Successful weight loss doesn’t happen overnight.
It’s a mindset that leads to lifestyle changes that will improve our
health instead of yo-yo dieting, crash diets or quick fixes.
You can make these 7 habits a part of your lifestyle to experience
successful weight loss. The best thing is that you can also maintain
your ideal weight with the same practices.
If you have been trying to lose weight for a while with no progress, here are 11 real reasons why you may not be losing weight.
Related: 5 Signs You Have Deep Belly Fat
7 Habits for Successful Weight Loss
1- Being Decisive
Are you committed or are you just dabbling? This is a question I had
to ask myself when I struggled to eat healthily and break my sugar
cravings. Now I’m asking you.
Are you committed or are you dabbling?
When you’re committed to weight loss in a healthy and consistent way,
it becomes something that you pursue no matter what the obstacles are.
It’s important to know
why you want to pursue your successful weight loss journey.
Do you want to look better, feel better, get more energy or improve
your health? Get some clarity and that will make all of the following
habits for successful weight loss much easier.
Commitment might also include doing the right research to know what
the best diet is for you, going to your doctor to see if you have any
issues that might surface if you are on a diet and
actually doing the work to lose weight.
Talking about the best diets, here’s the other habit for successful weight loss.
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2- Create a Diet Philosophy
Low carb? Low calorie? Paleo? Vegan? Or just whole foods?
Many people don’t like labels, but I think that when you have a basic
idea of what you want your diet to look like, it’s easier when you
search for recipes, go grocery shopping, or dine out in a restaurant.
I personally follow a low carb/whole foods philosophy. This means
that I eat little to no refined or processed products and no refined
carbs. I eat between 80 and 120g of carbs per day, and those carbs come
from natural sources. Some things that I always have on hand are
oatmeal, banana, green beans, kale, zucchini, and some other foods
on this list.
Having a basic eating preference already established will save you
tons of time, money and energy. Be sure to plan for any health issues
that you may have.
BONUS TIP FOR SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT LOSS
- Don’t think about weight loss as sacrificing foods that you love.
You’re creating an empowering life for yourself and that means you are
creating a positive relationship with your food.
- You still need room to indulge on your successful weight loss
journey. Still, try to keep it within the realms of your food
philosophy.
3- Plan For Your Family
It’s so great to have a group of people who can support you and even join you on your weight loss journey.
Even if it’s that one person who can motivate you and to remind you
of your weight loss goals. And then there’s your literal family that you
have to consider if you live with them.
If you find that they are content with the way things are even though
you want to change, the best thing to do is to get ready to make some
plans.
When you live alone, it’s easy to restock your fridge and pantry and
start afresh. But let’s say you have a family and you’re the only person
in your house who’s on a diet.
How can you ensure that you’re achieving your goals while keeping everyone happy? Here are some tips you can consider:
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- Be sneaky and include them in the process anyway
Create healthier meals that the whole family can enjoy and just tell them that you’re trying new recipes (which is true).
Pancakes with almond flour, zucchini noodles instead of regular pasta, olive oil and coconut oil instead of vegetable oil.
Those simple changes can make a meal up to 50% healthier in terms of
reducing carbs,
adding fats that help instead of hurt their bodies, and most
importantly, providing a higher nutrient density than their refined
counterparts.
You can use a few hours on a chosen day to do some healthy meal prep.
I love stews and casseroles because they are easy to store, easy to
reheat and just as delicious 3 days later.
Here are
some recipes that you can look at.
- Buy ingredients that can be used in every meal
Let’s say you’re shopping and you know that Friday is for pizza or
pasta, or even both. When you’re shopping for this meal in addition to
your weight loss foods, create a list of ingredients that overlap and
buy the healthier version.
Some examples of this include healthier oils, wheat products instead
of refined, low carb cheese instead of full-fat cheese, and so on.
You can use these products when making meals for everyone in the family.
For a full list of no-carb products and some low-calorie options, read this article on
no-carb foods.
You can also
download a list of low carb foods
that have all the calories, fats, proteins and carbs already
calculated. This can make things a lot more convenient for you if you’re
on a low carb diet for successful weight loss.
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- Protect the two meals where you truly have control
These meals are breakfast and lunch.
Most persons have these meals individually and if you’re one of these persons, it’s easier for you to choose healthier options.
For dinner, if it’s a family setting, it may be more time-consuming
to create two separate meals. For this meal, you can do a meal prep or
simply cook your meal separately. Whatever works best for you.
