When most of us start thinking about weight loss, it can often trigger our old friend, "sabotage" to start putting road blocks in our way. So, one way to stay the course when you start your weight loss plan is to practice accountability by preparing yourself and your kitchen ahead of time. Remember, the 60 Day Weight Loss Program is not focused on starving yourself or putting yourself on an unreasonable diet that you won't abide by. It's about eating sensibly with 4-5 mini meals daily, drinking plenty of water, exercising and setting your weight loss goals every 60 days until you have achieved your desired weight.
Below are 7 ways to get started on the path to weight loss:
1. Have a Physical When is the last time you've been to the doctor for a physical? There's no better time like now. Schedule an appointment and let your physician know that you are going to put yourself on a sensible eating plan and would like to start exercising. This way he can review your medical history, make recommendations if needed and also order the appropriate tests needed for your age range.
2. Stock Your Kitchen with Natural and Healthy Foods.
"Out of site, out of mind." Get rid of those snack foods and other items that you know will not contribute to your weight loss. Items like, cookies, ice cream, and potato chips etc. can cause you to over eat and binge. This is especially true when you're hungry right away and looking for something to eat.
Purchase natural fruits, nuts and vegetables and replace high-fat milk products with the low-fat versions. Purchase lean cuts of meats and for beverages, it's all about water, and natural "no sugar added" fruit juices. Instead of white sugar, consider using "Agave Nectar" a natural sugar from the cactus plant that has no after taste and is just as sweet.
3. Prepare for Exercising As you know, exercising is really a mandatory action that must be taken not only to lose weight, but to maintain your overall health. In order to exercise consistently you must build a habit of doing it frequently. Once you start seeing the results and feeling the energy that it gives, you'll automatically have a natural desire to do it.
Purchase workout clothes, the proper gym shoes, a pedometer and water bottle. Identify 30 minute time increments in your calendar (preferably early morning) and mark the days and time frames that you'll work out. Let nothing other than true emergencies get in the way of making it happen.
Start by walking for 30 minutes 3 to 5 times weekly and consider increasing it to daily after you have built up your stamina. Once you're on a consistent schedule, you might want to add some strength training with light weights as well.
4. Prepare Dishes Ahead of Time Let's face it, when you're hungry and there's no prepared food, eating the wrong things or going out for fast food is going to always be tempting. Prepare your food ahead of time. Whether it's keeping sandwiches in the fridge or preparing stir-fry meals with wild or brown rice and placing single servings in small containers for easy heating, it will help you to stay the course. Also prepare your snacks ahead of time by rinsing your grapes and other fresh fruits and putting single servings in small plastic sandwich bags. Make fruit cups with a variety of fruit or make a trail mix with pecans, almonds, and raisins. Make it as easy as you can to have food and snacks available to you when you are hungry.
5. Make it Easy to Drink Water. Water is the key to a well hydrated body and energy. It's not an option, you need water! Make it easy to drink water by making it your main beverage on a daily basis (8 or more 8oz glasses daily). Sodas and processed juices are full of sugar and/or caffeine and are not good for anyone. These beverages can zap your energy levels to the point that you can feel like you're sick or something is wrong with you health wise. Many individuals can even become addicted to these beverages.
Water not only makes you feel great, but it's a natural appetite suppressant. Try drinking 8ozs of water 15 to 30 minutes before you eat your main meals and you'll notice that you don't want to eat as much or need a second serving.
6. Daily Entries in Your 60-Day Journal Did you know that making entries in your journal helps you to lose weight? That's right; journaling is a great accountability tool. It helps you to stay focused on what's important and it helps you to get your feelings out about being overweight. When you go back and read what you have written, it helps you to create sense of commitment to yourself.
7. Take Your Daily Supplements. Most people do not get the recommended amount of daily vitamins and minerals they need from food even if they are consuming the daily recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables. Vitamins help us to maintain a healthy cellular structure, which helps your cells to function properly.
An article, published in 2002 by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) stated that, "Pending strong evidence of effectiveness from randomized trials, it appears prudent for all adults to take vitamin supplements." Source: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/287/23/3127
Preparing Yourself & Your Kitchen to Lose Weight