Categories
Weight Loss Exercise

How To Create Weight Loss Goals You Can Really Stick To


How many of us have created a weight loss or fitness goal that we gave up on just a few weeks, or even days, later? Most of us create weight loss goals that are not realistic, and give up when we don’t see the results we want.

Here are some things you should know when you are trying to lose weight:

First of all, it’s important to know healthy weight loss means losing up to two pounds a week, give or take. This is likely the amount that your body will be losing on a weekly basis.

There are diets that may promise you a loss of ten pounds a week or something along those lines, but those are diets that will mostly rid you of water weight, and sometimes muscle. Why muscle? When your calorie count is too low, your body will feed on muscle first before it will feed on fat. So, don’t ever go on a very low-calorie diet unless supervised by a doctor.

There are many ways you can lose weight, but the best would probably be by combining a low-calorie diet with exercise. This way, you don’t have to eat too little, and at the same time you will be getting fitter.

How To Set Healthy Goals

Setting healthy goals is simple. Before you start, think about your lifestyle now. What is it that you can cut out that will reduce your calorie count? Are there foods that you are not yet willing to stop eating? Also, can you incorporate exercise into your daily routine? How much are you willing to reduce when it comes to your calorie count? These are some of the things you should consider.

If you are taking things slow, which you should, then you should aim for a loss of about one pound a week. If you are working out heavily though, you can aim higher, for about two to four pounds a week. If you see a bigger loss than that on the scale, then that’s a bonus!

Setting realistic weight loss goals is important so that you don’t end up disappointed and give up altogether. Indeed, weight loss is a slow process, but in the end, it’s definitely worth the effort. So eat healthy, exercise regularly, and change your lifestyle to a healthier one, so that the weight slips off, and stays off, in the long run. Start your journey, keep at it, and don’t give up!


Categories
Weight Loss Exercise

Get Proof of Your Progress



Sometimes you may feel that you’re not making any progress at all with your fitness program ? like a gerbil spinning on its wheel ? going nowhere. But there are ways to track your weight loss and fitness targets that will provide the incentive you need to keep on keeping on until you reach your goals.

During your fitness quest, you’ll want to weigh yourself once a month rather than daily or weekly. This strategy gives your body a chance to react to the weeks of effort you’ve given. It also keeps you from becoming discouraged if your happen to see a minuscule weight loss on the scale.

Another way to track your weight loss progress is to take your measurements. Sometimes the scale doesn’t reflect the inches you’re losing and taking measurements will reassure you that you’re making some progress.

When you measure yourself, do so without clothing or clothing that fits tight to your skin (such as leotards). There are numerous measurement charts online that provide instructions on how to accurately take your measurements and that will track your progress in inches to your desired goal. You should measure yourself once a week or once a month.

You can also track your fitness progress by measuring your body fat percentage. This method can provide help you realize how much fat you need to lose to reach the desired fitness goal. Body fat should measure from 25 to 31% for women and 18 to 25% for men.

There are a number of ways to measure body fat, including hydrostatic weighing, calipers, DEXA and bioelectrical impedance scales. But a simpler way to measure body fat is to access an online calculator that uses skin fold or tape measurements. If you belong to a health or fitness club, be sure to ask if they offer any of these methods to measure body fat percentages.

A great motivational tool to be your skinniest best is to actually see yourself thinner via a digitally enhanced photo (before and after). This method will cost you, but if you have trouble picturing yourself thin, it could be a powerful incentive to keep up with your diet and exercise program.

There are several online sites where you can obtain a digitally-adjusted photo of yourself. You simply send them a full body photo, they slim you down digitally and send the enhanced photo back to you by email.

Print them out and post them on your refrigerator door and mirrors to give you a mental reality of what you can be at the end of your quest ? a new and thinner you.

Related Blogs

  • Related Blogs on Bioelectrical Impedance Scales
  • Related Blogs on Body Fat Percentage