When it comes to weight loss there are a couple of things that you need to remember in order to reach your goals.
1: Keep your goals realistic.
Your body needs a certain amount of fat on it to remain healthy. Fat cushions your organs and helps insulate you. A pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle, but the difference in size is crazy.
A pound of fatis roughly three times the size as a pound of muscle. When your body is full of lean muscle and not fat, your BMR (basal metabolic rate) is higher which means you burn more fat throughout the day. A pound of fat burns only about 2-3 calories while a pound of muscle burns 7-10!
2: Set Small Do-able Goals
There's nothing worse than feeling so overwhelmed that you give up. That's not what you want to do when it comes to your health. Don't set goals that are so unrealistic that you give up after a week. Instead, make goals that are stepping stones to a larger goal.
Set goals to lift heavier, run further, workout a certain amount of days during the week, etc.
3: Don't Obsess!
I cannot emphasis this enough. DO NOT OBSESS! When it comes to weight loss especially, what you eat is going to impact your results more than workouts will. Now, when you're eating right and working out, they go hand in hand and great results can be achieved. BUT, when you obsess, the opposite of what you want can happen. I try and follow the 9:1 RULE (click for details). It's ok to 'cheat' every once in a while as long as you control your urges, and when you do eat too much of something not so good for you, the important thing to remember is to let it go and do better the next day. You can't get down on yourself, especially when you are just starting to change your lifestyle. Fall off the horse 8 times, get back up 9!
4: Motivation is Key!
Find any way to keep yourself motivated. Create a reward program for yourself by putting a dollar in a jar for every time you complete a workout, then at the end of month or so, go spend that money on ANYTHING you want. Do the same for healthy eating.
Post your goals online, tell your spouse, friends, family, anybody! When you have someone to be accountable to, you're way more likely to stick to your goals.
Workout with a partner. When you workout with someone versus by your self, you would be surprised on how much more you can do with someone there watching you. ;)
5: Track Your Progress
When you first start to change your lifestyle to a healthy one, one way to keep going is to take your measurements, and keep track of it. Remember that the scale can trick you because muscle weighs more than fat. Take circumference measurements instead. I measure the neck (mostly for men looking to bulk), biceps, chest, waist, hips, quads, and calves. You can also do weight. Every month, remeasure and track your progress. As your body starts to transform, you won't notice the changes as easily as someone who hasn't seen you in a while, so seeing the results on paper can keep you on the right track.
There's nothing worse than feeling so overwhelmed that you give up. That's not what you want to do when it comes to your health. Don't set goals that are so unrealistic that you give up after a week. Instead, make goals that are stepping stones to a larger goal.
Set goals to lift heavier, run further, workout a certain amount of days during the week, etc.
3: Don't Obsess!
I cannot emphasis this enough. DO NOT OBSESS! When it comes to weight loss especially, what you eat is going to impact your results more than workouts will. Now, when you're eating right and working out, they go hand in hand and great results can be achieved. BUT, when you obsess, the opposite of what you want can happen. I try and follow the 9:1 RULE (click for details). It's ok to 'cheat' every once in a while as long as you control your urges, and when you do eat too much of something not so good for you, the important thing to remember is to let it go and do better the next day. You can't get down on yourself, especially when you are just starting to change your lifestyle. Fall off the horse 8 times, get back up 9!
4: Motivation is Key!
Find any way to keep yourself motivated. Create a reward program for yourself by putting a dollar in a jar for every time you complete a workout, then at the end of month or so, go spend that money on ANYTHING you want. Do the same for healthy eating.
Post your goals online, tell your spouse, friends, family, anybody! When you have someone to be accountable to, you're way more likely to stick to your goals.
Workout with a partner. When you workout with someone versus by your self, you would be surprised on how much more you can do with someone there watching you. ;)
5: Track Your Progress
When you first start to change your lifestyle to a healthy one, one way to keep going is to take your measurements, and keep track of it. Remember that the scale can trick you because muscle weighs more than fat. Take circumference measurements instead. I measure the neck (mostly for men looking to bulk), biceps, chest, waist, hips, quads, and calves. You can also do weight. Every month, remeasure and track your progress. As your body starts to transform, you won't notice the changes as easily as someone who hasn't seen you in a while, so seeing the results on paper can keep you on the right track.
You can do it!
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