6 essential steps to help kick start successful weight loss and keep it off

Thousands of people start weight loss programs every day. A large majority of these people will not complete one week of the program, even fewer will succeed at successful and sustained weight loss. As a matter of fact, most studies show that even successful dieters will have regained all of their lost weight plus gained a few extra pounds within two years of successfully losing weight. There are six essential steps that will help you kick start weight loss and will help keep it off for life.

Motivation

The first most important component of any weight loss plan is motivation. Losing weight is 80% mental and only 20% physical, getting the mind right is the first step to success. This step of the process must occur regularly and is the glue keeping all other steps of the process in order. Motivation may start extrinsically, from some event coming up or to make a significant other happy, but continued motivation must come from within. Those who are successful do not stop living healthy shortly after the reunion they planned to attend is over. For those who do it solely to make their partner happy may find disappointment when dropping a few pounds does not change a troubled relationship. Those who are successful long term are not just trying to look good, they want to live healthy, for life! That, in and of itself, is their sole motivation. Do not worry, that kind of motivation will evolve with time.

Realistic goals

Establishing realistic and achievable goals, both long and short term goals must happen next. These goals should be detailed and written down. They may include future weight, clothing size, waist circumference, duration of exercise, mileage covered or changes in daily routines to promote health promotion. Most importantly they need a deadline. Place one simple goal only a few weeks out, followed by another, achievable goal a couple months out, and one long term goal. Keep in mind that as you progress it is expected that these goals may change. Not meeting a goal does not indicated failure, only the possible need for re-evaluation of the whole process. Remember, changing habits and reshaping your body takes time. Results will not be seen overnight or even obvious within weeks.

Design a Plan

A successful plan of action is the meat and bones to achieving the desired result. The plan needs to tackle weight loss from two equally important angles: Nutrition and Physical activity. These are the cornerstones to weight loss. The amount and type of calories consumed versus the amount and quality of daily activity accomplished each day, becomes an equation that result in either weight loss or weight gain. To break it down in to very simple terms, it takes a caloric deficit of 3500 calories to decrease one pound of weight. Therefore, a simple reduction in diet by 250 calories, plus the additional expenditure of 250 calories by exercise would result in a total deficit of 500 calories or 1 pound of weight loss per week. A more in depth calorie assessment can be done by searching the web for a BMR calculator to get a baseline, after which 250 calories should be deducted. It is important to note that safe weight loss is defined as losing only one to two pounds a week. A large drop in weight each week may lead to health problems, as well as, a tendency to regain weight loss long term. It is also not recommended to eliminate whole food groups from the diet, such as no fat, no carbohydrate diets. Remember, this is for life!

Perseverance

The mother of all F words: Failure is bound to happen at one point or another. When this happens perseverance is essential. Many people do not know how to deal with failure. They simply quit altogether, thinking their goal was unattainable or that they possess some fundamental flaw. That is simply not the case. Instead of giving up after a large unplanned meal, re-group and make the next meal healthier. A momentary shortfall is not an excuse for repeated cheating. Many people over eat during one meal and then discount the rest of the day as a cheat day. This can rack up more than a thousand calories toward a possible gain in weight, which results in a complete relapse into old unhealthy habits.

Accountability

Accountability is a great tool for keeping motivation and perseverance alive. Tell everyone you know your goals! Tell them and tell them again. You might not realize it, but others will begin to take notice and even follow your lead. It then becomes very hard to give up on your goals and possibly disappoint yourself and others. Another important part of accountability is to write down your planned meals and exercise for the day and then follow up each night by writing down everything you ate, totaling the calories and what exercises you did. This will help you see what direction you are headed for the week and what you can do to turn it around if things start to look downward.

Evaluation

There comes a point in every successful program when the results just are not what they used to be, weight loss plateaus and what used to work is no longer enough. This signals time to reevaluate the situation. Actually, evaluation should be occurring frequently, but especially now it is needed. Perhaps the types and quantities of calories will need to be adjusted or perhaps the frequency and duration of exercise may be the key. Playing with different routines and eating patterns will help you bust out of the plateau and help you continue on your path to your long term goals.

Motivation, goals, a successful plan, perseverance, accountability, and evaluation are essential components of long term successful weight loss. Those who have transformed their body and their lives to become fit and healthy follow these steps over and over until it becomes a habit, a lifestyle.