Losing Weight is a State of Mind, Not a Quick Fix

If you are looking for a quick fix in order to lose weight, then stop right there. In order to lose and, most importantly, keep weight off you need to possess the right state of mind. If you don’t and you only view weight loss as a temporary act, as opposed to a change of lifestyle, you likely won’t be very successful in the end.

Various magazines boast fad diets with the promise of getting skinny and quickly as possible, with the least amount of effort as possible. While some of these diets can, in fact, see you lose weight incredibly quickly, many people end up putting the weight back on with interest. That is either because those fad diets are simply not sustainable, often reducing daily calorie intake to below 500, or simply reverting to their old unhealthy habits.

If you are serious about wanting a healthier life and looking after your body, below you will find helpful advice that will guide you to a healthier and, ultimately, happy lifestyle. There are many ways in which you can improve your health, ranging from small changes to a full-on revamped approach to life.

Keep a Weight Chart

For those that want to see results, keeping a weekly weight chart will help to keep you motivated, especially in the early stages. Feeling as though you are putting in all the work for no reward can be demoralising, especially if you don’t look any fitter at first. With a healthy balanced diet that reduces your daily calorie intake and regular exercise, you will be losing weight which is why a weight chart will help with your motivation.

Tracking how much weight you have lost over time will keep you on track and, on those days when you are feeling a little lost, you can look back at how much weight you have lost since you began tracking your weight. Remember, though, that you are most likely to lose weight when you first start exercising so don’t become disheartened when begin losing less weight over the weeks and months. You should also consider that the more overweight a person is, the easier it is to lose weight quickly, so if you are finding it harder to lose weight this is natural.

Regular Exercise

Exercising for at least 30 minutes three times a week is the minimum recommended amount for a healthy lifestyle. To put that into context, that is just 90 minutes of your week out of 10,080, so you should be able to find time in your schedule to incorporate this.

If you do find it difficult finding time to go to the gym, there are many workouts that you can do at home to work up a sweat. That mean’s you don’t necessarily have to commit to a monthly or yearly gym membership to burn off those calories. Alternatively, you can take up running if you haven’t already done so if you prefer to get out of the house for a while.

Allow a Cheat Day

Yes, we absolutely recommend allowing for one cheat day per week where you can allow yourself to indulge in all of your favourite snacks without guilt. Not only does this help to keep you motivated, giving you the goal of getting through to your next cheat day, but fat is also an essential part of your diet.

If you are not enjoying your change of lifestyle, you simply aren’t going to stick to it, which is why allowing for a cheat day is an essential part of a healthy life. Just make sure to stay disciplined and ensure that luxuries such as takeaways don’t creep into any other day of the week.

At the End of the Day

Whatever your choices, make sure that you are happy and genuinely feel that you can reach your goals. Setting unrealistic targets isn’t going to be productive and will only increase the chances of you falling off the wagon.

Health isn’t just physical; it is also mental. Everything should be taken in moderation and, most importantly, don’t compare your progress to that of anyone else. We are all on our own individual journeys.