3 simple steps to losing weight (consistently)
Shift your focus from constantly trying to ‘lose weight’ to living a lifestyle whereby ‘weight loss’ is a by-product. We must always bear in mind that few people actually get to their target weight and those that do rarely maintain it over the years. Goals and event deadlines help to tilt the motivation and halt the evening urges to open the fridge or the ‘danger draw’ where the sugary snacks lurk. But by and large, it can become an issue that brings negative emotions and connotations.
In general the way in which people think who struggle to lose weight is ;
‘I’ll start Monday and give up everything” then come Friday this plan has gone out the window as they have given up all the things that give them momentary pleasure to minimise the intensity of life’s stresses.
This method simply never works over the course of time because it’s too drastic, therefore not sustainable. Individual realistic goals are key to have long lasting results.
For the next few weeks lets just focus on 3 things and see what happens.
- Get your heart rate up, just 20 – 30 minutes of exercise 3 times a week can have a big impact on your mental and physical well being as well as your waist line. Even if it is exercising at home, swimming in a pool or going for run, push yourself beyond the point where you can have a conversation. For the large majority of people, walking is not exercise. 10k steps a day? Yeah, it’s just not really going to do much, unless you’re currently doing zero steps a day and are bed ridden.
- Sugar; it’s amazing how it’s almost in everything these days. When it comes to weight loss sugar is quite simply, the devil. However much you are consuming now, just half it. Make a note of what you eat in a day, investigate the nutritional information (remember milk is sugar) total it up in grams and then half the amount starting from right now.
- Consistency is key, eat 4 times a day, 3.5 hours apart. As a guide use a side plate or desert bowl for size reference for each time you eat. Now, make sure protein is 50% of what you are eating at each time and then you’re good to go.
The evening? I hear you… low sugar protein bars are good, as are the vegan ones that are now available in most supermarkets. Quinoa and Hummus crisps are also fine (company called Eat Real do them).
It is important to note that there are no magic wands, no ‘perfect diet’ and no specific exercises that make you lose weight. Focus on your lifestyle, the daily habits and incremental progress. You are going to live in your body for the rest of your life so BE accountable and take full responsibility for where you are today, if weight loss and overall health are the aim then you will only succeed and have consistency if this becomes a by product to the life you are living.
The same can be said for happiness, those who strive for happiness as the main motivator rarely have it, instead search for meaning, purpose and progress. The by product to this will more often than not be contentment and happiness.
The amount of times we’ve heard people say this over the years.. ‘i was really good for the first 2 weeks and then it slipped away as things cropped up’. Point being, sustainable daily habits and changes will alleviate this and ensure you are in the best position possible to have lasting progress.
There are many many ways to look at weight loss as it’s so multi faceted, you talk to 15 different ‘experts’ and you’ll get 15 different approaches. Find a way that works for you, for your life, to your timetable and then be committed fully to it.
One thing is certain, if you keep doing what you’ve always done then you’ll get what you’ve always got, only it will get harder as you’ll keep getting older.
No blog would be complete without mentioning what we can do for you at either our Meads (Eastbourne) or Hove clinic. Helping people achieve weight loss and fat reduction goals is our business and one we’ve been in for a long time. Try our flagship treatment, Cryotherapy (fat freezing) a non-invasive way to permanently reduce body fat from hard to shift areas or the Lipofirm pro, Still the No.1 treatment for cellulite reduction, skin tightening and body contouring.
