How To Set Weight Loss Goals That You’ll Stick To

December 28, 2015December 27, 2015

Millions of Americans will start off the New Year with the goal to lose weight and exercise more. It’s always great to hear those statistics! However, as a health and fitness coach for 26 plus years, I can also tell you from experience that 1/3 of the goal setters will have already broken their resolutions by January 7th. That is frustrating because I also know from experience it doesn’t have to be that way.

HOW TO SET WEIGHT LOSS GOALS YOU’LL STICK TO

Before setting any new health and fitness goals, it’s important to know what causes people to fail in the first place. One of the main reasons people have a hard time keeping their resolutions after the new year is that the goals they’ve set are usually unrealistic. Even the most disciplined person on the planet is going to have a hard time keeping a goal that is way too lofty to start with.

Permanent weight loss and maintaining a regular exercise routine is a lifestyle that is built by developing one healthy habit at a time — not created by some unsustainable fad diet or painful exercise routine!

FIVE TIPS TO SET WEIGHT LOSS GOALS THAT WORK

1) Know what you want. Take a moment to decide what you want your end-goal to be and whether or not that is aligned with your values and current priorities. While looking like the model on the cover of a magazine may seem like a motivating goal, after discovering what’s required, you may decide that’s not for you.

Keep your goals personal. Copying someone else’s health and fitness goals can be like wearing shoes that are a bit too tight. It never feels quite right. It’s okay to use general guidelines, but when you finally set the goals, they need to be customized to fit your life. You are an individual which makes a cookie-cutter approach tough to stick to.

Look at your calendar and be realistic about how much time you can commit to your new weight loss goal. This is really important! Often times, we can get so caught up in the excitement of setting new goals that we forget to think about the time involved. Adding a new “thing” to your life usually requires an adjustment period so allow yourself some time to figure out what works for you.

If you are struggling to find time, ask yourself if there are other commitments that you should put on hold. If that’s not possible, consider being creative with your time like exercising when you watch TV or walking during your lunch hour. Do what you can. It’s better to get started with a smaller goal than to never begin at all.

2) Change one thing. The people that see the most success do so by setting small incremental goals, knowing that they are committing to the long term and not just temporary behavior change. For example, if you eat out 4-5 times per week, set a goal to brown bag your lunch or cook at home 5 days per week for the next 30 days. Or if you want to add more exercise, tell yourself you’re going to walk 20 minutes per day for the next month.

At the end of the 30 days, commit to another 30 and then repeat. Once the first habit becomes as natural as brushing your teeth, you’re in a safe place to add more to your plate.

Or, if you’ve reached your desired goal, you are now in what we call maintenance mode. You can now continue your healthy habit for life. Mission accomplished!

3) Write it down. People that commit their goals to paper have a higher success rate. So take a moment to write down your goals for each area of your life for the new year. If you are keeping your list realistic, it shouldn’t be too long. You can always add more later in the year once you’ve accomplished the first set. Keep your list posted in a place you’ll see it daily to help you stay on track.

4) Do the work. Once you’ve set your realistic weight loss goal, follow through and stick to your plan. Research shows us that once one healthy goal becomes a habit, momentum occurs leading to success in adding other healthy lifestyle habits automatically.

5) Don’t quit. From time to time circumstances may throw you off track. This is normal and happens to everyone. All you have to do is get up, get back on track and you will succeed in the long term.

New Year’s resolutions should advance and take you forward, but not be so lofty or torturous that they are completely unobtainable. Keeping this mindset will allow you to set yourself up for total success.

Have a Happy New Year!
Jennifer

P.S. Have a question or comment? Please post it below in the comment section. I love to hear from you!

How to Lose Weight After 40

June 2, 2014June 2, 2014

The Myths About Losing Weight After 40

Want to lose weight after 40? There are some important things you need to know. First off, mindset is the most important thing. I’m 44 years old and quite honestly I forget my age from time to time. I refuse to buy into the fact that just because I’m over 40 I’m destined to gain weight. ANYONE can gain weight when they are eating too much and exercising too little!

A slower metabolism is the reason that is typically used for over 40 weight gain. While that is partially true, the research is pointing to lifestyle as the major culprit. The majority of people over 40 have increased responsibilities and more money to spend. The increase in responsibilities allows less time for physical activity or scheduled exercise. The increase in income allows them to afford to outsource many of their physical activities as well as eat out more often.

Good news! You do not have to accept this as your destiny!

Lose weight easily after 40 by following these simple steps!

1) Get a check up! See your doctor and get a physical. Have a full blood panel to screen things like your thyroid and hormone levels. If your doctor sees any imbalances that could affect your weight loss efforts, he or she may decide to prescribe medication. This will help you avoid a whole lot of unnecessary frustration! Do not skip this step or put it off. It’s that important!

