Have you decided to lose weight from next Monday? Or, on the contrary, did not begin to postpone everything indefinitely – and proceed to what was intended in 5 minutes?
6 questions to ask yourself before losing weight
Before you start implementing your plans, you need to understand your motive, resources, and more. And most importantly, what you need to know: “Is the right time for losing weight?” Are you ready for it or not? “
If a person is not ready for transformations in his life, then they will be tougher and without the expected result. They will help you understand yourself and go from start to finish six key questions of our nutritionist Natalia Nefedova. Choose a free moment and ask yourself:
“What is my true motivation?”
Why are you planning to lose weight really? You will achieve greater success if your motivation is positive: for example, you want to improve your health, not because you cherish the dream of annoying your ex, who always joked about your weight and called you “affectionately” an elephant.
Make sure that you really want to lose weight for yourself, and not to settle accounts with someone. Thanks to the BODYCAMP calculator, measure body mass index (BMI). A BMI of more than 25 is considered overweight.
We also advise you to carry out a test at home, which reveals the risk of disease relative to normal weight and waist circumference. Measure your waist with a measuring tape. If its circumference exceeds 89 cm, soon you may face an increased risk of health problems. And blame everything will obesity!
“Now is the right time?”
Well, if you do not postpone important things (for example, getting rid of extra pounds) for later. But too hurry is not worth it. If you have seasonal depression (and nutritionists generally do not advise losing weight in the offseason due to a lack of nutrients in the body) or you are in a state of acute stress, then a radical change in life and habits (these include planned weight loss) should be postponed.
The body may simply not be ready! On the other hand, you do not want to wait until you feel absolutely perfect when your life becomes perfect without flaws? Therefore, when you make sure that depression is over, you can begin to lose weight. And from the mere thought of your new slim body, she simply must pass!
“Can I achieve real goals?”
If you expect to lose 15 kilograms in a week, because you bought a hot tour: do not bewilder yourself with vain dreams! These same dreams can lead you not just to a dead end, but to spoil your health. Set a concrete, feasible goal – and strive for it systematically and gradually. As the BODYCAMP motivational coach Elena Ostapenko says: “All great things are the art of small steps.”
Add ten minutes of exercise per day is more doable than adding an entire hour. Weight loss means changing food and other habits, but keep in mind that gradual changes will be more effective and more noticeable than a sharp rejection of the “past life”. Such changes are much easier to implement. And you will feel much better when you see that all your plans are easy to implement.
“What actions can I take?”
A well-thought-out clear weight loss plan involves more than just a decision (one time!) To skip a dessert in a restaurant or a “clearing” on the occasion of a birthday party. You must pay attention to nutrition, fitness and your emotional state.
Make sure your weight loss strategy includes specific behavioral changes in all these areas: healthy snacks (by the way, easy and useful recipes we show at seminars) instead of fast food on the way home from the office, walking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking in the park instead of the evening TV in the company of chips. All this will help not only lose weight, but also make your lifestyle healthy!
“What can stop me?”
On the way to a new life and a new weight will stand obstacles. Therefore, think in advance how to get around them. This can be a diner with donuts on the way to work, past which you can not pass. Then think about changing the route. You do not have the strength to run after a working day?
Try swimming in the pool or go to workout before work. Register in the fitness center nearest to office. Many of them are equipped with everything you need from towels and shower gels to hair dryers, and they have beautiful showers. Your goal to lose weight will be much more achievable if you think it over in trifles and “protect” yourself from any interference.
Read about additional reasons that may prevent weight loss – read on the site.
“How will I record my progress?”
Be sure to start at the beginning of losing weight. But do not run to the “instrument of torture” (as some people lose weight with scales) every 3 minutes. Scales will not be able to give you an accurate picture of your progress. Extra pounds do not always go with a uniform speed. And if you pump up muscles and start losing fat, everything may not go down at all. Do not be scared!
It is better to follow your clothes: if you become freer to feel at the waist, then its size decreases. Oh, by the way, about the size. Before losing weight and during the process, measure the volume of the waist, chest and hips. This will help you to find out how much you “took off” in centimeters. Keep a diary of nutrition and training, which will help you remember what you eat in servings, grams and make sure that you eat properly and devote proper time to fitness – and this is the key to losing weight!
Most importantly, do not forget to celebrate your success (we are not talking about foam champagne pouring into glasses) at every stage of your journey. When you notice a real improvement in weight, you will feel great! And this is the best incentive not to turn off the intended path.