Keeping It Real – Here’s to Steady Weight Loss
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Real talk.
Let’s talk about real weight loss. What I’m talking about is losing weight in a way and at a rate that’s sustainable. Yes, you can go on one of those miracle liquid diets for 48 hours and lose a few pounds. But it isn’t something you’d want to (or should) be sticking with for the long run. Plus chances are that as soon as you go back to eating normally, you’ll get the weight right back.
Let’s think about a case for slow and steady weight loss. You (and I) didn’t put those 30 extra pounds on overnight. Don’t expect to take them off in a matter of weeks. Instead, aim to lose half a pound to a pound per week. Honestly, it’ll still be a challenge most weeks.
This post is a reminder for me as well. During my illness, I put on 20 lbs. I am tall so most people can’t tell. But I can — and my jeans can. Now that I had the transplant, it’s time for those pounds to go!
First: Slow and Steady
The key to slow and steady weight loss is lifestyle changes. The changes you make to your lifestyle today should become habits that will stick with you forever.
What Are You Eating?
Drink more water, cut out high-calorie drinks like soda and fruit juices. Cut back on sugar and refined carbs as much as possible. Stick with low sugar fruits, lots of non-starchy veggies and protein. Don’t forget to add a few healthy fats. Yes, they are high in calories, but they’ll also keep you full longer.
Get Moving!
Make it a habit to go for a 30 minute walk after dinner in the evening. Or start a yoga class. Make an effort to move around more all throughout your day. Get up and walk around while you’re talking on the phone. Go play with the kids in the yard or ride a bike. Keep in mind that you can move in 15 minute spurts to meet your daily goals.
Small lifestyle changes will start to add up and you’ll see slow and steady weight loss. And there’s another important reason why you want to keep it real and not try to do too much too fast. The end goal is to keep the weight off. And that will be easier with if you do it slowly by changing the way you eat, the way you move, and your whole outlook on life.
Set yourself up for success by setting small weight loss goals and working toward them.
5 Steps to Setting Successful Weight Loss Goals
For success with your steady weight loss, the first thing you have to do is set realistic goals that will help you keep your weight loss on track and keep you motivated. However, if you set unrealistic goals that you’re not able to reach, it will quickly become discouraging and you may find yourself giving up long before you reach your goal.
So, here are 5 steps to setting successful weight loss goals.
1. Make Your Primary Goal be Health
When your overall goal is to live a healthier life, it’ll be a lot easier to feel successful as you work to make better eating choices every day. This will also help you stay motivated since you can evaluate yourself at the end of the day to determine what you can to better the next day to keep reaching your goal of being healthier.
2. Do Some Research
Before you set your main goal, you’ll want to spend a bit of time doing research to determine what a realistic goal is for you. Ask other people who have already lost weight how long it took them to help you determine how much you can expect to lose and how long it might take you. Then, you will be able to set up a realistic goal for your own weight loss.
3. Set Your “Big” Goal
This is your total weight loss goal and could take you several years to reach. However, it’s important to have this big goal so you know what your target weight loss is. Add a timeline into your goal, whether it’s one year, two years, or five years. It’s important to give yourself plenty of time to reach that goal so that you don’t feel rushed, but also keep it a short enough time to keep you focused and on track.
4. Set Up Milestones
These are little goals along the way that will help you reach your big goal. You’ll want to set these up the same way you set up your big goal: after doing some research and with a timeline. These will be spread out every month, every few months, or even every year.
What’s most important to keep in mind when setting up these goals is that weight loss is typically easier at the beginning and then takes longer as your body’s metabolism changes. So, you may be able to lose 10 pounds in the first
5. Set Up Rewards
For reaching your big goal, set up a big reward, whether it’s buying your dream car or going on your dream vacation. Getting to your ideal body weight and to a point where you can live a healthier life is a big deal and should be celebrated, so don’t be afraid to go all-out.
For your smaller milestones, these should also be celebrated, but in smaller ways. Just make sure that the rewards you set up are activities or anything non-food related, since rewarding yourself by eating junk food contradicts the whole point of a healthy lifestyle!
Follow these tips can help you create goals that are realistic. This will keep you motivated and moving in the right direction. Keep it real!
For a more in-depth look at achieving your goals, here is a book called Crush Your Goals from my Shop at Life: The Reboot. There is also a Crush My Goals Journal on Amazon.
Loving Life–The Reboot!
Dominique
This article provides general information and discussion about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this article, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.
