5 tips to help you on weight loss journey

Motivation :

This is definitely the hardest part, but once you have it figured out the rest becomes so much easier! I have some ways that will help you make better daily choices.

In the self -help world there is a phrase which is, a corner-stone habit. This is essentially using your pre-existing habits to create new ones. For example when you brush your teeth, hopefully this is a habit you have already, you then might floss or do your skin care routine. Every day one action leads on to the other and they become connected. You can use this to your advantage, to make a link between getting out of bed and putting on your workout gear, which then leads to playing a workout video. This way you make a decision that holds less resistance leading you to the harder ones. Consistently making these choices lead to a habit being formed and before you know it you are in your workout clothes without thinking!

When you lack motivation to complete a task it is easy to just give in and not do it, but if you have a why attached to the task it is a lot easier to motivate yourself to keep going. This may be I want to lower my blood pressure and cholesterol or I want to fit into my old jeans. Though this isn’t a sure fire way of motivating yourself every time it can help you towards your goals.

The last thing I will say for this tip is that if you don’t end up doing what you had planned for that day don’t beat yourself up. This will lead to a negative mentality that if you couldn’t make it to the gym that day you have failed. Which is just not true! Everyone has off days, you just carry on tomorrow. A way to avoid this is if you know your life is hectic on a Thursday, take Thursday as your rest day. This way you have stuck to your plan and are still making progress.

Meal Prep :

Ever heard someone say abs are made in the kitchen? Well this is absolutely true!

When you work out the amount of calories you burn really isn’t that high, most people find this discouraging and think what is the point? If you eat a balanced meal you don’t need to burn off calories because you haven’t consumed as much. Working out helps to build muscle which in turn raises your metabolic rate (meaning you burn more calories at rest).

When you are hungry you aren’t thinking how much protein and good fats are in the food because you just want to eat. If you have a bunch of premade food that is to hand every day you are going to reach for them instead, leading to more healthy eating habits. When you are making your meals you can’t forget about snacks as well. This is just as important as making breakfast, lunch and dinner. For me when I feel peckish or I get a bit bored I don’t want to microwave a whole meal, I just want to grab something and eat. This is where healthy snacking comes in. If you like fruit then keep a well-stocked fruit bowl, or if you are more of a savoury person, batch make some treats for later.

If you are used to eating McDonalds everyday then suddenly making curries and stews for lunch is going to be a bit of a shock to the system. No matter how diligent you are with avoiding McDonalds your body is going to crave it. So allowing yourself a day where you are allowed to have some chips and a burger is going to be good for you. Also knowing what food you enjoy eating and what you are going to be excited for will go a long way to helping you make better food choices.

Exercise Plan :

Fail to plan, plan to fail.

When it comes to exercising this is very true. Why do you think all athletes have set days where they train a certain muscle group?

Going into a gym and not knowing what you are doing is very daunting and overwhelming. It is also going to stop you before you even get started. If you have it all written out, all you have to do is check what workout you have planned for that day, giving you one less excuse to skip the gym.

Depending on your goals you may want to work out every day or two to three times a week, this is also dependent on your activity level. For example if your goal is to become a body builder then it is not going to be a good idea to go swimming once a week and nothing else. On the other hand if you haven’t worked out in years you don’t want to fill out every day with an hour of exercise, you will be setting yourself up for failure. The different types of workouts that you should do for you I will discuss in my next tip.

Your exercise plan will also depend on what problems you may have with working out, if I try to do some sort of squat variation with my heels raised I will fall over because of my bad balance. The same thing can be said for high intensity workouts that stretch out over half an hour, I get bored, exhausted and need to reach for my asthma inhaler. If like me you have bad balance you may want to work in a balance routine once or twice a week to help you improve. Maybe you aren’t flexible enough to do certain exercises, so a stretching routine twice a week will help you out. I would strongly recommend some sort of stretching routine after a workout so you are able to walk the next day!

Always start off small and then increase your workout time.

Finding an exercise that is right for you :

We are all very different especially when it comes to our likes and dislikes. One person might love to go for a run, while someone else is going to hate having to exercise outdoors. For some the fact you can’t stop and sit down is a huge deterrent but for others it’s the motivation they need to keep going.

As all of us have different goals and different abilities, it is important to find not only the right type of workout but also the right movements. I might really enjoy cross fit where there is a lot of jumping around and heavy lifting, but if I have any knee or back problems that’s going to be out of the window. Whatever workout you do make sure you enjoy it, this is going to help you to stick to your exercise plan and maybe even look forward to it.

While we think of what exercise is right for us we also have to think what environment works too. The gym could motivate you to lift more because there is a cute guy or girl on the other side of the room but it may also stop you from pushing yourself because you don’t want to look like a sweaty tomato! It could also be stopping you because you have no idea what all of the machines do.

Find what works for you and stick to it!

Creating the right space :

This is applied to both exercising and eating.

Creating a place that is enjoyable and easily accessible so you have less obstacles in your way to achieving your goals is important.

This could mean if you are working out from home having a room dedicated to working out, or an area that is always clutter free. If you have any reason not to do something your brain will take it and run because it is easier, it’s the path of least resistance.

The same mentality also goes to your kitchen. If you want to meal prep and are just getting ready but you have a load of dishes in the sink or the counter is dirty, you have to clean before you can do anything. In my experience once you have tidied you are exhausted and there is no hope of getting anything done. If you have a perfectly clean kitchen, then not having the right ingredients or equipment for the recipe could put a spanner in the works and stop you from carrying on. In my experience getting everything ready the day before so you have no excuses is the best way.

Overall the one thing I want everyone to take away is that if you have a goal enjoy the journey you take to get there, and don’t think because it works for them it is going to work for you.