Weight Loss Week 1

So you want to lose weight that you actually keep off, great decision on your part. Weight loss can be difficult for some and easy for others. The part that isn’t easy is the maintenance with weight loss. We’ve seen the people who’ve dropped so much weight and look fabulous. I’ve been one of them. I’ve lost 100lbs before, 40lbs, 50lbs, and other lesser amounts. The problem is I haven’t been able to maintain the loss because as soon as the diet is over I go back to old habits. You’ve heard it’s a lifestyle, you’ve heard to make small livable changes, and you’ve heard to make realistic goals. These are all true. You are not going to drop your roll right on the ground after a week of doing things the “healthy way”. It doesn’t work that way. I’m starting again but this time I’m starting with making changes slowly so I can adapt to them and make them a long term habit so this time I can keep the weight off permanently. If this is your first week then this week we are going to start with 2 things. You are going to start writing down what you eat and drinking water. Not water with coffee, not water in your Kool aid, and not water in your diet coke. You need real actual water and you need to know what you are putting in your body so you can make adjustments that still allow you to live but drop the excess.

I’ve been on every diet people can name and I’m going to tell you that the one thing they all have in common is water. You need to take your body weight, divide it in half, and that is the amount of ounces of water you need in a day. Your body is ⅔ water, just like the earth. You also lose water through activities and other things that you eat which push water out of you before it’s absorbed fully. I know this amount seems like a lot but trust me you need this. Over time your body will adjust and you will not be running to the restroom as much. If you need a motivator, think about the fact that your excess fat is what you pee out so all those times you’re running to the bathroom you’re pushing out the fat.

Ways you can add the water in is by trying to drink at least a glass of water once you wake up, a glass before you eat, and a glass after you eat. People sometimes fill up water bottles, empty 2-liters, or use filtered pitchers to measure how much water they are drinking. If you fall a bit short one day just make sure you pick it up the next day. Measuring your water this week is your goal. This is your first step in measuring and the first step in giving your body what it actually needs.

Your next goal is to start writing down what you eat. Some people do this in apps, some people write it down on paper. I will take a picture of what I ate and send it to myself when I’m running short on time. You need to understand what is going into your body and what created the body you have in order to make changes and get the body you want. If you have a pizza, even a whole one then write it down. How many pieces did you have? What kind was it? Don’t try to edit the results or sugar coat things just write down the facts.

Don’t judge yourself for what you are eating or if you miss a day tracking things this week. Don’t do negative self talk or get down on yourself. Unless you’re a superstar you’re going to have a day you fall short. What would you say to your best friend if they fell short a day? Try saying those things to yourself. The thing you need to make sure you do is give yourself a pat on the shoulder that you do drink your water and write things down. Remember this is a process. You’re going to be living in this body for a long time so you have the time to go through the process to keeping it off and gaining better habits.