It’s not the occasional dessert or extra helpings that cause you to fail at your weight loss goal, it’s the unrealistic expectations that you put on yourself that make you fail. Too often, people try the latest and not so greatest diet in efforts to drop weight fast. Think about it this way, if all these diets work then why are there so many of them around and why are the new ones evolving on a weekly basis? Our society is obsessed with having a quick fix. We all want something that will make the pounds drop in a few weeks, which is super unhealthy, so whatever diet is being publicized then that’s what we try.
Did you know that healthy weight loss (depending on how overweight you are) is aimed at 1-2 pounds a week? You didn’t gain the weight over night so don’t expect to lose it that quickly either. Know your body, a lot of us will never be a size 0 or 2 so don’t have that as your goal and just because someone is thin does not mean that they are healthy. I personally have seen the leanest of people scarf down a plate of bacon for breakfast. Your focus needs to be on getting healthier instead of total pounds lost.
Below are a few tips to keep in mind in your realistic weight loss journey.
- Know it’s going to take time. Be mentally prepared that you are going to have to be dedicated in order for you to reach you goal.
- Don’t beat yourself up when you slip up. Slipping up on a diet is normal and will happen. It’s how you get back on track that’s important.
- As I said before, aim to lose 1-2 pounds a week. It would be best to meet with a nutritionist or dietitian upon entering this journey. They are the nutrition experts that you can collaborate with to get personalized strategies and goals. A broad goal is to eat 500 calories less a day than you are now to promote weight loss (exercising will help you drop weight quicker, too!). If you’re eating 2,000 calories per day, reduce to 1,500 calories per day.
- Set short- and long-term goals. The long-term goal would be the total pounds you want to drop, where as a short-term goal would be to exercise four times a week. Achieving short-term goals fuels the fire to attaining the long-term goal.
- Keep track. Keeping a food and exercise journal/log/diary has been proved to aid in successful weight loss and maintenance.
- Have a support system. Whether it be a significant other, friend, group of friends, or family, you need to surround yourself with positive and encouraging influences.