28 Comments
kumamonjeng
Great tips and very motivational! I agree with what we eat is so important and 6 packs abs are made from the kitchen. There is no point of only doing the workout at the gym and not eating healthy. What we take in is so important and every calorie count. I have no problem with working out 5 days a week but my biggest challenge is to eat clean. Sometimes it is so hard to resist that french fries in the McD! LOL. Hence my 6 packs never happen.
Dominique
You sound like me! Eating is a challenge — I am working to continue to do better! As a youngster, I had a 6-pack with minimal concern about my food intake. Not happening now…LOL Thanks for reading!
1stepfurther
Great tips! I really like when you say that we have to make our primary goal is health, it really does the most important thing..if we lose weight but the process makes us sick then there’s no point..
Thank you for sharing
Dominique
Slow and steady… If we put in the work, we will get there! Thank you for reading!
Courtney
I love everything you talk about here. You are so right that slow and steady wins the race. Also that health should be the top priority over being skinny. Really great tips, thanks for sharing!!
Dominique
Thank you for reading! I am planning to do a series on some of the popular diets — partly for my own information and for my readers. Just looking at what the diets are and what are the pros/cons. All of this ties in together. Eating healthy can come in many forms — I want to look at what that might entail!
Cristina Petrini
These are the real tips to lose weight that exclude miraculous diet and underline instead so much willpower and desire to stay fit and healthy
Dominique
Yeah — losing weight this way is the hard way. However, the hard way has a better chance of lasting! Thanks for reading!
matthew
Great read. I love all the points you highlighted here. Also, i love the fact that you mentioned setting up a goal as most people don’t set up a goal, they just rush into a weight loss program and the outcomes ain’t always palatable. Thanks for sharing this great tips. http://www.healthphreaks.com
Dominique
Thank you so much! It’s good to divide the goals into smaller pieces as well — makes it easier to achieve. Thank you for reading!
Gavin
Steady is the key! My wife used to work in an obesity clinic so knows a lot about rapid loss and safe weight loss and a good varied diet. She keeps me well informed
Dominique
That’s great. I am a physician by training and I still have to be reminded of the right things sometimes! Thank you for reading!
Liz Hugen
So many great tips! Definitely saving this post as I start my journey to be healthier!
Dominique
Thank you so much — I am glad it was helpful! Thanks for reading!
Gabriel izukanne
Yes, slowly we will get there. Not cool when we do it so abruptly and fall sick great tips.
Dominique
Thank you — slow but steady is best! Have a lovely day!
Tasheeni
These tips are v. helpful! I totally agree that ensuring good health should be our No. 1 priority.
Dominique
It is the most important thing! Thank you for reading!
Janay
Hello. This was very informative. I’m a person who will work out everyday but still snack and eat junk food. I’ll eat chipotle everyday if I could. So I need to watch what I eat more. Being active is also important when trying to loose weight. Thank you ❤️
Dominique
Junk food is my nemesis as well. I am working hard to overcome — we can do it, right? Thanks for reading!
Rachel
Great tips and advice. I think slow and steady wins the race as they say! I often push myself too much at the start and burn out with exercise so I need to chill and take it at the pace my body can go!
Dominique
It’s so easy to get excited at the beginning of your new regimen and then you hit a wall! Finding the correct pace is important! Thanks for reading!
BMB
Great points. It is hard not to get discouraged when you mess up. Just gotta remember to keep moving forward.
Dominique
Keep it moving is the best plan! Have a wonderful evening!
Bismah-Bonnie
I really like the idea of giving oneself a reward at the end. It gives you something to look forward to. I am currently trying to get into better shape. Although my weight is not much of a concern at the moment I do need to get into more of an exercise routine.
Dominique
Rewards give you something to look forward to. We all like a little treat! LOL Thanks for reading!
Jennifer Tanney
I’m in need of some weight loss. I gained a ton of weight with my son. Then I lost about half while nursing only to gain it back due to stress eating while I had to sole parent for 5 months. I’ve never been this heavy and honestly hate it. Every time I try I loss a little just to gain it back in a month or so.
Dominique
I am sorry to hear about your struggles — I am with you as well! Sometimes it is difficult to get started and it can take time. But if you have a plan when you start, it can make it easier to stick even if you have a slip. There are several questions to consider when creating your own plan — I’m not going to bombard you with them here (send me an email if you want to chat). But it’s ok to start small and find ways to incorporate changes in your current lifestyle (finding a way to incorporate your child into your workout, etc.). Also, accountability partners are so important — my friend and I make sure we go walking 4 days a week. And it’s fun! Thanks for reading!