Ok, let’s not hide away from it. December has just flown by, and you overdid it. You indulged. You overate and put weight on. 

Did you pull this face when you got on the scales? 

Trust me, you are not the only one, and there is plenty of others who have done the same.

January is now here, and like many, you made a new years resolution to lose that weight finally and get back on track.

In today’s blog, I want to give you three starting tips to help you make progress in January to lose weight.

Are you realistic about your weight loss goal?

This sounds so simple, but it is often the missing key for people trying to achieve weight loss. They have big dreams about losing all that weight and want to lose it all in the first month. Honestly, though, that weight didn’t come on in a month, so it’s very unlikely you can lose it all in the same time, especially not in a healthy way. Sure, you can pick up a fad diet and lose alot in a short time, but is that really going to help in the long run? Often people that start these fad diets (Studies have shown this) give up on them within a week because they are too tough to stick to and only promote ‘quick fixes’. 

A reasonable weight loss is 1 or 2 lbs a week, and this is accomplished by making small, achievable changes week by week. If you need to lose alot, you must be mindful that it will take time and effort. I wish I could say this journey is easy and doesn’t require work, but as someone who has lost over 18 stone, I understand how hard it is. This effort, though, is 100% worth it. 

Do you know what you are eating and why?

That which is not measured cannot be managed. How often have you eaten food mindlessly? Shovelled snacks while watching TV, not even aware or enjoying the food you eat. Often when I ask people if they remember exactly what they ate and drank in the last 24 hours, they can’t recall it. It’s no surprise with often how busy our lives are these days, but this lack of awareness around our food choices and why, can and will have a deadly impact on your weight loss goals.

My advice – write a food diary. 

Keep track of your food and drink intake. Yes, it may sound like alot of work, but the results speak for themselves. All my clients that actively engage with tracking their food gain increased awareness around their emotional and habitual eating patterns and then are able to make positive changes to support that weight loss goal. 

You can easily find copies online or even use apps like My Fitness Pal to help track it. 

Do you give up when things go wrong?

My final tip is about falling off the bandwagon. First off, it will happen, I promise you. This journey is not going to be plain sailing without its hurdles or mishaps. As someone that has in the past struggled with my weight, tried multiple diets and made all the mistakes in the world when it comes to weight loss, I have lost track of the number of times I “fell off the wagon.”

For most of us, when we give in to those cravings and indulge again, we can let our negative mindset overwhelm us and think, “See, I told you I couldn’t lose weight; I might as well give up!”. We only see the failure and confirmation of how we can’t do it. Again, been there and got the size 6XL T-shirt!

My advice? Falling off the bandwagon is not a failure; it’s an opportunity. 

A chance to listen to yourself and learn why you made that poor choice. We all make poor choices every now and then, but as I always say to my clients – follow the 80/20 rule. If you’re eating healthy choices 80% of the time, don’t sweat the 20% of unhealthy choices.

Your default option is to beat yourself up, but that never leads anywhere good, so why not change your view on it? Why not just get back on the wagon the next day? 

Final Tips

Please remember you are not alone on this journey. There are millions in the world who struggle with this, and it’s ok to ask for help.

I know that I would never have been able to achieve my weight loss journey without support so reach out to friends, family and those around you. 

If you need any further support from me, please don’t hesitate to reach out and book a Consultation.

David
Your Weight Loss Coach