Weight loss can be challenging and frustrating, especially if you’ve struggled to maintain a healthy weight in the past. Despite any obstacles you may face, you can achieve your goals with focus, planning and commitment to your purpose.

We’d like to help support your weight loss goals and have some ideas that will help make your journey successful. It’s time to make positive and healthy lifestyle changes!

Prepare for Success

Find your motivation

Declaring your reason for losing weight will keep you motivated. Maybe you want more energy to play with your kids, or to take pressure off of your knees. Think of how good you will feel when you reach your goal and what the consequences could be if you don’t.

Stay positive

Confidence keeps you on track when you hit plateaus or challenges. Believe in yourself, know that you can make behavioral changes and stick with them to achieve your desired results.

Choose a realistic goal

Set a goal that is realistic and attainable, and then write it down. People are 42% more likely to reach a goal when they write it down.

Break your goal into chunks

Breaking down your major goal into small chunks makes it easier to attain. Most competitive athletes break their training down by weeks and months. Whenever you achieve a small goal, make sure to reward yourself!

Create a support team

Studies show that people who have a diet partner are more likely to reach their health goals. Let your family know your new healthy habits and have them help you plan healthier meals that everyone can enjoy.

Plan on challenges

Some weeks you may hit a plateau where you don’t lose any weight and that’s okay. Stay focused on your long term goals.

Track your weight

Weigh yourself once a week to see how your progress is going. Not a fan of weighing yourself? You can use a tape measure to track inches lost instead.

Eat Right

Take time to enjoy your food

When you sit down for a meal or a snack, avoid distracted eating. When you aren’t focusing on your meal, you risk overeating. You’ll also enjoy your meal more when you focus on it.

Track your food

Writing down what and when we eat can be an eye-opener. Not only does it show us patterns in our eating habits, but it helps us remember snacks and drinks we may have forgotten about, like that cupcake from a co-workers birthday lunch.

Go nuts

Two ounces of walnuts have been shown to satisfy hunger and reduce food cravings. They are also a great source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, which can lower elevated triglyceride levels and prevent heart disease.

Wait before refilling your plate

The faster we chow down our meal, the less time we give our bodies to register fullness. After your first serving, drink a glass of water and wait a few minutes to see if you are really still hungry.

You can’t outrun poor eating habits

Exercise is great, but it doesn’t burn off calories from poor food choices. Weight loss is about 75 – 80% diet and 15 – 20% fitness.

Make a food plan

Meal planning and shopping ahead of time keep you from making poor meal choices. You will have nutritious healthy foods available when you’re ravenous and short on time. Check our easy ideas and tips for healthy meal planning here.

Don’t buy treats

Avoid temptation completely and simply don’t purchase junk foods. Instead, keep healthy, satisfying snacks in your kitchen.

Measure out your food

Learning to eat proper portion sizes plays a huge role in healthy weight loss. Sticking to the appropriate serving sizes ensures you’re not consuming extra calories.

Don’t skip meals

Skipping meals sends your brain into starvation mode. It seeks out high calorie foods and leads to binge eating and poor food choices.

Use a smaller plate

Choose a salad sized plate at meal times or smaller cereal bowl. Your plate will be full, but it won’t hold as much food as a large plate.

Brown bag it

Packing your own lunch lets you control ingredients and portion sizes. Here are some ideas for quick and healthy lunches.

Make a plan for eating out

Check out the menu before you get to the restaurant and stick with your healthy choice. This will help curb impulsive food choices.

Skip packaged foods

They are highly processed, offer little nutrition, and are full of empty calories. Choose fresh ingredients for a healthy meal.

Don’t drink your calories

Soft drinks, juices and alcoholic drinks are full of sugar and calories. Do you love the carbonation of soda? Switch to seltzer water with a squeeze of lemon or lime. Choose a piece of fruit over juice.

Be Active

Exercise early

Research has proven that people who exercise in the morning burn fat all day long. They also exercise more consistently since they are less likely to change their plans and skip a workout. We have athletic training available to help you get into a fitness routine.

Walk a few times a week

Walking can help you shed pounds and improve your heart health. Start out with 15-minute walks and try to build up to 3 45-minute walks per week. Remember, even 15-minutes of moving helps lower blood sugars and block weight gain.

Pump some iron

Strength training two or three times a week helps increase your metabolism. Pay attention to form and choose weights that are challenging to lift at the end of your set. Tweak a muscle? Come see us if the ache doesn’t subside after a few days of rest.

Sleep more, stress less

It’s possible to lose weight simply by reducing stress and increasing sleep to 7 – 8 hours a night. Are aches and pains keeping you up? Come and see us for an evaluation.

With some thought and planning, you can achieve weight loss success! Create a plan and tweak it as necessary –remember, you’re the one who knows what works best for you.