- Be extra careful on the weekends
The weekend is not an excuse to binge or go to town on a cheat meal.
You can enjoy time with your family, make delicious meals and still stay
within your calorie limit.
Here’s how you can do that.
Get a list of quick recipes that you can make that easy and
delicious. If you love desserts and cheese and chocolate, you can
indulge in them if you’re on a
low carb diet like keto.
BONUS TIP FOR SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT LOSS
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Include your favorite recipes, a go-to meal plan for busy weeks, and a list of supplements/products that can help you to reach your goals faster.
One of the reasons why we experience slow weight loss is because we
don’t plan ahead and try to make last minute plans that can become
time-consuming and emotionally exhausting.
Related: 11 Reasons Why You May Not Be Losing Weight
4- Dominate Breakfast
Breakfast can make or break your day. For some people, they prefer to eat as soon as they wake up and others practice intermittent fasting or eating later in the morning. It doesn’t matter, as long as you make your breakfast protein rich and filling.
There are many reasons why this is important.
Tim Ferris, in the Four Hour Workweek, recommends eating 30 grams of
protein for breakfast. Many others recommend it, and I personally
practice it.
The protein keeps me full more than a regular breakfast would unless
it’s a heavy oatmeal smoothie. When I say full, I mean full for HOURS.
This helps me to eat less, get no sugar cravings and the compound effect
of this is successful weight loss.
Breakfast protein doesn’t have to be just eggs and bacon either. I’ve
had a tofu scramble, leftover lentils, chicken breast and regular
omelets. Basically, have whatever you love that can give you the protein
punch you need.
Plus here’s a
list of seven delicious low carb breakfasts than you can make in less than 15 minutes.
5- Work Out Regularly
In addition to eating healthy, exercise can be a great asset to your
successful weight loss journey. This is a habit that requires discipline
and energy, but it also helps you to get more discipline and energy in
other areas of life.
This successful weight loss habit is one that will help you burn fat, build lean muscle and get stronger. Can’t beat that.
I’m sure you already know the numerous benefits of exercise.
But what if you still hate it?
There are many other fat burning exercises that you can do. There’s
walking, running, hiking, yoga, swimming, dancing, cycling, gardening,
getting a more physical job, and even rock climbing or jumping rope.
I’m sure that there are many others that you can choose from, but
adding at least one of these will help you to lose weight and get some
strength while doing it.
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6- Make Plans For Events
This is the habit that can make or break your weight loss goals. We
live in a world where food is not only used for sustenance, it’s used to
express success or failure.
Got the promotion? Let’s go have dinner to celebrate!
Didn’t get the promotion? Let’s hit the bar and then stop at the supermarket for some ice cream!
I can’t really say that all of these moments are bad, because they
sometimes help us to cope, and they are often opportunities to socialize
and make memories.
However, it’s in these moments when emotions are high that all good
intentions go out the window. You won’t always be able to stay on top of
your diet, especially on hectic days and during overwhelming periods.
This is why preparing for them is so important.
There’s also regular dining out with family or eating at a friends house.
Here’s what I say.
If you are going out and can find a restaurant with healthy options. go there.
If you have a friend who always makes the best meals but you know it
can set you back on your weight loss journey, host dinner at your place
instead and ask them to contribute one dish, if any. Also, let them know
that you’re on a diet.
If you can bring healthy and delicious meals over to any of their houses, do it.
If you want ice-cream to celebrate or drown your sorrows, get some
frozen yogurt or a fruit sorbet (sooo much healthier), and for alcohol,
some low carb options
here.
And if you are invited to a dinner where a loved one has worked hard
to prepare a meal for you, thank them, smile and enjoy it. 🙂
You can get back on your diet at the next meal. Don’t hurt your loved
ones’ feelings, especially if they didn’t know that you’ve changed your
lifestyle.
Earlier, I mentioned having a weight loss kit, and if it’s something
that you’re considering, here are some more things that you can add to
make your life easier.
7- Stay Motivated
This is an important habit, not only for successful weight loss but
for any goal that you set. You can stay motivated for successful weight
loss by reminding yourself of your goals daily, and envisioning the
outcome that you want to achieve.
Focus on the process, find people who you can work with, and reward yourself for every milestone.
Having a strong sense of purpose also helps with motivation. When you
see this weight loss journey as something that you are doing to improve
your body and ultimately improve your life, you will be excited to
continue working on it. The time is gonna pass anyway.