Introduction
Weight loss is hard, especially when you’re trying to do it alone. I’m going to be honest: It’s not easy for me either! There are days when I feel like giving up, or at least taking a break from counting calories and hitting the gym. But when that happens, I remind myself of all the reasons why I started this journey in the first place. And believe me — there are plenty of them! Getting healthy can be life-changing.
Track your weight and calories.
Track your weight and calories.
If you aren’t tracking your weight, there’s no way to know if you’re losing or gaining weight. You also won’t be able to tell if the amount of calories you are eating is helping or hurting your progress.
You should weigh yourself daily to get an accurate picture of how much weight you’ve lost in a week or month. To make sure those pounds are coming off, however, it’s important that the scale be balanced with consistent calorie intake throughout the day.
[epcl_box type=”success”]What You Should Know About Short-Term Weight Loss[/epcl_box]
In other words: If you eat more than usual on one day but don’t exercise as much as normal, then some additional fat will be stored in place of muscle mass until such time as it can be burned off again through exercise—or until food is consumed again at regular intervals (as opposed to eating large quantities all at once).
This is why weighing yourself daily helps maintain consistency throughout this process so that progress can be measured accurately over time (and will hopefully lead up toward whatever goal was set for each person individually).
Check your blood sugar.
It’s possible that your weight loss has stalled due to high blood sugar. Blood sugar levels can be checked with a glucometer, which looks like a little device similar to a thermometer that you prick your finger with. When the results come back, they’ll look something like this:
- 126 mg/dl – Normal
- 100-125 mg/dl – Borderline high
- 125 mg/dl – High
Go for a walk
- Go for a walk.
- You can’t go wrong with walking as a way to get some exercise and clear your head. Whether you take a stroll around the neighborhood or hit up your favorite park, this is an easy way to feel like you’re doing something good for yourself—and it’s so much nicer than sitting on the couch feeling sorry for yourself!
- If you want to make sure that your walks are actually helping in terms of weight loss, try taking them first thing in the morning when you’re most likely to be hungry from not eating enough during sleep-phase portion of your circadian rhythm.
- This will help stave off hunger until lunchtime (or later), which means less overeating later on in the day when food options are limited due to being at work/school all day long without access other types of healthful snacks like fruits/veggies (unless they’re available).
Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is a popular weight loss strategy in which you restrict your eating window, only eating for a certain number of hours during the day.
Fasting can help you lose weight, but it can also improve your health by lowering blood pressure and reducing inflammation in the body.
[epcl_box type=”success”]Also Read: What to Eat Before and After Exercise[/epcl_box]
You don’t have to fast if you don’t want to—but if you do choose to fast, be sure that what you’re doing is safe for your body and mind.
Refocus your goals.
If you’re not losing weight as quickly as you would like, ask yourself what positive changes have you made to your diet and lifestyle?
Have you been able to cut back on sugar and refined carbohydrates? Are you walking or cycling more often? Perhaps your new job is taking up less time for commuting, which means more time for cooking or exercising. Whatever the reason, take note of it and celebrate those small successes.
If this change doesn’t seem significant enough though, then maybe reframing the way you think about your goal weight would be helpful. Instead of focusing on “losing 10 pounds” try thinking about how much healthier and stronger each pound lost makes you feel at this moment in time instead!
Remember that slow progress is still progress – congratulations!
Reduce stress.
If you’re under a lot of stress, it can cause your body to produce extra cortisol. When cortisol is present in the body for too long, it can lead to weight gain.
When we’re stressed out, our bodies tend to go into “fight or flight” mode which leads us to make poor food choices. Stress also makes us more likely to eat when we aren’t physically hungry—we just want something sweet for comfort because we feel so overwhelmed by life!
Stress sucks, but there are ways you can manage it and help yourself lose weight:
- Schedule time each day where you perform at least one small self-care ritual (like meditating or journaling). This will help you slow down and get centered so that when stressful situations arise later in the day they won’t seem as daunting as they might have otherwise been.
- For every hour spent on something stressful during work hours (such as preparing presentations), try doing one hour worth of exercise outside of those hours (like going on a run after work). This will not only give your mind some much needed downtime but also keep those pounds off!
If you’re struggling to lose weight, try new things and focus on the positive changes you do make.
If you’re struggling to lose weight, try new things and focus on the positive changes you do make.
It can be frustrating when your weight loss has stalled. If a diet or workout routine isn’t working for you, consider switching it up.
Try doing something different with your diet or exercise program; maybe even add some new foods or exercises so that your body gets used to change and doesn’t hit a plateau where it will no longer lose weight efficiently.
Remember that every little bit is good progress! You don’t have to go hardcore—just do what works for YOU in order to reach your goals without feeling overwhelmed or discouraged by small setbacks along the way (or big ones).
Conclusion
If you’re struggling with weight loss, don’t give up! There are so many ways to improve your diet and change your lifestyle for the better. While tracking calories and exercising are both essential parts of losing weight, there are also other things you can do on a regular basis that will help keep yourself motivated.