Best Tips For Weight Loss
There are so many people out there trying to sell you "the worlds best" program or supplement for losing weight. Everyone claims they have found the secret shortcut to losing weight, and they will frame everything about their products that make it seem too perfect to be true. In many cases they are too good to be true, and in fact, not all, but most of them are scams.
The fact is there are no shortcuts when it comes to losing weight. The best way to make sure you will reach your weight loss goals are to ensure you are in a caloric deficit and staying consistent. This means that in order to lose weight you need to be burning more calories throughout your day than what you take in from food. I am not here to provide any type of diets or recommend any supplements because that is not the job of a personal trainer. However, over the years there some valuable things I've realized that make a big impact when it comes to reaching your weight goals.
Here are some of my personal best tips I recommend to anyone trying to shred off weight;
1. DO NOT weigh yourself everyday
This can become very discouraging because there are so many factors that can determine what the scale shows on a given day such as the time of day. If you weigh yourself in the morning on an empty stomach, you will probably see a lower number than if you weigh yourself at night after a full day of eating and drinking water. Another very important thing to note is that your weight will fluctuate naturally whether you are trying to gain or lose weight. Weight loss is very rarely linear and that is totally normal! If someone weighs 150lbs for example and their goal is to get to 145lbs it may look something like this by weighing themself every single day: 150lbs, 149.6lbs, 150.4lbs, 150.8lbs, 149.9lbs, 149.1lbs, 148.6lbs, 149.2lbs, 148.4lbs,148lbs, 148.4, 147.8, 147.7, 147lbs, 146.9, 147.2lbs, 146.5lbs, 146.1lbs 145.7lbs, 145lbs. The point is your weight is not always going to be going in the direction you want it to, but don't let that discourage you! Keep working hard and your results will show over time. If you do like to go by what the scale says, try weighing yourself once every few days or once a week to avoid seeing those fluctuating weights if that concerns you.
2. DO NOT cut out your favorite foods from your diet
This is arguably one of the most common reasons people fail on their diets. It is not realistic to eat unhealthy foods everyday and expect to lose weight. However, this does not mean you should completely cut the foods you love out of your diet. If you are upset with the foods you feel forced to eat within your diet, it is usually only a matter of time before you are so tempted to eat the foods you miss so much and completely fall off of your current eating routine! Instead of eliminating all the pizza, burgers, fries, or whatever other foods you might enjoy, limit them instead. Be realistic with how often you consume these foods and proportion sizes as well. Consuming these foods in smaller amounts and less often will still allow you to reward yourself, while still being able to reach your weight goal! This idea leads me to my next point...
3. Create a Diet You Enjoy
Many people who are thinking about going on a diet fear giving up the foods they love the most, but we just learned that is not necessarily true. This point goes hand in hand with that. Creating a diet you truly enjoy is going to be the best way to ensure you are able to stay consistent with it. Lots of people who are not on diets assume all healthy foods taste bad. This is the furthest from the truth. Since I've been a type 1 diabetic since I was 7 years old I've always been a pretty healthy eater to help regulate my blood sugar levels. Over the course of 13 years I am still able to sustain a healthy diet because I always eat food and make meals that I enjoy! By doing this, you will feel much less temptation to cheat on your diet with unhealthy foods that are only delaying your goals.
4. Exercise Every Single Day
There are many people who do not enjoy weight training. Although it is one of the best components to a weight loss program, it's not for everyone and that is totally fine. Most people however do overlook a simple walk or doing a few squats throughout the day if they sit for long periods of time. The main point with this tip is any amount or type of exercise is better than none! Going for a walk around the block is definitely better than not walking at all. Doing 10 squats today is better than doing none. This might not seem like a big contribution to your goal, but doing this everyday will add up. One walk around the block everyday comes out to 7 laps in a week, when you expand on that over the course of months, or years, it adds up to be a lot of steps and miles which will no doubt contribute to your weight goals! Engaging your body in some type of physical activity everyday is crucial and it will only speed up your weight loss process!
5. Drink More Water
Many people do eat healthy and are still unsure why they aren't losing the weight they want to. In a diet one of the often missed components are calories that come from drinks like soda, juice, sports drinks, and even alcohol. Most of these types of drinks are loaded with sugar and calories and most people do not realize how much this contributes to a diet! Eating healthy foods is only part of the equation. If you do eat healthy and still do not lose weight like you expect, ask yourself how much of these types of drinks you consume on a daily basis. It is overlooked by many people but when they reflect on it lots of times there are many sugary drinks packed with calories they drink everyday. Similarly to not eliminating all of your favorite foods, you do not need to completely stop drinking these things. Again, try limiting them instead, and start by replacing some of them with water. If you only drink water, try drinking more! Most people think they drink enough water when in reality many fall short of their daily recommended intake (DRI). Drinking water has endless health benefits including weight loss!
Warning, if you are working with a personal trainer who is providing you with meal plans, diets, or supplements, check if they obtain any degree or certifications that allow them to provide you with this. A personal training certificate does not allow trainers to provide meal plans as it is outside our scope of practice. No matter how much a trainer may think they know about food intake or how good their physique is, everyone is different and a nutritionist or dietitian are the professions you should seek this type of help from, not a trainer!
Again, I am not here to provide any meal plans, diets, or supplements. However, Platinum Training does offer individualized workout programs that will guarantee you help reach your weight loss goals!