People often say that those who fail to plan, plan to fail. This rule holds true for anyone who wants to achieve their weight loss goals. If you’re going to succeed at yours, you should know how to set reasonable weight loss goals in your weight loss journey.
You can diarrhea your way to a slim body, but your body will not thank you. Therefore, you need to get on a good weight loss program. This ensures that you will be able to lose weight the healthy way.
A healthy weight loss regimen will also ensure no side effects afterward. No dehydration from continuous diarrhea, no kidney failure, no binge eating, and all other health complications you can think of.
How to lose weight in a healthy manner?
Identify your food triggers.
A good weight loss program helps you to identify your food triggers. People do not become obese overnight. Usually, the process has a trigger. What made you start overeating?
When you can identify the source of your eating problems, you can begin to deal with your issues. This will make your weight loss journey easier because you know which situations aggravate the problem.
Think about the long term
You can starve yourself to a specific size. However, it becomes pretty hard to maintain it as soon as you reach that target. That food you have been drooling over will be gone in no time. You will have a just swollen belly to show for it.
It is crucial to consider making lifestyle changes to what you eat and exercise. Only then can you lose weight the healthy way. By making small and manageable changes over the long term, your body will be able to get rid of all your excess weight. Because there is no shock to the system, keeping that weight off for a lifetime also becomes much more manageable.
Have some realistic weight loss goals
There is no way to lose 100 pounds in three months or so in a healthy manner. A daily dose of diarrhea may achieve that, though, and your body will suffer for it.
You need to set realistic weight loss goals. These goals will guide you as you continue to lose weight. If you have sensible plans of this kind, you will be able to keep track of where you were, where you are, and where you are going. You can celebrate each milestone along the way too. Losing weight becomes less of pressure and more about small victories.
It will help if you remain mentally fit.
If your weight loss plan makes you feel insane, you should stop following it. If you are irritable and lack energy during weight loss, something is incorrect. A good weight loss program should allow for rest and a little celebration.
Ensure that you lose weight without harming your body or losing your mind. Otherwise, what is the point of it all?
Weight Loss Goals For your Journey
Are you wondering what sensible weight loss goals are? Well, that depends on what you want to achieve off course. However, reasonable weight loss goals all have similar characteristics. Some of them include the fact that they are broken down into various stages, quantifiable, definite, and detailed, and consider factors that affect the weight loss rate. Your weight loss goals should adhere to these basics. In addition, they should be realistic.
How realistic are your weight loss goals?
It is an indication of madness for you to expect to lose, say, 100 pounds in the space of three months or so. You did not become overweight overnight. Hence, you should set realistic goals as to when you will begin to see drastic changes to your weight.
The rule of the thumb is to lose 2 pounds every week. If you are obese, however, the first few weeks may be characterized by a higher weight loss rate than that. In addition, if you are older, you should make allowances for your age. You do not want to break some of your bones before you get to enjoy your weight loss, do you?
Being realistic regarding your weight loss goals reduces the pressure to lose too much weight too fast. Therefore, you will follow your weight loss program with a view to long-term benefits. Because of that, it will be much easier for you to lose the weight and keep it off.
Are your weight loss goals easy to track?
If you do not know how your weight loss program is progressing, it may become harder for you to stay on track. Therefore, your weight loss goals should be quantifiable, broken down into stages, and easy to achieve.
When you can meet each weight loss milestone, you will become motivated to go ahead. Each time you reach a value you had set for a particular stage, you can track your progress. That way, you will know what needs to change for you to reach your ultimate goal.
Accordingly, it would be best to break down your weight loss goals into small sets that you can achieve realistically. Otherwise, you may give up and even gain more weight than you started with because of frustrations.
Bad Weight Loss Habits to Avoid
Is your weight loss rate slowing down? Is that marker on the weighing scale pointing at a much higher value than it had done a week before? Do you feel frustrated at your lack of progress? If the answer to any or all of these questions is yes, you have bad weight loss habits.
