by: Amy Skirvin; Health/Nutrition Coach and CEO Sweat Shop, Franklin, IN
Amanda messaged me back in March. She said for the first time in her life she just couldn't keep her weight down. She needed to learn how to eat healthier and wanted someone to hold her accountable to working out.
She signed up for 12 weeks of coaching with me. I was confident Amanda would be a great client and achieve her goal. To get her off to a good start I told her something I wish someone had told me all the times I tried and failed at losing weight. This leads to my first tip.
Tip #1 - Be realistic.
If you haven't been exercising or eating well for years it is going to take time to get your metabolism going again. You have to be realistic or you will set your goal way too high, fail, and give up. If someone is telling you that their program guarantees you will lose 10 lbs in 10 days don't fall for it.
I told Amanda she wouldn't see results her first 30 days. This is really hard to tell a client because they are unhappy with their body. They want change NOW. But that just isn't realistic.
This can be so discouraging that most women just give up; over 70% of the ones who start a weight loss program according to most studies. Establishing a realistic expectation for the first 30 days helped Amanda stay strong as her body adjusted.
Since Amanda was over 40 and hadn't done strength training or eaten enough protein she had lost significant muscle mass. After women turn 35 we start losing 3.5 lbs of muscle each year. This loss had caused Amanda's metabolism to slow way down which led to her weight gain because muscle takes a lot of energy to maintain.
So those first 30 days Amanda focused on getting adequate protein and doing strength training workouts while increasing her water intake. She showed up daily and did her best. No one gets the results like Amanda did if they aren't consistent.
This leads to the next tip.
Tip #2 - Be consistent.
You can't workout 2 times one week, 3 the next, skip 2 weeks, do 1 huge workout to makeup for missing 2 weeks, get sore take off another week and expect to achieve your weight loss goal. If you eat better on Monday through Wed but then eat and drink all the things the rest of the week you will be left frustrated. You have to be consistent.
Consistency doesn't mean perfection. Amanda had good days and bad days. Anyone who has lost weight and kept it off has them. But if you do your best and keep moving forward the weight will come off!
Amanda was great at scheduling her classes on Sundays and consistently showing up all week. On a couple evenings she had a bad headache but she still came and did what she could. That is the level of dedication it takes to get results.
No one can give 100% every day. And that is ok. It is more important to establish healthy habits that change your lifestyle. That is how you get the weight off and keep it off.
If you aren't consistent it won't work. PERIOD.
"Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come." -DWAYNE JOHNSON
Tip #3 - Be proud.
Celebrate your wins along with way. Before Amanda reached her goal she shared she was feeling stronger, able to do more in her workouts, felt more energetic and was having a lot of fun at the Sweat Shop. She couldn't see it in the mirror but she felt it in her body!
Working towards your goal is a journey to enjoy along the way. You will feel better after just a week of eating healthier food and moving your body consistently movement. When you start to notice the changes in your life celebrate them. You deserve to feel confident and proud of yourself.
Weight loss is challenging. It takes work. But you can do it! Just remember these tips and if you need help I can help you just like I helped Amanda.
You can lose 10 lbs when you follow these tips and you don't give up.
If you need help losing weight I am a certified Health/Nutrition Coach. My approach is based on taking small actions daily that lead to big results.
Click this button to contact me and to get a FREE Weight Loss Consultation and maybe my next blog will be about YOU!
Leave a comment if you have a topic you would like covered in a future blog or want to give a shoutout to Amanda too.
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