Want a Beach Body, Learn Lasting Weight Loss Secrets and Tips

As the obesity rates in the US increasing many people are searching the newest and best trends to lose weight. Most infomercials protest to being the tried and true newest method to weight loss. Despite what you have heard, the hidden secret is motivation, dedication and hard work. Any program that suggests losing more that 2-3 pounds per week is not a healthy choice. I am not a nutritionist, though I have researched enough sites to know that rapid weight loss is risky and likely short lived.

Any good plan starts with setting goals and making an outline of desired results. Be specific about your lifelong goals as it relates to your weight, body shape and muscle tone. Are you looking to only loose weight, would you like to build muscle and have lifelong results? Is the driving force to this lifestyle change related to health concerns such as diabetes, obesity, heart condition, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Knowing how to answer those will guide you to making your own goals. Set short-term and long-term goals. An example is below.

Short-term goals

• Join the gym
• Go grocery shopping for healthy foods
• Remove sugary foods from my diet

Long-term goals

• Loose 50 pounds
• Get into a size 6
• Lower my cholesterol and high blood pressure

After establishing your personal goals, document at least your weight if not your measurements. Important measurements include each thigh, hips, waist, breast, and upper arms. Depending on how closely you would like to monitor your progress, weekly or monthly documentations may be in order. Documenting more frequently than that is not recommended. In addition, to recording your body changes, ensure results by documenting our food choices. Keep a meal log to record your eating habits and where you can make changes. Include caloric intake in the log. If logs seem boring or hard to maintain, there are cool apps on most smart phones that can replace the old pen and paper method.

Decide from past experiences ways you have maintained motivation. Finding a partner that has similar goals to you has proved to be fruitful in many cases. Or a life coach may be appealing to you. In recent years, life coaches have gained popularity and can be really successful in your transformation. If you are deciding to venture out alone, there are many website sites that offer daily motivational quotes, including my own BLOG. I have found finding motivational quotes have helped me in my own processes. Also, beneficial to me is saying “just get to the gym” as I feel if I get there that is half the battle.

Mood and motivation are very important. In the beginning of your transition, it is likely that it will not be easy. When things are not easy, moods usually flair. Especially when you are removing sugar from your diet. Have you heard of the “sugar crash” it is more like an explosion. When removing sugar or caffeine from your diet your body goes through withdrawals and cravings. Resist the cravings even in the midst of a bad mood. Finding ways to occupy your time and change the focus away from food and cravings can be a positive choice.

I am no food expert, yet I have done a lot of reading and probably have tried at least half of what made logical sense. Just remember that eating whole foods are your best bet and staying away from processed food and white foods are optimal. Even though fruits are whole foods they do have a lot of sugar content, therefore be cautious if you are diabetic or watching calories. Do your own research about what is the average recommended caloric intake for your body type is and if you have not done this before look at several sites to compare for accurate information. Managing your food intake is suggested to be 80% of the battle when trying to lose weight.

Ah ha, you figured it out, exercise is the other 20% of the equation. The payoff to exercise is you can increase your food intake. Not to take that out of context, but the more active you – hence burning calories – allows you to add back those calories. Again, do your research to know exactly what your recommended caloric intake should be with and without exercise. Ways that you can incorporate exercise into your day:

• Going to the gym
• Taking a brisk walk
• Go for a run
• Yard Work
• Play your favorite sport
• Play outside with the kids
• YouTube video
• Exercise DVD's

In final thoughts, the hare wins the race – slow and steady. There are no quick fix techniques to weight loss, however, it does require a lifestyle change for the results to be lasting. In your own journey diet consists of 80% of the focus while exercise is 20%. Make a plan of short-term and long-term goals and document your progress. Reach deep inside and find your motivation.