I have the greatest job in the world. I am on the front lines watching people improve their lives each and every day. It is especially gratifying as I know how it feels. Your whole world can open up to you when you finally decide to take control of your health for good. As a Nutritionist at Total health and Fitness, I have not only help create the success stories with our clients, I have been the success story with my own 100 lb weight loss! In this post I share the main tips that allowed me to make changes each and every day. I hope you can relate to them, implement them, and find the new life you are looking for as I most definitely have.
Everyone’s fitness journey is unique. Yet, we are so often sold on a one-size-fits-all approach to improving our fitness. It is important to listen to your own experience. You will find lasting success when you learn to take what works for you and leave the rest. While my methods for weight loss success were unique, there are a few tips that might be helpful to think about when you are ready to begin working toward your health and fitness goals.
Looking back 100 pounds ago, one of the major shifts that allowed me to keep going day after day was accountability.
Looking back 100 pounds ago, one of the major shifts that allowed me to keep going day after day was accountability. I understood my goals were not going to be realized overnight. The scale didn’t show changes every day, but I still had to do the work every day. I had to find a motivating reason to watch what I ate and to get in enough exercise to see the changes I wanted so badly. You might have a goal that will take weeks or several months to achieve, but it takes working on it each and every day. When you look at a success story from an outside perspective, it always seems exciting and impressive. If you were to ask someone who reached their weight loss goal what their “secret” was during their journey, they would nearly always say they worked hard, stuck to their program despite occasional frustrations at not losing faster and kept their eye on the end goal. Keep in mind that someone losing 100 lbs in a year only needs to lose 1.9 lbs a week! You need to keep the big picture in mind, but focus on the now. In order to do that, being held accountable is key. There are a lot of ways to hold yourself accountable. If you are motivated by social interaction, having a reliable person who wants you to succeed and making a regular time to check in – whether you are doing well or not – that is important. Another way to remain accountable daily is to write a food and fitness journal. A journal doubles as way to think through challenges. For some, having a regular appointment to show up to might be what is needed to avoid that extra cookie, get that extra workout, or keep your goals at the top of mind.
The second thing that made my success possible was having a solid plan.
The second thing that made my success possible was having a solid plan. It might be obvious, but so many times we are not clear about how we plan to improve our health. Having a vague sense that you want to lose weight or get stronger is not enough. Even knowing that you need to eat healthier and work out is not enough and might even work against you. In my career, I have seen first hand frustrated people who thought they were being “good” and using all the will power they had to follow an overly-restrictive diet. Many times, these same people endured an unpleasant and unsustainable lifestyle only to find they were damaging their metabolisms with too little or unbalanced food. Planning takes expertise about what works in general, but it also takes specific knowledge about your life and abilities. This is where magic can happen. Having an expert in nutrition team up with an expert in your day to day life(you) will create the balance that not only fits your preferences and hectic schedule…. but actually works! Whether working with a pro or doing it on your own, research the science of nutrition and weight loss to create a plan for you, not just following what your neighbor, friend, or family member did. It’s rewarding to hear clients amazed they can get results without the hunger and unsustainability of the crash diets that failed them year after year.
The road to fitness is filled with so much more than just a reduced waist circumference.
Finally, remember that the road to fitness is filled with so much more than just a reduced waist circumference. It is important to enjoy your fitness no matter where you are on your journey. I made a point to appreciate all of the small improvements I noticed along the way. Whether it was not getting winded hiking stairs, moving one belt notch down, having more energy all day, not always feeling bloated, all of these small things summed up to 100 lbs down for me. Our bodies are amazing and can do so many things. Look at what you can do now and enjoy it. Improvement happens on the first day you decide to begin!! Sure, it’s hard work. Sure, it takes time. Try to notice how much fun you are having or how much you are enjoying finally taking control over how you look and feel. For me this was something that was gradual. It was such a surprise to discover that I loved running, for example. At first, I hated it, and couldn’t run for more than 10 seconds at a time. Over time, running became one of my favorite ways to enjoy nature and connect with people. You might never like running, but you’ll find for yourself that there are benefits to fitness that go far beyond the number on the scale or even the size of clothes that you fit into. Start today or keep going if you are already on your fitness journey, use the tools of daily accountability, planning and enjoy the ride!