2) Exercise Regularly! Research shows that 20 minutes of high intensity exercise can boost hormone levels in the body, resulting in a boost in metabolism. So, even though the metabolism can slow after 40, regular exercise can counter that.

Strength training helps build muscle, which burns more calories than fat. It’s recommended that people over 40 add strength training to their routine 2-3 times per week.

3) Reduce calories! To maintain your weight after 40 without lifestyle changes, reduce your caloric intake by 100 calories per day. If you want to lose or maintain your weight, it’s important to know how many calories you are eating daily. Keep a journal or subscribe to a free on line calorie counter like loseit. This will help you determine if you are creating enough of a deficit for weight loss and/or weight management.

It is possible to lose weight even if life’s current circumstances prevent you from increasing your activity level. But you REALLY want to pay close attention to your caloric intake. Opt for “eating in” more often and choose high volume meals that are lower in calories. My favorite light recipes come from Cooking Light magazine.

Please note it’s always easier to lose weight with a combination of regular exercise and a healthy eating plan. It can be very challenging to lose weight by reducing calories alone. Not impossible, but it’s more restrictive and fewer people have success with this plan.

4) It’s okay to enjoy happy hour! Mixed cocktails can pack a lot of calories. Beer and wine are usually the lowest. Factor liquid calories into your daily allowance. If you like to have a drink or two, then you may find you need to skip some other extras or increase exercise time while you are in weight loss mode.

The most important thing is to stop telling yourself it’s hard to lose weight after 40. Losing weight takes effort no matter what age you are. Tell yourself you CAN lose weight after 4o, follow these steps, and you will succeed!

Please let me know if you have any questions or if you have a “fit after 40” secret you’d like to share. I love to hear from you!

Here’s to being fit after 40!

Jennifer

Balance is the Key To Long Term Weight Loss

April 17, 2014May 9, 2017

If you’re alive and breathing it’s pretty difficult to get through one single day without media bombardment of the latest and greatest fad diet or workout. While these various diets, potions, and exercise routines all boast phenomenal results, the reality is that most of these are unrealistic and next to impossible to sustain. In the worst case scenarios they can even be dangerous for your body.

Lost Weight Loss Wisdom?

The key to long term weight loss has been and always will be a healthy, balanced approach. There’s nothing complicated about it and it does not require deprivation, pain, fancy shakes, eliminating whole food groups, or any other fad that’s out in the media.

However, it does require a little bit of knowledge, consistency, and planning.

Six Things to Remember to Find Balance

1) Calories count. In order to lose a pound of fat per week, a reduction of 500 calories per day is required. A combination of exercise and adjustments to caloric intake is the most balanced approach to creating a caloric deficit. Free apps like loseit make it easy to track your daily caloric intake based on your weight loss goals.

While counting calories may seem restrictive, it’s actually empowering. If you treat calories like a bank account, knowing how much you can spend each day gives you flexibility. A great tip from celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels is to follow the 80/20 rule. Allow yourself 20% “fun calories” each day. Use the 20% for things like a glass of wine, small dessert, or any other special treat you enjoy.

2) Meal planning. Have you heard the old saying “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail?” Planning what you will eat for the week takes the guesswork out of whether or not you are staying on track with your calorie cutting and weight loss goals. Use “light” or “low cal recipes” to keep the food choices interesting so you won’t feel deprived.

You don’t have to give up planning when eating out. Check out the menu online before you get to the restaurant. Use apps like loseit or healthy dining finder to help you evaluate menus. Choose your lower calorie meal before you arrive at the restaurant to avoid being tempted by the higher calorie choices.

Allow yourself to go for it once in awhile and forget about the calories. Have fun and don’t allow yourself to feel guilty. Simply get back on your plan the following day.

If you’re on vacation, make it your goal to not gain any weight. Use your loseit app to find out how many calories you can spend.

3) Regular Exercise. Regular daily exercise combined with a healthy eating plan is the best recipe there is for weight loss and weight management. Shoot for 20 minutes per day of regular activity like walking, hiking, biking,swimming, etc.

5) Leisure Time Activity. Use leisure time to relax AND burn calories. Try things like a walk on the beach, kayaking, horseback riding, walking your dog, or playing with your kids. You’ll not only feel rejuvenated, but you’ll contribute to your daily weight loss goals.

6) Make sure your goals are realistic. You may not have the time nor the desire to do what it takes to look like a model on the cover of a health magazine. If you can’t go out to dinner once a week without “blowing” your plan, your weight loss goal will be very hard to maintain. Set a goal to reach a desired weight that allows you to look good, feel good, and enjoy yourself. Then stick to it.

Avoid letting the media or anyone else pressure you into thinking your goal isn’t good enough or that you should be comparing yourself to others. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes. What’s most important is that you are comfortable, happy, and satisfied with your own personal results.

Now, that my friend is balance!

To your health and fitness!