How to get started with weight loss?

Weight loss - how to get started?

Planning for weight loss

Decision

The first thing to do before starting to lose weight is to make a conscious, calm decision. Many weight loss decisions are made in haste and nerves. You stand on the scales and a cold shiver runs through you, or you suddenly realise that you don't fit into your trousers - stressing and trying to save yourself: I'm losing weight!

From now on! I have to!!! This is the first mistake. Rushing won't change anything, losing weight is a long-term process. Instead of being nervous, find some time for yourself, preferably a few hours, to think everything through calmly. If you are reading this text, you are already on the right track - you are taking the time to start losing weight effectively.

Once you are sitting still, think about losing weight. You want to lose weight. Let this thought settle quietly within you. Then think about your motivation: Why? It's seemingly obvious, but everyone actually has their own reasons. Think about yours: health? looks? vitality? doctor's recommendation? another reason? The process of constructing your motivation is very important - it will be the one thing that will guide you through the first stages, when there are still no results to support you.

So think about your life and imagine what it will be like if you lose weight and what it will be like if you don't. As you sit back and plan your weight loss, think of it not as a sacrifice, but as embarking on a life path that will lead you to health, vitality and a slim figure.

Date

Plan the date. Starting to lose weight usually requires very big changes in habits. So don't start right away. Prepare so that everything goes your way. Choose a time after which you do not anticipate any special events for at least a month. 

Developing new habits is easiest when you incorporate them into your daily routine and give them time to establish themselves. Don't kid yourself and take your time - slimming down for your next party is pointless. What's important is your whole life.

The date of 20 December, for example, is completely out of the question. With serious intentions it is better to wait until after Christmas, otherwise you will only achieve frustration. Use the waiting time to prepare, study and plan. Once you know when you're going to start, set an exact date and mark it - this will be the day you start losing weight from the morning - irrevocably.

Preparing for weight loss

Before you start losing weight, you need to prepare. The basic things you need to do are:

Remove anything fattening or unhealthy from your home - there is no need for it to tempt you. If your whole family is not currently on a diet, ask them to support you for the first few weeks by not flaunting their snacking and by not cooking aromatic fattening foods (e.g. potato pancakes or crumpets).

The day before you start losing weight, do a big shopping spree, buying only healthy diet foods. Buy a wide variety of healthy foods. Remember that you need to eat both carbohydrates and protein. Consider something fatty too (your body needs fat too). 

A good one is mayonnaise, a small amount of which can be added to almost anything. The more variety the better. By constructing a variety of meals and snacks, you will feel like you are eating more than if you only ate a few types of food. Plus, you won't have to make a trip to the shop for a long time.

Prepare a notebook. This is an indispensable tool for a person on a diet. You will use it to note down exactly what you eat during the day. This is because it turns out that people on a diet can underestimate their calorie intake by two-thirds. A notebook helps you maintain conscious control over your eating throughout the day. Prepare one for yourself that can travel with you wherever you go.

Buy a kitchen scale. The simplest scales are not expensive and will really help you to keep your calorie intake under control. Without a scale, it will be difficult for you to determine whether you are holding 100 or 150 grams of yellow cheese in your hand and the difference is 200 calories. You might be surprised at how inaccurately you estimate the amount of food you eat by doing this offhand. Keeping a more accurate check will be important, especially at the start of your diet. 

Plan your meals for the first week. This is not necessary, but it helps a lot. They will get you on a good run-up, after which it will be easier to choose your meals on a regular basis. You should plan all your meals and not eat anything that is not part of the plan for the whole week.

Plan physical exercise. No exercise is complete without movement. So as not to discourage you, we point out from the start that it really isn't about dramatic heavy exercise, but enjoyable healthy movement. You'll find plenty of information on how to get started with healthy, rewarding exercise at the Health Point. 

Movement is very supportive of weight loss, as well as helping to build confidence in your abilities, and improving your mood. The best thing to do is to plan your exercise for day one - to enter your new life with momentum. 

Organise everything so that you exercise two or three times a week. Book your time - there will be many occasions when fatigue will deter you. A precise exercise time will make it easier for you to maintain your discipline until movement becomes your habit