Losing weight may be difficult at first, but the results will be worth it. If you successfully lose weight you will feel better in yourself but you have to make lasting changes in order for your weight loss journey to work. One of the main steps towards losing weight is to set appropriate and achievable weight loss goals, and in this article, we are going to look at doing just that.
Take Small Steps
It might be tempting to set a goal of losing 100 lbs and working towards that, however, this can leave you feeling that you have a massive goal and a long way to go to reach it which can make you demotivated.
What you should do to avoid this overwhelmed feeling is set small weight loss goals of 5-10 lbs at a time.
With such an achievable target ahead of you, feelings of overwhelm will be minimized.
You will get a feeling of accomplishment when you lose that next 5lbs or 10lbs, which makes it easier to refocus on the next 5-10lbs. Before you know it those small goals achieved will have added up to a significant weight loss.
Track Your Progress
Tracking your food intake is a crucial strategy for managing weight loss effectively. By recording what you eat and drink throughout the day, you gain a clearer understanding of your dietary habits, which can reveal patterns and areas where improvements are needed.
This practice increases awareness of portion sizes, caloric intake, and the nutritional quality of the foods you consume. Many people are often surprised to see the hidden calories in snacks, beverages, or even seemingly healthy meals. By identifying these, you can make more informed decisions and adjust your eating habits accordingly.
Using technology, such as mobile apps or online platforms, can simplify and enhance the tracking process. Apps like MyFitnessPal, Lose It!, and Cronometer all offer extensive databases of foods, including restaurant items, and allow you to scan barcodes for quick entry. These tools often provide detailed nutritional breakdowns, helping you monitor not just calories but also macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates), vitamins, and minerals.
Many apps offer personalized recommendations, meal planning assistance, and weight loss progress tracking features, which can keep you motivated and accountable.
For those who prefer a more traditional approach, keeping a food journal can be equally effective. Writing down everything you eat and drink can foster mindfulness about your choices and behaviors. Additionally, reviewing your journal entries regularly can help you identify emotional triggers or situations that lead to overeating or unhealthy choices.
Whether using digital tools or a handwritten log, the key is consistency. Regular tracking provides valuable feedback and can empower you to make sustainable changes, ultimately supporting your weight loss goals.
Give Yourself a Time Limit
Once you have made the decision to lose weight you should go about setting a definite time limit.
Without a time scale, it is easy to veer off track for weeks or months on end, wasting time that you could be using to lose those pounds. You are generally more likely to be successful at losing weight with a time scale.
So how do you decide what a realistic time frame for weight loss is? Take the goal of 2lb of weight loss a week as your starting point for calculating based on how much weight you want to lose, and how long it will take to lose that weight.
A quick example is if you want to lose 14 lbs, you can choose to lose this at a rate of 2 pounds a week. It will therefore take 7 weeks to achieve your goal.
For maximum motivation boosts, use the “small steps” rule to focus on one-month bursts of weight loss before moving on to the next month and so on until you reach your target weight.
Change Your Lifestyle
You probably know that losing weight involves some form of lifestyle change. Everything from getting more exercise into your daily life to cutting down on snacks and calorie-laden fizzy drinks.
The ideal scenario is getting more exercise and cutting down on calories, but you can adapt this rule to suit you. For example, if you are very busy and find it difficult to fit exercise into your day you will aim to cut more calories from your diet.
The Verdict
The weight loss goals tips above might seem too basic to have any effect, but try them and stick with them to see a major difference in your motivation.
The time for action is now, so start putting these ideas into practice today!
If you want a little extra help with your weight loss journey, you could incorporate a supplement into your daily life such as PhenQ.
PhenQ is a fat burner that also has the effect of making you feel less hungry, which is ideal for those wanting to stick to weight loss goals.
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Author: Aileen Boyd
Hi, I'm Aileen Boyd, the owner of Diet Pill Judge. I have personally tried loads of diet pills over the years and found that only a few of them really work.
My background is in science, so I set out to find supplements that have scientific evidence behind them and which I can confidently recommend.
Last Updated on July 25, 2024 by Aileen Boyd
