I have always wanted to be that person who just lost weight with zero effort. When someone would ask me how I have managed obtaining my figure, I would just breezily flip my hair and say, “I really didn’t do anything at all. The weight just MELTED OFF on its own while I ate too much and sat on the couch.” Sounds legit, right? The do-nothing routine normally isn’t very effective, but there are some things that we all can be doing today to melt some pounds. Here are four tips to help you start losing weight today:
- Make an overall plan. I know those who hate plans are quaking in your boots right now. Just do it and get it over with. If you want to write an 854 page weight-loss manifesto, be my guest. Maybe you just decide that you are going to add in more vegetables and use the Fitbit still in its box from Christmas. Even a vague plan is better than none at all, just make one.
- Plan for today. Overall plans are incredibly important, but if we can’t implement them on a daily basis they are useless. How do you take your overall plan and use it today? Do you need to pack gym shoes in your car for after work? Do you need to go to the grocery store so that your dinner isn’t the only two contents you have in your fridge (mustard and brown lettuce is not dinner)? The days where I am most effective are the ones that start on the couch with a cup of coffee andme planning out my day. This includes planning what I’m going to eat and how I’m going to move my body.
- Adjust your expectations. In order to find out what works for us, we are going to have to struggle a bit. This is how we become better at whatever we are trying to accomplish. We often have images in our heads of what our perfect weight loss journey will look like. When we do not live up to our high standards, we feel as if we are failures and give up. Know that part of this journey includes failing a few times. While Thomas Edison was trying to invent a new type of battery, he had done thousands of experiments with unfavorable results. A reporter asked him about this to which Edison replied, “‘Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results! I know several thousand things that won’t work.” Sometimes we have to find out what doesn’t work in order to see what does.
- Start. The single most important thing we can do to lose weight is start today. Simple, but true. Start today, not tomorrow. Not next week. Not when the babies start kindergarten. Not when your husband finishes grad school. Not when summer starts or January 1st or after Labor Day. Do it now and do it today. The “I’ll start next week” mentality is how we end up with the same weight loss goals in 2015 as we did in 2009. Do one thing today that you have been putting off. Go for that walk, watch your portions, join Weight Watchers, or start an account with a site such as Spark People or My Fitness Pal. You do not have to do everything in one day, just something.
The time to get started is now. Are you ready to enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes from working towards our dreams and goals? If you want to start losing weight today, make an overall plan, plan for today, adjust your expectations, and just start already. Lace up those running shoes and let’s do this.
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Howdy! LC and her husband live in the ‘burbs of Austin, TX. Besides vacuuming up endless amounts of dog hair from her golden retriever, she runs, sells real estate, and tries not to fall while wearing wedged sandals. For some strange reason she shares her inner thoughts and embarrassing stories on the internet. In addition to the Shrinking Jeans, she contributes to the Real Oilfield Wives, and chronicles her attempts to live a balanced and meaningful life on Just Being Real .