When you ask a lot of people what their New Year’s resolutions are, weight loss is right up there.
Most people have tried diets, and failed, but changes to your lifestyle and a bit of planning can change all that.
Think about this as a long-term project, but break it down into more manageable chunks so it’s not so overwhelming.
Changed habits can take a while to stick, but they make more sense than fad diets, magic pills or gels and drastic changes which are unsustainable.
To help you along the way, why not think about these questions:

• Where are you now?

Before you work out how much weight you want to lose, you need to know where you are now
Take your body weight, get a body fat % reading and use it to work out where you want to be.

• Where are you heading?

Coming up with a realistic end target weight can be difficult, but you need to know exactly how much you’re aiming for so you can come up with a clear strategy.
The NHS weight loss website is a great resource to help with this.

• What timescale are you working with?

Aim for a weight loss if no more than 2lbs per week. Anything over that is unsustainable, and not healthy long-term. You will lost different amounts week-by-week, but don’t be disheartened with 1lb – that would still equal 52lbs over a whole year (nearly 4 stone).

• What are your current diet and exercise habits?

Keep a diary for a week to get a true indication – a lot of the time you see necessary changes that need to be made, just by doing this.
What exercise are you doing – are you going to the Gym? Do you walk to work? It all adds up.

• What changes can you make?

Taking lunch to work, cutting down on sugar in your tea or drinking more water are all small changes which can help, but they need to be manageable and realistic for them to work.
What changes to your exercise can you make? Again, this need to be manageable, realistic and sustainable – no point in saying 5 Gym sessions a week, if you struggle to find time for 1 at the moment!

• What else can you do?

Not buying certain foods is likely to help – if they’re not there, you can’t eat them!
Do you need help from an outside source? Do you have a friend that could help or support you? Do you need to improve your sleep?

I have concentrated on weight loss, but you can move away from the scales and look at fat loss instead, or increasing you fitness.

If it all feels a bit overwhelming, get in touch via Facebook or email for a free, no obligation, consultation – I can take your weight and body fat % and we can chat through current and future strategies.