Let’s be honest. We all wish we are a few pounds lighter on the scales. Its very easy to form bad habits and repeat them day in day out. But with a little focus and dedication you can kick those bad habits. Here are 5 tips to smash your weight loss goals.
Food Prep
This is the easiest thing to get right and the easiest thing to neglect too. Proper food prep is one of the best ways to lose weight. Spend an hour on a Sunday night batch cooking your food for the next 3 to 4 days. Make sure you are getting all of your key groups in your meal plan.
Understand Your Macro Splits
Macros, short for macronutrients, are simply the following food groups: proteins, fats, carbohydrates.
We all need them and each is vital for our metabolism to work correctly and efficiently. You can quickly search for a Macro calculator online and you can easily get a handful of options, like this one: https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutrients_calculator.htm
Once you have your splits, write them down and make sure to follow them when preparing your meal plan.
Download Myfitnesspal
This app allows you to track all of your daily food intakes. It also enables you to input your macro splits in the format of either percentage or grams. You can use it to track your actual weight loss, too.
I found that by downloading this app, I was able to easily keep an eye on what I was eating, how many calories I had consumed and how much I have left. It’s a very cool, motivational tool that keeps your eyes on the prize.
It was a huge help in making sure I don’t overeat or take on too many calories. The app has a very cool barcode scanner. You can use it to scan all of your food and keep an eye on your calories!
Exercise
Exercise has so many benefits. Not only can it help you lose and maintain a healthy weight, it can also make you feel great.
I’m not talking about spending 14 hours a day in a gym. Just engage in cardio and weight training if you can.
I try to do 20 to 40 minutes of cardio a day, 5 times a week. If you don’t like running, then head to Youtube and look up HIIT workouts. A gent called Joe Wicks creates great workout videos you can check out.
HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), a personal favorite of mine, is sharp, explosive and great at blasting belly fat. It is short but highly effective. If you regularly follow a healthy eating regime and you combine it with HIIT, you’ll be able to see results very quickly.
Weight training is also key to building muscle and burning fat. The internet is a good source for workouts. If you have the budget, however, you can always invest in a good personal trainer.
When choosing a good coach, always ask to see the portfolio of clients they have previously worked with. This is one good way to ensure that you’ll be dealing with someone who knows how to get results.
Set short term goals that add long-term results
It’s easy to realize you are overweight and tell yourself you are going to lose 50 lbs in 3 months. Doing it, however, is a different ball game.
I found that setting short term goals (4-6 weeks) were more motivating. Once you hit that short term goal, you can set a new one and repeat. We all have an end goal and whether that is 20, 30, 40 or 50 lbs of weight loss, it won’t happen overnight.
Be realistic, dedicated and honest. If you cheat on your diet, no problem. Move on from your mistake, start fresh the next day and work on smashing your goals.