In my life I’ve followed various weight loss programs. All have been successfully but I tend to slide back into bad habits and put the weight back on! Lockdown has seen me pile on the pounds and made me think about successful weight loss. Here are some thoughts for you.
1. Fully engage with the program. Whatever program you follow – Slimming World, Weight Watchers, Noom, Keto, Intermittent Fasting – you must fully engage with the program. Don’t do it half assed otherwise you won’t get the results you’re after. Give it 100% of your attention.
2. Make time to follow the program. I think I spend between 30-60 minutes per day preparing food when I follow a weight loss program. This is actually cutting up ingredients, combining them and/or cooking them. You can cut this time by batch cooking when you have time but factor in that preparing fresh food and meals takes time and effort (but it is worth it – I made a delicious carrot soup for lunch 😋).
3. Think in terms of weeks not days. You can follow a program to the letter and not lose much weight in a week or two. Then suddenly you will have a great week and lose 5 or 6 pounds. Try to look at things long term. Sensible weight loss is between 1-3 pounds (0.5-1.5 kgs) per week. So if you lose 4-12 pounds in a month then you are on target.
4. When/If you plateau for a while then shake things up. It is worth doing this from time to time anyway. The body gets used to a program and may stop responding so readily. Change up what you do. Do you normally have porridge for breakfast? Have an omelet instead. Is your food normally spicy or plain? Switch! If you normally have a baked potato then make a potato curry instead. You can also try eating more small meals or less, larger meals. Mix it up and keep the body guessing!
I hope these thoughts are interesting to you if nothing else. There are many good, tested programs out there but all require effort, work and sacrifice. That sacrifice will likely be time.
Engage with the program, make time for success, think long term and don’t get in a rut, and you will succeed.
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