WEIGHT LOSS 101 FOR BEGINNERS

Perhaps the scale has gone up recently or maybe the excess weight around your middle hasn’t really bothered you until now. If you are just getting started on your weight loss journey, this is for you.

It is easy to fall into unhealthy habits that over time pack on the extra pounds. I can help you break some of those habits that may have snuck up on you without you even realizing.

Here are 5 EASY ways you can start taking extra weight off today.

Cut out Fast Food
Cut out Refined Sugar
Move More
Aim for 8 Hours of Sleep
Practice Mindful Eating

Perhaps they all sound challenging or maybe you just need to work on one or two to get started. Incorporating these healthy habits consistently and permanently will have a huge payoff. Read on to learn why these small fixes are so important.

#1 CUT OUT FAST FOOD

If you are just getting started on your weight loss journey, I highly recommend cutting out fast food. This practice alone can have a huge impact.

There is absolutely nothing good (except maybe the taste) about fast food. It is usually high in calories, fat, sodium, and it lacks nutritional value. An average fast food meal can come close to nearly 900 calories. Depending on your size, that is almost half of what your body requires daily.

It may seem fast and convenient, but it is just not worth it. Seek out restaurants that offer items that are not fried and processed. Better yet, pack your lunch or eat at home.

At my house, we always make extra large dinners so we have healthy leftovers for our lunches. By taking just a little extra time planning your meals and your week, it is possible to have healthy meals on the go.

#2 CUT OUT REFINED SUGARS

Sounds challenging? Cutting this out completely would be IDEAL but cutting back would also be helpful.

We are talking soda, candy, donuts, muffins… really most baked goods. High-end specialty coffees are loaded with sugar depending on how you order them making the calories sky high.

These items might taste good at the moment but after an hour or so of consumption, our blood sugar crashes and we end up even hungrier. The less refined sugar we have, the less our cravings are out of control.

Eating too much sugar is associated with larger fat deposits around the heart and in the abdomen causing unnecessary health risks. Eliminating or reducing the amount of sugar you consume lowers your chances of high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.

#3 MOVE MORE

This is especially important if you have a desk job and are sitting all day long. Sedentary behavior is closely linked to obesity. Go out for a walk at lunch time, do some yard work, clean your house or just stand more. All of these little things can really add up over time.

I recommend getting a watch with a movement tracker; it will give you a great idea of how active you actually are. Set movement goals for yourself and gradually increase your goal over time.

If you have already started doing these things, I challenge you to take it a little further. Add a 20 minute walk in after dinner or better yet incorporate 30 minutes of weight training multiple times per week. Weight training builds muscle which helps increase our metabolic rate.

The more muscle you have the more you burn. It is such a win!

#4 AIM FOR 8 HOURS OF SLEEP

Most people don’t realize, but lack of sleep has a DIRECT correlation to increased weight gain. Diminished sleep quality negatively affects our metabolic rate. Poor sleep habits alter our hormones which then increases our appetite often causing us to make unhealthy choices.

Good sleep helps our bodies reset and recover, aiding in ideal physical, mental, and emotional health.

Sometimes sleep is challenging; I get it. Here are a few tips if you are struggling.

Try to go to bed at the same time each night.
Turn off the TV and your phone.
Avoid caffeinated beverages 6 hours before bedtime.
Keep your bedroom dark and cool.

#5 PRACTICE MINDFUL EATING

This last tip for weight loss beginners is a big one. It is very important to pay attention to when you are eating and why. Are you really hungry or are you just stressed, bored or distracted? Pay attention to yourself when you grab that cookie or polish off an entire bag of chips while watching Netflix. Ask yourself in the moment what is really going on for you.

Many people eat to fill emotions and don’t even realize it. You may find yourself eating to “feel better” or to cover up another emotion you don’t want to face. But food doesn’t eliminate or fix our emotions. In many cases, we feel worse after we overate because now we are piling on judgement about ourselves and the food we didn’t want in the first place. A little awareness can go a long way.

If you haven’t read it yet, check out my blog on Why You Should Hire a Life Coach to Help you Lose Weight. In it, I address how emotions come into play with overeating and how I can help.

Tried to do these things but still struggling? Let’s talk. I have a lot more ideas to get you on your way to the healthy lifestyle you desire no matter what stage you are at.

Meg Dawson is a Certified Life Coach, Personal Trainer and Weight Management Specialist. She helps women create healthy lifestyles in and outside the gym.