First Steps to Losing Weight And Getting Fit

Working with clients over the last 13 years as a Certified Nutritionist has taught me a lot about how weight loss works. When a person follows these steps, they are more than likely going to succeed. Here are some the best first steps to losing weight and getting fit.

Focus on your Why

Before you start your weight loss journey, you want to ask yourself why you want to lose weight. Do you want to get into a bikini for the summer? Do you want to build self-confidence? Do you want to attract a lover?

Whatever the motivation is, just be honest with yourself to why you want to change.

Use a calorie calculator

Having a calorie calculator makes a huge difference when wanting to lose weight. Once you start tracking the calories going in, you are going to be amazed. Calories add up quickly, and it gives you sort of a budget of calories for the day.

Using a calorie calculator has been extremely helpful in keeping my wife and I on track, and I think it can when getting started.

Drink more water

Drinking enough water provides great benefits including greater weight loss. Overall being hydrated should be a priority in overall health before deciding to lose weight.

Here are some other benefits of drinking water:

• More strength and muscle
• Detoxifications
• Helps headaches
• Can relieve constipation
• Improves skin
• Increases injury
• Boosts immune functions

In many cases, dieters are thirsty versus being hungry. The brain produces a similar signal with thirst and hunger, so try to not get it confused.

By drinking a glass of water before your meal, your stomach will be full, and you’ll be less likely to overeat.

Use smaller plates

Using a smaller plate is a form of portion control that is very effective. There is something about having a bigger plate which makes you feel like it is okay to overeat.

With a smaller plate, it is very difficult to overindulge.

Whether it is something mental that happens or physical, a smaller plate means less food, period. Why do you think buffet plates are so much smaller? You can only put so much food on them, which saved the owners more money.

Make better choices

With the internet, there are so many different opinions on what is healthy and not healthy. Ultimately, you need to find what works best for you. However, I can give some recommendations of foods that work well for me.

When eating out, look for a healthy food menu. Instead of a burger, get a chicken sandwich. Instead of French fries, get a side salad. There is no excuse as every restaurant will be able to make something healthy and nutritious for you.

All you need to do is ask!

When going grocery shopping, make of list of healthy items and stick to the list. If you go off track, you’re shooting yourself in the foot when it comes to weight loss success.

Start slowly with exercise

If you are a beginner when it comes to exercise, you may want to take it slow for a bit. Even if you have some experience, it can be easy to go all in when you’re ready to lose weight. Start off with 15-30 minutes of light cardiovascular exercise 3 days a week. As you get stronger, you can do more exercise.

If you go all out during the first few weeks of getting fit, the chances of burn out are very high.

Start out slow with exercising and focus more on getting healthy nutrition right. I believe that eating right determines more than 75% of your success, so that should be top priority.

Eventually it might be a good idea to add some weight training. Not only will this help you burn more fat, but it will also help sculpt and shape your body.

Maintain a positive attitude

A positive attitude should not only be a part of healthy nutrition and fitness, but also the basis of life. I am not going to get on my soapbox and tell you how to live your life. That’s not my job.

But what I am going to say is that staying positive is of the best things I have done in my life.

If you have a negative or pessimistic attitude towards life, then that will apply to your results of losing weight.

Be excited for your weight loss journey, enjoy the changes your body will produce, and most importantly be happy.

Get a Plan

If you’re truly serious about losing weight and getting fit, having a plan of action is the most important part of your success. Without it, you are like an architect without any building plans. The architect has a lot of potentials, but there is no clear vision of where you are going.

By having a complete plan of action, you can help ensure your success in your weight loss journey. We think our Guide to Weight Loss is a great tool that can truly benefit you.

With it, you will get a custom meal plan with delicious recipes, exercise plans, and much more.

The question is, are you ready to begin losing weight?