There’s nothing worse than starting to lose weight and then finding yourself unable to stick with your diet plan. If you’ve been in this position before, you know how frustrating it can be to have lost weight and feel great about yourself only to have your motivation fizzle out and put all the weight back on within a few weeks, leaving you feeling hopeless and wondering if you’ll ever be able to lose weight permanently. Follow these five tips to restart your weight loss plan and stick with it until you reach your goal.
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Count Calories
A calorie deficit is essential for weight loss. In order to create a calorie deficit, you need to know how many calories you’re consuming on a daily basis. The best way to do this is by tracking everything you eat and drink using a food journal or app. Once you know how many calories you’re consuming, you can begin cutting back so that you’re eating fewer calories than you’re burning.
If you don’t have an idea of how many calories are in the foods you’re eating, use online tools like MyFitnessPal or the USDA Nutrient Database to calculate them. You should also be sure to factor in exercise when calculating your overall calorie intake. You’ll want to burn more calories than you consume each day (or week) to see progress!
Write Down Why You Quit: Sometimes it’s hard to understand why we quit if we don’t even remember why we started our diet in the first place. Make a list of your reasons for starting your diet along with what led you to quit and then figure out which ones are most important.
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Exercise
The first step is to find an exercise routine that you can commit to. This may mean trying out a few different activities before you find one that you enjoy and can stick with. Once you have found an exercise routine that works for you, make sure to schedule it into your week so that you are less likely to skip it.
In addition, try working out with a friend or family member to make it more enjoyable and help keep you accountable. Finally, be sure to listen to your body and rest when needed in order to avoid injury. When starting out on any new workout routine, always start off slow and increase the intensity as your body gets used to the work-out.
Don’t forget to stretch after your workouts too! Yoga and stretching are great ways to increase flexibility and range of motion which will help prevent injuries. Also remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day so that you stay hydrated.
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Drink Water
Drinking water is one of the simplest things you can do to support your weight loss goals. Not only does it keep you hydrated, which is essential for proper metabolism, but it can also help to fill you up so you eat less. Plus, water has zero calories! To make sure you’re drinking enough, aim for eight glasses a day. Some people find that adding lemon or cucumber slices to their water helps improve the taste.
Carry a Water Bottle: There’s nothing worse than getting halfway through your workday without realizing you’ve been parched all this time. Instead of running back and forth from the break room, carry a reusable water bottle with you at all times and sip when necessary.
Snack Smart: If you’re constantly grazing on junk food throughout the day, this could be part of what’s holding you back from losing weight. Whenever possible, try swapping out unhealthy snacks with healthy ones like an apple or some grapes – something that will fill you up without weighing heavily on your stomach later on in the day.
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Keep Track Of What You Eat
One of the best ways to restart your weight loss plan is to keep track of what you eat. This means logging everything you eat in a food journal or tracking app. Doing so will help you become more aware of your eating habits and make it easier to identify unhealthy patterns. You can also use this knowledge to create better meals that are aligned with your goals, which is the most important part!
Get Your Sleep: Sleep deprivation can increase cravings for unhealthy foods, as well as weaken willpower. On top of that, sleep deprivation has been linked to a higher BMI. Aim for seven hours of quality sleep every night.
Find Your Motivation: When starting over on your weight loss journey, finding a new motivation is essential to success. Research shows that those who have an extrinsic motivation (e.g., get back into clothes they love) lose twice as much weight as those who have an intrinsic motivation (e.g., live longer). Find out what motivates you and run with it!
Create a Small Goal You Can Accomplish: To get started on your new diet, start by creating one small goal you can accomplish each day or week- ideally something simple like cutting out soda from your diet for one week.
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Ask For Help From Professional
When it comes to making a lifestyle change, don’t go it alone. Research has shown that people who enlist the help of a professional are more likely to lose weight and keep it off. A professional can give you the tools and accountability you need to make lasting changes.
Remember that you have other people in your life- like family, friends or co-workers-who may be able to support you in your journey as well. Consider working with someone who is knowledgeable about health and fitness, such as a personal trainer. If you’re looking for guidance on what food choices will best meet your needs, talk to a registered dietitian or nutritionist. They’ll take into account any medical conditions or allergies you might have, plus recommend foods to include in your diet.
Make Sure You’re Meeting Your Daily Calorie Needs: To maintain a healthy weight, women should consume at least 1,800 calories per day; men need at least 2,400 calories per day. The amount of calories you should eat each day depends on your age and activity level. Younger children typically require fewer calories than adults. Aim to cut back if you’ve been eating too many high-calorie foods, but also increase your calorie intake if you’ve been consuming too few.
Drink Plenty Of Water: Drinking water doesn’t just hydrate us – it also fills us up and helps us feel fuller. There’s no one right number of cups we should drink every day – aim for 8 cups per day unless otherwise directed by a doctor or dietician, but try aiming for 6 cups per day until you adjust to drinking more fluids.
Conclusion
Losing weight is hard, but it’s not impossible. If you’re struggling to stick to your weight loss plan, these five tips will help you get back on track.
- Set realistic goals. If you’re setting unrealistic goals, you’re more likely to give up when you don’t see results. Shoot for a slow and steady weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week.
- Find a support system. Whether it’s a friend, family member, or online community, having people to help you stay accountable can make all the difference.
- Make changes gradually. Trying to overhaul your diet and exercise routine all at once is bound to lead to burnout. Instead, focus on making small changes that you can stick with long-term.