The Beginning.

This is the first post of many, and this post focuses on what process I am doing, and what I believe will help you for slow but effective weight loss.

Understanding Your Weight.

Before trying what I'm doing you need to get weighed, then go on a calorie calculator. entering your weight and height will determine what your maintain weight is. from there you can then decide what you want to cut down to lose X amount per week. But you do need to look and answer for yourself the following questions.

• What is my target weight?

• What is my timeline for achieving this goal?

• What do I weigh?

• How tall am I?

• What is my maintain weight per day?

• How much Physical activity do I do per day?

Understanding the above really pushes you to try and make this work. Not everyone is the same, but I intake information much better once I ask questions. ask, find out the information you need, understand it and what it eans for your challenge.

Sticking to it.

To stick to this plan you need to motivate yourself, but also understand when the measurements/weight don't go your way. Some of the below help me and will hopefully help you with motivation.

• Body Measurements: I track my - Upper Arms, Upper & Lower legs, Hips, Waist, Chest,

• Dietary Habits: Keep a food diary for on a health app to keep track of calorie intake daily.

• Physical Activity Level: Evaluate how much you currently exercise.

  
  

Understanding where you stand will help you with your deficit challenge. if you eat terrible, but work out a lot there is a good chance you will be allowed more calories than if you were doing little-no exercise.

Measuring & Weighing

I weigh every 2 weeks on a Monday. on the weeks I don't weigh, I measure. This is helpful, because if you don't see anything on the scales you may see a change on the measurements or vice versa. that way, you're not solely relying on one method to motivate you.

The day before weighing.

The day before weigh in, I used to eat my normal food, but they're very carbohydrates heavy meals, meaning it retains water in your body. For example I ate alot of carbs the night before a weigh in, and I weighed the same. The next week I kept on my challenge, but the day before had little carbs, and on weigh in day I'd lost 4 pounds. So try and avoid Carb heavy meals the day before.

Calorie Control

Understanding calories is really important. I think some people myself included are oblivious to the amount of calories in certain things. For example I'm going to list a few items I used to eat/drink regularly and how many calories they contain. I used to have typically 2 of these per day, which can be up to 2000 calories wasted.

You need to understand what you want and when you want it. by all means have a milkshake from the take away, but make yourself accountable for it. only have it if you have the calories, or make concessions elsewhere to give yourself the calories. But also be smart, look below McDonalds shake is 500 calories less than Burger Kings.... It's a no brainer!, same drink more or less & these decisions make all the difference.

• McDonalds Large Chocolate Shake - 468 Calories

• Burger King Large Chocolate Shake - 968 Calories

• Minstrels Bag 217g - 1080 Calories

• Jaffa Cakes x 20 - 920 Calories

• Skittles Bag 136g - 539 Calories

• Dairy Milk Buttons Bag 175g - 934 Calories

Incorporating Physical Activity

Eventually you can look at incorporating more physical activities to your days. It may be hard as you are, which is fine. you will start to lose weight and when you start to feel better you can then start to mix this in. If you are self conscious like me, you should consider buying a piece of equipment for home. I like rowing, so I bought myself a Concept 2 Rower and it's great!. I can do exercise when I please without leaving the comfort of my own flat.

Find Activities You Enjoy

Choose exercises that you enjoy to make it easier to stick with your routine. This could include:

• Walking or jogging

• Cycling

• Swimming

• Rowing

• Cross Trainer

  
  

Staying Motivated

Staying motivated can be one of the biggest challenges in a weight loss journey. Here are some strategies to keep your spirits high:

Celebrate Small Wins

Acknowledge and celebrate your progress, no matter how small. Whether it’s losing a pound, fitting into a smaller size, or completing a workout, recognizing these achievements will boost your motivation.

Find a Support System

Share your progress with your friends & family. Not everyone though, don't put too much pressure on yourself. I personally share it weekly with 3-4 people.

Visual Reminders

I keep my little receipts from Boots from the weighing machine. I have them stapled in my desk. Every time I get weighed I staple the new one to the back. You may choose to do this, or take pictures of yourself or other things. and you may decide to do all of them.

Overcoming Challenges

Challenges are inevitable in any weight loss journey. I think if you feel like eating more one day, due to emotions, stress, busy day, tiredness etc, then do it. BUT make yourself accountable for it. Know what you've had, and try and make up for it on the other days. If you have an extra 600 calories on Wednesday and you weigh Monday, Reduce the next days by 150 calories to make up the difference.

Plateaus

Weight loss plateaus can be frustrating. I personally every 6-8 weeks have a Maintain week, which is a week where I can have my maintain calories for those 7 days. I then don't weigh for 2 more weeks after to get back to it and then see a loss on the scales. Doing this should hopefully trick your body into thinking your giving it what it wants, and for another 6-8 weeks you should be good to go again.

• Reassess your diet: Make sure you’re still in a calorie deficit.

• Have a maintain week. It should trick your body into thinking it's getting what it wants.

  
  

  
  

Conclusion

Creating a successful weight loss plan requires careful planning, commitment, and a positive mindset. By understanding your goals, assessing your current situation, and monitoring calories I truly believe you can do this, and make the start that everyone wants to make but is too scared to.

Take the first step today by setting your goals and starting your journey towards a healthier you!