You’ve likely already discovered that if you really want to give weight loss a boost, it’s not about fad diets that are highly restrictive and leave you starving. It’s more a matter of developing the right long lasting and life changing alterations to what you used to do. It’s a matter of changing the things that caused you to gain weight in the first place.
As easy as that might be to say, it isn’t always as easy to put into practice. For many of us, that involves a considerable learning curve and significant changes in the way that we have done things until this point. It means selecting healthier foods and trying new workouts – and keeping up with them. Until you actually create new habits, it will always feel as though the old ones are far easier. They aren’t, but it feels that way.
Until you put your new habits into practice, take advantage of these five great tips that can help you to break down some of the barriers that will try to pop up in your way and give your weight loss a boost.
• Set small goals – while you might have an ultimate goal of losing 35 pounds, that can feel a little bit overwhelming. Make sure that you set smaller goals along the way so that you will be able to feel the progress that you are making and keep up your motivation. Your goals can have to do with workouts (such as completing five workouts per week), fitness (keeping up that great walk until the hill at the end doesn’t leave you feeling winded anymore), or even adding an extra serving of vegetables to your meals every day. Anything that you can check off of a list will give you a sense of completion, which will push you to achieve the next goal.
• Take breaks – you may feel that exercising is the key to your weight loss and fitness, but everybody needs a break. One or two days per week will help your body to recover and it will give you the rest that you need to feel driven to get back into the game, again, the next day.
• Be proud of yourself – when you achieve your goal, give yourself a pat on the back! Post your progress on your social media and let people congratulate you. It’s not easy to do, so let yourself feel some pride that you’ve done it.
• Take on the challenge – just because you can’t do something new, it doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to build up to it. It may seem absolutely impossible to run a mile, today, but if you use a gradual interval training program, you might be able to do it in a month or two. Just keep trying and you’ll see that it can give weight loss a boost!
• Track your progress – if all you do is stare at yourself in the mirror, you’ll never see any difference in yourself. It happens too gradually. So track your weight, measurements, length of walks, speed of your run, and other measure-ables. Soon you’ll see the progress right in front of your eyes!