If you do not take the time to identify and correct some of these habits, your weight loss goals will remain a distant dream. Some of the bad weight loss habits to avoid include:
Rewarding yourself with food after exercise
Have you ever found yourself reaching for a treat to reward yourself after a long workout? After all, you may think you have earned it. Unfortunately, that is not the case. A handful of sugary treats can undo a whole week’s worth of exercise in a few minutes.
The amount of time or effort you need to expend to lose weight is quite significant. If you keep on replacing every calorie you have just burned, your weight loss progress will come to a halt. All those resources that you had spent to lose the excess calories in the first place will go to waste.
Exercising without any rest
Another bad weight loss habit to refrain from is exercising without any rest. It is easy to become obsessed with exercising when seeing the results. However, doing so will derail your weight loss plans. After a while, your body will break down due to a lack of rest.
Getting the energy even to wake up in the morning will become a problem. Before you know it, you will be quitting your weight loss program.
Being inconsistent with your weight loss
If you exercise one day, skip a week, and resume your fitness program, you will not lose weight. Consistency is essential to weight loss. After a few consistent fitness sessions, your body will only start burning excess fat. Just make sure that you rest on one or two days a week.
Not taking your breakfast.
Are you one of those people who rush straight to work or school without breakfast? Stop it! Breakfast helps to regulate your sugar levels. This means that you are less likely to snack throughout the day on unhealthy foods to keep your energy levels high.
Not drinking enough water.
If you are dehydrated, then you will end up reaching for food. What you will not realize at that time is that your body needs water, not food. Ensure, therefore, that you take eight glasses of water a day even when you do not feel thirsty.
Why you should have a weight loss partner?
Unless you belong to the minority group that has no problem losing weight solo, the chances are that you will benefit from having a weight loss partner. The weight loss journey is not an easy one. Making this journey on your own is just madness.
Your weight loss partner can be anyone. Even your spouse or neighbor will do. What matters is that the weight loss partner you get shares your goals and is willing to go through the journey with you.
While it may seem a bit fussy, the fact remains that the benefits of having a weight loss partner are pretty significant.
A weight loss partner keeps you accountable.
‘I cannot run today; I have a bruised toe.’ ‘There is a bit of drizzle out there; I do not want to get my hair wet. ‘It is just a little bit of cake to reward me for my run.’ Have you ever made such excuses whenever it is time to do some exercises? If the answer is yes, a weight loss partner will come in handy. If you have to repeat some of those excuses aloud, you realize how foolish they sound.
By keeping you accountable for your actions, a weight loss partner keeps you from avoiding your weight loss exercises. That partner will also help you be responsible for your diet. You will not be able to account for your stupid weight loss decisions with a straight face. Later on, you will be glad when you can enjoy your new body.
A weight loss partner keeps you motivated.
Many people tend to love others with food. If you have problems with your friends and family members that consciously or unconsciously sabotage your efforts, a weight loss partner helps. When you feel like eating that giant burger, you can call your partner for motivation in your weak moments.
Kicking out lousy health habits that cause weight gain is like kicking out a drug habit. Sometimes, you need that mental push to keep you going. In addition, having a partner makes your weight loss efforts much easier to accomplish.
With a weight loss partner, getting motivation will not be a problem. When you feel like quitting your weight loss program, your partner will keep you on track. Such encouragement is very empowering and keeps you focused on your goal.
A weight loss partner helps you celebrate
It would be best to celebrate every weight loss milestone in the right way. Having a weight loss partner on the journey with you will ensure that you do. You will have someone to help you celebrate your success for every milestone achievement. This makes your weight loss journey less lonely, more joyous, and easier to complete.
Weight Loss Supplements – The various types
The weight loss pills marketed by the health industry are just too many to count. Some people swear by these supplements; others think they are a big con. Yet despite all the noise, the fact is that several people have been able to lose weight with their help. Others have ended up regretting their use.
