But definitely give yourself one or two days a month where you don't worry about calories or exercise.
12. Buy and wear clothes you like and that make you happy.
Wearing what you want and clothes you feel confident in will help you see your progress positively, but will also motivate you to continue to lose weight. While you certainly aren't going to feel confident all the time, knowing that you are working towards a goal will help you stay on track.
13. Replace unhealthy sides with healthier alternatives.
Even if you only do this once a day, you will be surprised by how many calories you are saving. From my own experience with calorie counting, roughly one serving of french fries is equal to roughly 3-4 servings of vegetables. You can actually eat more and still eat the same amount of calories.
14. Plan your meals.
Planning your meals and roughly how many calories they will be will help you hold yourself accountable for calorie counting. It will hopefully give you a new skill you can use as you continue to make lifestyle changes.
15. Don't get discouraged.
Since weight loss is often a long experience with many ups and downs, it can be easy to get discouraged and quit. However, remembering your goals and not being too hard yourself should help you from quitting altogether. Know that weight loss isn't easy and that a healthy weight can mean many different things to different types of people and bodies.
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