At the beginning of the year, many people have “Lose weight” as number 1 on their list of New Years resolutions. The gyms all over town are packed full in January but a couple months down the line the crowd thins out and even the home sporting equipment starts to gather dust. Now the year is quickly drawing to a close and some people are wishing they had done more because right now they do not have any visibly different before and after pictures to post. This scenario is very common as the fitfam life is really not easy especially in the beginning but with the right motivation, nothing is impossible. Here are a few tips for those looking to get and stay on the fit/healthy wagon by starting to lose weight.
1. Decide why you want to lose weight – Generally speaking, maintaining an optimal weight reduces risk factors for several health issues but as individuals, we may all have our different reasons for wanting to lose weight. So if it’s because you want to fit into a certain outfit, or you want to be able to keep up with your super active kids, or have the perfect bikini body on your next vacation, decide why it is you want to embark on this journey as that will help keep you motivated. I’d like to add here that these reasons should be more about you than about what other people think or say about your body.
2. Set goals – As with every project, having specific goals helps. So it’s not enough to say you want to lose weight, give yourself REALISTIC targets. For example I would like to weigh 5kg less by my next birthday, or I would like to fit into a certain size dress for my sister’s wedding. You can take this a step further by setting a picture of you at a smaller size as the wallpaper on your phone, or hanging that dress you’d like to fit into in front of your wardrobe.
3. Write a morning mantra- Write and then read a motivational mantra every day. Make the goal seem like something that has already been achieved,
E.g. “I have successfully lost 10kg, and I am about to board the plane for Barbados to be part of the 2016 carnival. I can’t wait to try on my outfit for the parade…”
By doing so you get the good feelings associated with the goal ahead of time.
4. Kick the bad habits – Let’s face it, bad habits are mainly responsible for being overweight in the first place. And these bad habits are quite delicious too. However in order to lose weight and keep it off, certain sacrifices must be made. For example, when you’re drinking all the carbonated drinks and fruit juices, you may not feel like you’re doing much damage but all the sugar contained in these drinks contribute to weight gain. So start by cutting down on sugar, processed foods and alcohol. Giving these up for at least 6-12 weeks should produce enough results to keep you motivated to stop them completely.
5. Think positive – The mind is a very powerful tool and we are what we think, so I encourage you to think positive. Impossible is nothing. You have everything that you need to achieve your health goals and you can do it.