Which is the right way to go? Well, that depends on what approach you want to take off course. Different weight loss supplements work in different ways. Understanding how supplements work is the first step to getting the right ones for you.
Stimulants
If you find a weight loss supplement labeled as a stimulant, then be aware that it will ‘stimulate.’ Weight loss supplements that are stimulants work by enhancing your body’s metabolic rate beyond its normal levels. Because of that, your body will burn higher fat levels than usual, which will, in turn, raise your energy levels significantly. If you take too many of these supplements, do not be surprised to find yourself cleaning up the walls of your home.
Ensure that you avoid stimulants if you have high blood pressure and heart problems.
Appetite suppressants
Some weight loss supplements act as appetite suppressants. They do this by sending a message to your brain that communicates that you are full, even when not. Consequently, you will be less likely to eat a lot, making your body burn stored fats to produce the energy it needs for its normal functioning.
Avoid appetite-suppressing supplements if you have been sick or have eating disorders. You will need nourishment, not less food. Most of these supplements are usually taken before food to reduce the amount you eat.
Muscle builders
If you have muscles, you may eat more and still fail to gain weight. This is because muscles raise your body’s metabolic rate and keep it steady throughout.
Muscle-building supplements are therefore helpful if you want to build up your muscles. That is why they are a favorite among bodybuilders.
Fat-absorption inhibitors
The rate at which your body absorbs fat will determine how much fat you have to lose. It would help to reduce your fact absorption rates to safe but lower levels.
Some supplements work by producing enzymes that inhibit fat storage in the body. This ensures that your body does not store excess baggage that you do not need.
Regardless of whichever weight loss supplement, you select, you must ensure that you get your doctor’s permission to proceed. Also, ensure that you are not taking other drugs for pre-existing conditions. Pregnancy may also prevent you from taking weight loss supplements, so beware.
Finally – Your Weight Loss Journey & Exercise
A good diet alone will not help you lose all your excess weight. Exercise is also a requirement for a healthy and effective weight loss plan. Exercising is not just about doing your household chores. There has to be a deliberate, consistent, and intense action on your part in this regard. It would help if you understood how exercise aids in weight loss. That way, it becomes easier for you to bear all the huffing and puffing you will have to do as you lose weight.
So, how does exercise help in weight loss?
Exercise helps to raise your metabolic rate.
When you do cardio exercises such as cycling, running, walking, and rowing, among other things, you are enhancing your metabolic rate. This happens because your heart rate and lung functioning remain elevated for long periods. When that happens, your body continues to burn any excess fat that is available to meet the needs of your heart and lungs. This can continue throughout the day because your metabolism rate will remain relatively high.
If there are no available energy stores from what you have eaten, it will force your body to dive deep into its reserves. This means that your body will have to burn the excess fat stored. In doing so, you will lose some weight after a while. However, you have to be consistent for long periods for this kind of exercise to work.
High-intensity interval training exercises also help to raise your metabolic rates. While such sessions do not last as long as those involving cardio exercises, they are just as effective. Long after you are done with your workouts, your body will still keep on burning fat in your body to produce the energy required for your highly functioning circulatory and respiratory organs.
Muscle-building exercises help enhance metabolic rates. This is because muscles steadily consume more calories than fat, which keeps your body’s metabolism high throughout the day.
Exercises are, therefore, suitable for weight loss because they keep your body’s metabolism high. Excess fat will keep on being burned throughout the day as a result.
Exercise reduces emotional eating.
When you exercise, your body produces endorphins, which make you happy. Because these hormones elevate your mood, you will experience less stress and anxiety. Stress has been known to produce other hormones that boost your appetite. This means that you will be more tempted to eat just to make yourself feel better. A steady weight gain will soon follow.
Exercise, therefore, helps you avoid the need to eat based on your low moods. This ensures that you can keep losing weight without any relapses.
We wish you tons of luck in your weight loss journey. May you find success in this endeavor and a beautiful body. Happy Journey!
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