We all have those days when we just don't feel good about ourselves. It's normal, healthy even (no one likes someone with a huge head). I'm not talking to those people though, the ones that occasionally feel down, I'm talking to the people who are consistently unsatisfied with their appearance.
The first step is realizing that you are gorgeous or handsome the way you are! It's not a body that makes you attractive, it's a personality. People won't like you because you're pretty, they'll like you because of how you treat them and yourself, so start talking about yourself in a better light. You are worth that.
After coming to terms with that, it's time to take inventory of your body and your goals. The best way to meet a long term goal is to make smaller, more attainable ones, that you can meet every week or even every day! Hold yourself accountable or have someone else do it. The consistency is difficult for the first week or two, but after that it will come more naturally to implement your exercise and diet goals into your daily routine.
After figuring out where your goals and limits are, make a chart or a habit tracker for the week to keep yourself accountable. If you can't run, walk. If you cant cook every night, prep a few meals (or even just the meat) to get the ball rolling. Map out your current habits too and see how you could change them in small ways. Instead of watching Netflix for two hours, go for a 15-30 minute walk/jog 5 times a week. Instead of ordering a pizza, make a veggie stir fry at home. While this may seem difficult, changing your food will help you to be more mindful of what you're putting in your body. Remember, small changes could make a huge difference.
Gaiam says that it takes an average of 15 minutes of consistent cardio exercise to use up your sugar reserves and start burning fat. For beginners, it's not about the speed but the goal of increasing your heart rate consistently. Since I'm a huge advocator for habit tracking, I encourage people to track their exercise as well. It doesn't have to be every day, but make it a priority 5 days out of the 7. Checking off that box that say's "I exercised today" is incredibly rewarding.
Again, food is a huge factor in weight loss, I'm sure you've heard that your weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise. This being said, nutrition is very important when trying to loose weight. For those who are serious about weight loss, I encourage you to track your food. There are plenty of free apps out there, like My Fitness Pal, to help you keep up with your food and nutrition values. The apps will help you realize where your missing macro nutrients and give you goals to meet (nutritionally) every day.
For weight loss, you also want to create a caloric deficit. This basically means that you want to take in less calories than you expend. You can see what you need (calorically) to maintain your current weight by calculating your basal metabolic rate (BMR). To create a deficit and loose weight, take your BMR and subtract 500 calories. You should also note that women shouldn't be eating below 1,200 calories a day. If subtracting 500 cal from your BMR puts you below that, you can't subtract the full 500 calories from your diet. For a more in-depth explication of BMR and how to calculate your deficit, visit this article at livestrong.com.
It very important to remember that you won't see results right away. This isn't a "quick fix" but a healthy, longterm fix. You'll need lots of encouragement and support as well as a positive attitude. Make a plan, make an adjustment to your habits, and make a difference in yourself. It's time to stop talking, and start doing.
