8 Things You Need To Know About Losing Weight

8 Things You Need To Know About Losing Weight

If you’ve tried to lose weight before without much success, you’re not alone. Weight loss is a difficult journey, especially in a world that’s encouraging instant gratification from every angle.

Often, losing weight is about your mindset more than anything else. 

So, to encourage a winning mindset, let’s talk about the eight things you need to know about losing weight once and for all.

Start with the End in Mind

When it comes to changing your life in any way, you need something to aim for. Even if you don’t reach your goal, it’s better to have one and try than not to try at all. After all, you’ll miss all the shots you don’t take.

So, start with the end in mind. 

What are your goals? 

Why do those goals matter? 

What can you do to achieve those goals? 

What if your original plan fails?

Before you embark on your weight loss journey, set clear goals and determine your “why.” From there, when the going gets tough, you can keep the end in mind and remind yourself why you want to lose weight in the first place.

8 Things You Need To Know About Losing Weight

Develop Better Habits

If you’re not losing weight in your current routine, chances are, you need some better habits. And not only will you need to build new habits, but you’ll need to maintain them.

Experts say that the best way to create a new habit is to tie it to an existing habit like brushing your teeth or making coffee in the morning.

Get in the habit of doing squats while brushing your teeth. Or put on your workout clothes right after you make coffee. Soon enough, your existing habits will become cues to help you build new habits.

Habit-building is all about reducing friction as well. So, this might mean leaving out your exercise gear to cue you to get dressed for your workout as soon as you get home. 

Nutrition is Key

As the saying goes, you can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet. What you eat definitely affects your weight loss success.

Generally, you need a caloric deficit to lose weight. This means you need to burn more than you eat. But, to stay energized enough to work out, you need nutrient-dense foods that have a high ratio of nutrients to calories. 

Still, it’s important not to get too restrictive with your diet as this can cause health issues of its own. In general, a balanced, whole food diet with a couple of cheat meals thrown in each month can help you healthily lose weight.

8 Things You Need To Know About Losing Weight

Foods to Go For

So, what’s an example of a nutrient-dense food? 

Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and lean protein are all types of nutrient-dense foods. These foods are all high in nutrients and low in calories, making them perfect for weight loss.

Foods to Avoid

On the flip side, you’ll want to avoid foods that are high in calories but low in nutrients. These tend to be sugary foods and anything high in saturated fats. Essentially, you don’t want to eat empty calories that aren’t doing anything to help you. 

Plus, after you eat things like cookies and cake or too much pasta and bread, you’ll likely feel sluggish and hungry. You’re then less likely to exercise, making it even more challenging to lose any weight.

Workout Plans Work Best

If you want to lose weight, it’s essential to follow a workout plan. Especially as a beginner, it won’t do you much good to aimlessly wander around the gym or randomly choose an at-home workout from YouTube.

Invest in a personal trainer to help you create a workout plan or try our app OOMPH, keeping you on a structured program for better results. 

8 Things You Need To Know About Losing Weight

Find Ways to Stay Accountable

It’s no secret that self-care is difficult. Our mind plays tricks on us to make it difficult to do the things we know are good for us. Especially if you’re an agreeable person, you might find that it’s easier to stay accountable to others than it is to yourself.

That’s why when it comes to losing weight, it’s a good idea to make your goals public and share your experience with others. Getting others involved keeps you accountable.

Process Over Outcome

Last but not least, it’s important to focus on the process of getting in shape over the outcome. Of course, goals are significant, but they’re important only for the sake of orienting your aim.

After all, your goals might change once you see the bigger picture, and as your fitness improves, you’ll have newer, bigger goals to aim towards. 

However, the best way to successfully lose weight and improve your health is to focus on the journey, celebrate the small wins along the way, and remember that you’ll always be a work in progress. 

 

8 Things You Need To Know About Losing Weight