You can feel overwhelmed when you are trying to lose weight. You may be pushing hard to begin with, only to lose steam soon afterwards. When you see people have success, you start to wonder what they did to reach their goals, and what it took to get there. You have to marvel at how they manage it!
Identifying your goal is the first step in a successful weight loss program. Think about whether you want to lose a few pounds, or whether you want to drop an entire clothing size. You should figure out exactly why you want to lose weight. Know what your weight loss goals are. It can be as specific as a set amount of weight you want to lose, or as general as overall fitness.
Actually putting your goals in writing can really help you stay motivated to adhere to your plan. Keep a log of every single piece of food that you consume in a journal. Keep a running tally on your daily food intake to maintain success in your caloric allotment. You should also use the journal to record how much weight you have lost or gained each week. For even more motivation, add statistics and graphs that show how much you have accomplished.
The wrong time to decide what you are going to eat is when you have not eaten for a while and you are hungry. Planning your meals in advance and keeping healthy snacks on hand will help you avoid reaching for unhealthy foods. Instead of dining out, pack a lunch from home. This will give you more control over what you consume and will have the added benefit of saving you money.
A truly great weight loss plan will focus on both diet and exercise. Is important to make sure you enjoy the workouts that you are doing a couple of times a week. If you are having trouble including exercise in your normal schedule, try to focus on having fun, rather than doing a workout. Find an activity that you enjoy and make time to do that. Do you like to spend time with your guy friends? Then you could play a game of basketball with them, or some other sport you like. Do you enjoy just forgetting about your worries and enjoying yourself? Hit a Jazzercise class! Do you escape life by going out into nature? Hit the hiking trails!
Refrain from purchasing food that doesn’t fit your diet. Your family may take some time getting used to this healthier way of eating, but they will adjust given time. Pack your pantry and refrigerator with healthy food choices instead of junk. However, this doesn’t mean you have to suffer from a lack of snack foods. Having fruit as a snack is an excellent choice for people of all ages. Granola is a healthy snack that any age group can enjoy.
Make exercise a friendly affair, and ask a buddy to join you. In many cases, if there is nobody to keep us accountable, we tend to slack off and neglect what is best for us. A great way to stay motivated when you are working out is to have a buddy do the exercise routine with you. You will always have someone to turn to when you feel discouraged and exhausted by the sheer effort of weight loss.