Happy Friday!
So, you've taken the plunge, committed to a goal, and started shifting your mindset to the changes you need to make to reach that goal a reality this year, this is great!
To ensure the excitement you feel now is around after a few weeks or months into your goal you will need to continue to shift your mindset. Often, the initial excitement wears off and the work necessary for weight loss can begin to feel overwhelming. We often look to others on social media or IRL and see the end result and not the months or years it took someone to get there.
In reality, weight loss takes work. It may take pushing yourself beyond your current comfort zone, challenging yourself in difficult moments, or even a change in identity. I often talk about seeing your future self (who you want to be in a few months) and aligning your habits with this future version of yourself. This is what it takes to see lasting changes.
Make sure you join my Facebook Community and share your wins and your struggles so we can all cheer each other on and offer support.
Here are 3 tips to help you on this journey:
Tip #1: It Takes Time
Newbie gains are the best and often in the first few months, you are going to see a lot of progress. I help my clients track their progress using photos and measurements and also the scale. But, we don’t get too hung up on the scale. Weight can shift overnight for a number of reasons, including lack of sleep, a large meal the prior night, a change in hydration levels, and acute inflammation due to your workouts. Fat loss takes time and you won’t lose or gain pounds overnight. So keep in mind the scale is only your relationship to gravity and only one tool we use to measure progress.
Will progress stall at some point? Unfortunately, yes! Plateaus are real and they happen to everyone. Progress is never linear. But, don’t worry I already have some strategies planned for when this happens. The best part of having a coach is that together we can come up with a plan and strategy to get you to your long-term goals. Don't panic, having a plan is half the battle.
We never think our own progress is happening fast enough. However, sustainable weight loss is more like training for a marathon. You aren't going to jump off the couch and run 26 miles straight. You may start off walking, then run a mile, and each week you continue to progress. Planning for the long term, having a strategy, and then staying consistent is the key. I don’t want you to lose the weight and then immediately rebound. I will teach you how to keep it off for good in a way that you can actually live with. This is all part of my coaching plan with my clients, but you don't need a coach to be consistent.
Life is a journey. It may take weeks or months to reach your goal, which isn't a bad thing. A positive attitude and embracing the journey make all the difference. It's better to reach your goal slowly than never to reach it at all. And with slower changes, you are more likely to stick with it over the rest of your life. Imagine never having to go on another diet! That’s the plan!
Tip #2: There Are No Bad Foods
Yes, you read that right, there are no bad foods!
Are some foods more calorie-dense than others? Absolutely.
Are there foods that fit better based on your goals? Absolutely.
When we learn how to fuel our bodies, we learn what food freedom is all about. This means this isn’t going to seem like a restrictive diet at all. That’s the whole point- you can make this fit into your life long-term, you can eat meals with your family, you can eat out in a restaurant, you can travel and go on vacation and not gain 10 pounds.
I just want you to focus on your plan and think:
Am I getting my protein in every meal?
Am I eating my 2-cups leafy greens each day?
Am I eating my 2-cups green veggies each day?
Am I getting 1-2 servings of fruit in a day?
Am I enjoying my food?
These questions will help balance your food choices between foods you enjoy and nutrient-rich foods for health.
By making sure you get in enough protein, fiber-rich nutrient-dense foods that will help you stay feeling full and meet all your macro and micronutrient goals, you are creating food freedom. By including the food you actually enjoy, it will make the process much easier and you will feel less restricted.
Tip #3: Activity Will Help
Activity and exercise are within our daily control. Consistent movement can help achieve your calorie deficit in a weight loss phase by allowing you to eat more food. Trying to create a deficit through diet alone can mean dropping to very low calories and this is not fun or sustainable. This is something I like to avoid with my clients. Your workouts are designed for maximum impact (building lean muscle, while burning fat). However, the more you can stay active throughout the day, the better. Can you walk to the mailbox? Park farther away at Target? Take the stairs? Even a 5-10 minutes stroll after meals is great! Or a 20-minute afternoon walk… This all adds up to extra calories burned and means we can keep your calorie intake a bit higher. Over time you will start (or continue) to build lean muscle and this will have a positive impact on your metabolism and will allow us to raise your calories (your maintenance calories) even more. In the short term, the more you can add in movement the faster you will see the weight come off. Don’t overdo it, we need to allow recovery from our weight training session, just aim for 7-10K steps per day.
That's it for now. Keep a lookout for the next post in this series - 7 tips to stop mindless snacking.
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