So, Christmas is coming, and the new year is not far away. A time when collectively the nation realigns with new goals and new energy to what they will achieve – invariably for 90% of people this centres around losing a few pounds and it finally being the year they get it right and achieve the body they have been looking for… Which usually leads to seeking more advice on food, calories, what they should, and should not be eating etc. But to what end?
Controversial opinion: To lose weight you do not need more food advice, you do not need more guidance on what to eat and when, how many calories you need to eat or what macro balance you need to get where you want to go.
You already know 80-90% of what you need to do to lose weight, but you are just not doing it, and it is likely to be for one of three reasons…
- The perceived pain of change is greater than that of staying where you are. In other words, what you believe you must do to get where you want to go is that difficult it is not worth the effort.
- You may not know your goal, are not strongly aligned with it, or invested enough in the benefits your goal will bring you to follow it through to the end.
- Your subconscious is ruling your decision-making process. But what if I told you that we have a simple three-step foolproof plan to help you evolve your diet until you reach your goal?
STEP 1 – Set your goal.
A plan without a goal is like a journey without a destination. If you have chosen a weight loss goal, it is probably time you stopped avoiding the scales. True, they are not the be-all and end-all, but nor are they the devil and they are not going to tell you anything you do not already know!
By using them, you will dramatically increase the likelihood of reaching your goal while holding yourself accountable for your actions. Honesty with ourselves and our results is one of the biggest hurdles people face on their weight loss journeys – and the scales can help with this – but don’t take their readings too personally.
Once you have agreed to use the scales you are going to have to decide on your ‘end’ goal in terms of weight (your destination). Do this before you jump on the scales to see where you are currently (your starting point).
What is the difference between these two weights (how much weight do you plan on losing)? Now, we need to set our course on paper. Draw a graph with time in months along the horizontal axis with as many evenly spaced dashes as you have kg to lose. Then add the same number of evenly spaced dashes up the vertical axis putting your current weight at the top and your goal weight at the bottom.
Now draw a straight line from the top left corner to the bottom right corner – this is your minimum weight loss line. Then draw a line from the top corner to the midpoint along the horizontal axis – this is your maximum weight loss line.
You now have a reasonably accurate account of how long your weight loss might take from best to worst case scenario with the most successful long-term weight loss happening between 1 -2kg (2-4lbs) per month.
STEP 2 – Track your food.
Something magical happens when you start to write down what you eat. We do not need to do anything quite as drastic as weighing food or using food tracking apps. Tracking food can be as simple as pen and paper or notes on your phone, and for accuracy make an honest appraisal… huge serving or small serving, a small bag of crisps versus a whole tube. Then do the same with your fluid intake (including alcohol).
90% of the time there will be weight loss that week, but when there isn’t you will have an accurate account of your actions to be able to make the alterations to help you lose weight. The mere act of writing your food down will add enough space between impulse and action to make choices more conducive to your goals. You see, you already know most of what you need to do to lose weight, and when you start writing down your food you will start making more conscious decisions based on where you want to go. Give it seven days… you’ll be amazed!
STEP 3 – Track your progress.
Writing food down will take care of your initial progress, but to last the pace and reach your goal, you’re going to need to weigh yourself at the same time on the same day each week, and record where you are on your graph (Step 1).
Your goal is simple – stay in the sweet spot of losing between 1 – 2 kg (2-4lbs) per month. When you are in this space keep repeating what you have been doing.
If you dip below and are losing more than 2kg (4lbs) per week then ease up a bit, because you are restricting something you normally love doing. The key to lasting weight loss is finding a way to still enjoy the things you love!
If you are falling short of losing 1kg (2lbs) per month then you need to take an honest look at what you are doing. Are you tracking consistently? Are you missing weekends? Are you just not being honest?
By reflecting and appraising your actions honestly you will see clearly where your problems lie. If you look back and feel you are doing all you can and don’t know what other actions you could take then seek help from someone in the fitness, diet, or nutrition industry.
If you consistently fall behind and are not losing 1kg per month (0.5lb per week) then you might want to accept that at this moment, you are not ready to lose weight. That is perfectly fine. Often it is not that we want to lose weight but the pressure from society says we need to – and this can cause years of struggle. If this is the case, go easy on yourself.
The upshot of doing the above consistently is that you will be at least 12kg (26lbs) lighter this time next year. When was the last time you could say that?