6 Simple Steps to Losing Weight

I've often heard people say that "you should be happy with yourself just the way you are" I think this is a wonderful sentiment but just suppose for a moment that you're not. What do you want to change and how do you intend to do it? Do you want to get fit, eat clean, lose weight, gain weight, build muscle? It's all good to say "just do it" but how? 

No matter what you want to achieve, these six simple steps will help. My goal was to lose weight, and I wanted to makes changes that would stick, so the steps below relate to that aim. Before you even begin it is important to know: this is not a diet. This is you making changes that are going to last forever. No going back. This is it. 

Six Simple Steps to Losing Weight

Step 1. Set goals. 

Say exactly what you want to achieve and how long you intend it to take. My goal was "50 by 50". I wanted to lose fifty kilos by the time I was fifty years old. I made it and I'm still 49 for a while yet! Goals should also be broken down into small, achievable chunks. My first goal was to lose 5 kilos. Others that followed were: lose 5% of my weight, lose 10 kilos, wear a smaller size in jeans, jog on the treadmill for 5 minutes and so on. (For a full list of my goals, have a look at my blog called 'goal setting'. Each time I reached a small goal I was rewarded with a sense of achievement, without having to hold out for the big one at the end. Doing this kept me on track and focused, constantly working toward the next goal. 

Step 2: Plan what you are going to eat.

This doesn't have to be a difficult task. When you go shopping, choose healthy options. Stick with food you love or you won't be able to sustain this. Fresh meat, fruits, vegetables, breads that are high in fibre, cereals, grains. Keep it clean and keep it natural and you can't go wrong. This is not a diet. This is the new life. You need to eat a good breakfast and then eat often enough during the day that you don't start to feel empty or hungry. Keep healthy snacks handy in case you do feel a bit peckish. I'm not talking about celery sticks and lettuce leaves here. Choose food that you like. This is the sustainable option. There are heaps of magazines out there just filled with healthy recipes. We are spoiled for choice! You are more likely to stay on track if you're enjoying what you eat. Drink plenty  of water and don't forget to track what you're eating and drinking by writing it in a food diary or in the "My Fitness Pal" app/website. (See Step Three)

Step 3: Track what you eat.

There are lots of ways to do this. Keeping a food diary is a popular one. First you need to establish how many calories you need to be eating each day in order to lose weight. There are lots of ways to do this too. I chose My Fitness Pal because it is just so easy to use. It can be downloaded as an app for your phone or alternatively, you can use the website. All you need to do is enter your current weight, your goal weight and how much weight you want to lose each week (don't go overboard here. A realistic, safe amount is around one pound or 500 grams a week.) Then you add your personal details; age, gender, height etc and the app or website will calculate your daily calorie allowance. Every time you have something to eat or drink, add it to the food diary and it will deduct this amount of calories from your daily limit and let you know how many you have left. If you do exercise that day, you can add that to your diary too and you can earn extra calories! This only works for the cardio sets, but it is still worth it. 
There are plenty of other ways to track your food. Weight Watchers have the 'Points' system and most foods' nutritional panels will tell you the caloric amounts in them. It's up to you how you track what you eat but it is an important part of losing weight. My personal preference and the one I highly recommend is "My Fitness Pal". 

Step 4. Keep records. 

At the beginning of your journey, record your weight and body measurements in a diary or log book. Other things you might want to record are your fat percentage and BMI. Results don't always show on the scales so it's a good idea to keep a record of your measurements too. I take these once a month. More often than that and you're not likely to see significant changes. Weight should be recorded once a week. It is up to you how often you jump on the scales but lots of experts recommend weekly. You're not likely to see results change on a daily basis and weight is bound to fluctuate. Each weigh in should be at the same time of the day too for consistency. The "My Fitness Pal" app/website has a place to enter these details too and it will graph the information automatically. 

Step 5. Exercise.

Every good weight transformation plan comes with exercise. Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain weight, lose fat, build muscle, fit smaller clothes, you are going to have to move to achieve it. Just like your food options, you should choose activities that you enjoy. There are so many options! Walk, jog, run, play tennis, touch, squash, cycle, swim, whatever makes you happy! I get at least 30 minutes of cardio at least four days a week. As well as cardio, shaping your new body is going to need some resistance. I do light weights and alternate days between working on my legs and arms. I also joined the gym. It's completely up to you. Set exercise goals too. It feels great when you reach each small goal. One step at a time. My initial goal was to jog on the treadmill for five minutes. When I first started I could barely do two! Now I run for half an hour! Keep goals achievable, measurable and sensible. It takes time, but you will get there if you keep going and stick with it!

Step 6: Mind Management: 

I think that this is the most important step. You are going to have to manage the way your mind works to stay motivated and stay on track. I am forty-nine years old and I have been on every diet out there. I have been to Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers (so many times I have lost count!), I've followed a myriad of 'fad' (rhymes with bad) diets. It is only now that I have finally realised that I need to do something that I can sustain. The way I eat, the way I move, the way I think, all have to be long term. 
The simple fact is: Diets don't work. In essence, a diet is something that you go on for a while, give up this food and that food and then stop. Then the weight goes back on. This is where they fail! You need to make changes that are sustainable, long term, for life. 
The second thing is you need to do is abandon the notion of the 'quick fix'. It took years to put the weight on so it will take time to lose it. Be patient.
Last, but certainly not least, be positive. Never lose sight of your next goal. This is not going to happen quickly and you are going to have to work for it but it WILL happen. Telling yourself that you can and will do it is most of the battle won. There are going to be days that are really tough and you might want to give up. There are going to be other days where the rewards are so great you won't stop smiling for hours. There will be a day when someone you haven't seen for ages says those four magic words "have you lost weight?" It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. You deserve it and you can do it. If I can do it, anybody can. Anything is possible. 

Now ... what are you waiting for?