Start Losing Weight Today

'inspiration' photography by annmackiemiller

Let's Get Started

Something like half the population want to lose weight. It is never easy and we can use all the encouragement we can get. Which is why I'd like to give you a few tips to help you get that flat belly you dream of. The article will show how to get started, give you helpful tips on losing weight and on keeping it off and on programming your mind for success.

I've been a health professional all my adult life and now 'at a certain age' find weight management much more difficult than it was 40 years ago. What I have learned, is more than following fad diets, the trick is to CHANGE your diet habits. They say it takes six weeks to change a habit, so follow these tips on weight loss and healthy eating for at least six weeks then tell me if you have seen a difference.

Get in the Mood - Become Body Conscious

Your mind set is vital when you start and for me it helps to set things up in a sort of formal way - it shows ME that I am committed to making a change and want to chart my progress to give myself a boost as I go.  There is no need to jump right in, let's prepare ourselves first. Pick a date ahead, a week from now probably works, for when you are going to seriously take control of your diet and lifestyle. Between then and now here are some things to be doing and thinking about. 

What you Need to Get Started on your Weight Management Plan

photography by annmackiemiller

What you need to get started:

1. one notebook and pen
2. one tape measure
3. three pieces of string

Bet you would never have guessed a successful diet started with a piece of string. I don't ever recommend anyone weighing themselves except as a very loose guide. Often if you are dieting you replace fat with muscle which actually weighs more. Besides which, weighing yourself too often sets you up for disappointment if you don't see much difference.

Instead, I recommend you to measure yourself once a week - only once a week and make that at the same time of day as you do expand more during the day. So if you measure yourself in the evening, and then repeat it the next week first thing in the morning, you are the only one you are fooling.

You are going to use the notebook as a journal, you can add anything you like into it but include your weekly measurements and weight if you want to do it that way.

At the start of the week - measure your bust, waist and hips with a piece of string cut to each area. As the weeks go on you can reduce the size of your pieces of string. I confess I also measure with a measuring tape but you don't have to.

notebook by nuttikit at freedigitalphotos.net

Keeping Your Journal

Start with a fresh page in a notebook or diary or start an on-line blog. It helps to write things down.

First of all:

• list the reasons why you want to lose weight.
• list a typical day's diet - be honest. If necessary take a day and just note everything you eat from drinks and snacks to main meals. Sometimes it helps to set it all in perspective. Be sure to include the size of portions you take. For example, you might have a full dinner plate of stew, potatoes and carrots. It is important to note the size of the plate you are using.
• during the day and evening, note down what makes you want to eat and at what times. Can you perceive a pattern? For example, are you snackish when you watch TV in the evening, or in the afternoon and so on? Include all drinks.
• note down what time you eat or drink first in the morning and what time and what you have last thing at night. All we are doing here is becoming self-aware, or more conscious of our eating and drinking patterns.

Now to Start:

• looking in a mirror - take a measurement of your bust, your waist and your hips and note them down. NO don't avoid looking in the mirror - you really want to know what you look like now, not hide from yourself. 
• with your first piece of string - measure it round your bust and either mark it with a marker or tie a knot in it.
• with your second piece of string - measure your waist and mark it with a marker or a knot
• with your third piece of string - measure your hips (include your derriere) and mark ii.

You can use your diary to put down any thoughts you have, for example, how you feel when you look in the mirror. An important part of improving your health is improving your own self worth

.Food Diary:

• a food diary is a really good idea to show exactly what you are eating every day. You may be surprised at how all the calories mount up. I know I was. So for a few days - 
• write down everything you eat or drink during the day
• use an online calorie counter to calculate the number of calories in each.
• also make a note of how you felt before you ate it and how you feel afterwards. This is all to get you used to listening to your body and hopefully will help you become more conscious of food.

That's probably enough to get started with. So see you later...