8 Step Guide To Weight Loss
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After the last couple of days of ‘weight loss’ posts, something has become quite obvious to me: Most people know they should be eating right, they know they should be exercising, but they just don’t where to start!
In this post I am going to give you a simple step-by-step guide to weight loss.
1. Where are you now?
Honestly assess your current situation. How much do you weigh? Where do you want to get to? Are you actually overweight or do you just need to tone up, or both (bearing in mind muscle weighs more than fat!)? Also, try to find a compelling reason as to why you need to change! Maybe your health is compromised and you need to change for that reason.
2. What time-frame are you looking to see results?
It is common for people to make a time schedule with their goals, but I see two common mistakes: People imagining that their weight loss is going to happen too quickly and then giving up when it doesn’t happen, and people not believing that it can happen in a realistic time period so they don’t even start! It is realistic to consistently lose approximately 2lbs per week. Take this into consideration when thinking how quickly you want things to happen, and rather than being disheartened use now as a time to take massive action. (I often tell my clients that they might not see results for 6-12 months, depending on where they are currently.)
3. What is your level of commitment to change?
If you are looking to change your body weight / body fat then you need to change your diet, your exercise, and your lifestyle habits – how much are you willing to change? I have some clients who change everything from day one. I have some clients who still haven’t changed much at all, have got a few results but not exactly what they want. Think about what you value in life and whether you can change it. For example, are you willing to stop drinking alcohol or eating grains for 6 months if it will give you the detox you need for optimal health, if it means you can add them back in later in moderation? Of course, this is always your choice!
4. Change: Nutrition
There are a lot of suggestions I can make when it comes to nutrition and the foods you eat, too many for this article. Let’s start with the basics, and then when you can master these basics, we’ll move on.
- Eliminate all gluten-containing grains (all grains except rice, millet, buckwheat and corn).
- Eliminate all sugar.
- Eliminate processed table salt.
- Eliminate all dairy.
These are some of the most allergenic foods, but do not necessarily need to be eliminated from your diet forever but I suggest 4-6 weeks of abstinence to start with.
5. Change: Exercise
Once again, exercise is a big subject. Begin by trying to do some kind of movement every single day – try for 20 minutes each morning alternating between cardiovascular training, resistance, stretching, and soft-style exercise such as tai-chi, pilates or yoga.
6. Change: Sleep
Ensure that you are sleeping enough otherwise your muscles (and mind) will never get a chance to rest, repair and grow stronger and healthier. How much is enough? The average person needs 8 hours a night, and the ideal times for this are between 10pm and 6am in the morning for optimal hormone cycling.
7. Change: Stress Levels
Stress kills! Not only does stress kill, but it will keep you fat and stop you from losing weight. If your nervous system is stressed out then the last thing it is thinking is, “How much body fat have I lost this week?” It will be thinking, “Ok, let’s remove this stress first, then worry about my body fat after that!” So, what should you do? Remove your stressors the best you can.
- Do you have relationships that are causing you stress? Is it worth it?
- Do you have persistent financial troubles: not earning enough? spending more than you earn? high debt?
- Do you hate your job/career and long for something more? (Often coupled with finding it difficult to wake up in the morning!)
Once you have removed your stressors, then it would be sensible to try to find some stress-reducing or relaxation techniques. And remember, watching the television at night is NOT relaxing!
8. Continue with your healthy plan
Once you have implemented all of the above techniques into your life it’s sensible to keep it going – no-one wants to be a ‘yo-yo dieter’ or fluctuate between a healthy and an un-healthy body weight. The plan above is manageable long-term, if you desire it long-term. I suggest that you initially be very strict with yourself, but over time it is ok to drop back to an 80% / 20%. Basically, if you want to “treat” yourself, allow yourself a day or two a week. But everyone is different so make sure those days don’t turn into three or four.
If you need any help with any of the above points, comment below and I’ll see if I can help!
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