Don’t let all your hard work go to waste! If you’re seeing progress, keep it up with these tips from two top experts!
Don’t Depend On Only Diet Or Only Exercise
Kacie Vavrek, R.D., a dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, states, “A lot of people try to lose weight without exercise, but then you end up losing muscle mass and slowing down your metabolism.” The same goes for hitting the gym, but not watching your diet. Vavrek warns, “If you’re working out really hard but eating whatever you want, you’re not in a calorie deficit and won’t lose weight.” Vavrek emphasizes the importance of having a healthy, balanced diet and a solid workout routine to see the best, lasting results.
Slow And Steady Will Get You Where You Want To Go
“For weight loss, you should only be dropping half a pound to two pounds per week,” says Vavrek. If you’re steadily dropping more weight than that – or if you’re not losing that much, you may want to look into apps like Health Mate or a tracking tool like Nokia Body+ to help you check your daily food and water intake, BMI and body weight.
Erin Risius, L.P.C., a healthy psychology expert and wellness counselor at Hilton Head Health, warns that aggressively kicking up your exercise regimen or drastically cutting calories can lead to negative results. Taking severe measures often leads to burnout and can stall any progress.
Celebrate Victories Off The Scale
Risius states, “One of the reasons people lose motivation—even if they’re making progress—is because they’re impatient to reach the end goal…Healthy weight loss is never as fast as we want it to be, so it’s important to note all the positive shifts in our lives as we strive toward that goal.”
Keep track of all the awesome ways that working out and eating correctly are changing your body and mind! Do you sleep better? Do you have more energy or stamina? Maybe you’re seeing clearer skin or healthier hair – these are all worth celebrating!
Create mini goals along the way on your health and fitness journey. Once you achieve these goals, reward yourself with a new outfit, a massage, or take a staycation. Conquering smaller victories will help you stay motivated, on track and encouraged!
Ditch The Traditional Diet
If you started out your routine with a diet like Whole30 or the ketogenic diet, you may have experienced awesome results that kept you motivated. Unfortunately, the initials results may begin to wane over time. Vavrek cautions that many people who see weight loss with restrictive diets, eventually gain back the weight they lost (and gain more) once they stop the diet. According to a study by UCLA, dieters tend to lose 5 to 10 percent of their body weight during the first six months of a new diet. However one-third to two-thirds of individuals pack on more weight than they lost within four to five years! Typically this occurs because the diet isn’t realistic to maintain for an extended period of time and your weight loss won’t be maintainable either.
Risus reminds us that “The key is to avoid the all-or-nothing mindset…When you’re eating in a way that’s nourishing, but doesn’t feel depriving, and moving your body in a way that you enjoy and feels good, you can ditch the means-to-an-end mindset and shift toward a lifestyle mindset.”
No More Bad Days!
Reset your thinking and stop seeing less than perfect days as “bad”. Skipping that barre class or going for ice cream with friends isn’t going to destroy all of your hard work. It’s OK to indulge every now and then, “Just don’t let that one day turn into a whole week,” says Vavrek.
Risius says, “If you’re rooted in the all-or-nothing, perfectionistic mindset, you’ll likely see a lapse as a reason to quit trying altogether…The process of behavior change is an ebb and flow, so when you hit a wall, simply re-evaluate your game plan and keep moving forward.”
If you’re struggling with remaining consistent with your eating and/or workout habits, ask for help! Reach out to friends or family – anyone you can trust – to keep you accountable.
Vavrek also recommends following the 80/20 rule. She says, “I really like the 80/20 rule…It means that if you can eat healthfully 80 percent of the time, you can allow yourself freedom with that 20 percent and still have foods you enjoy. It’s something you can live with long after you’ve reached your goal.”
