We’re about two weeks into our New Year’s Resolutions, and now is the time where we start getting impatient. You work your tail off at the gym for 30 minutes to an hour every day and you aren’t seeing immediate results. We’ve been exactly where you are. Or maybe you ARE seeing results and are stoked! But how many times in the past have you lost weight quickly, only to put it back on once you stop your vigorous and un-sustainable work-out routine? Too many to count, right? Well, we’ve been there too. The truth of the matter is that in order to create sustainable weight loss, meaning you lose weight at a steady and healthy rate and are more likely to keep the weight off once you lose it, you have to be patient! Though it may not be completely satisfying on a psychological level, the healthiest rate at which to lose weight is to lose about .5 to 1 percent of your body weight per week. So this means that if you’re 200 lbs, you should be losing about 1 to 2 lbs per week consistently. Over time, this amounts to huge weight loss! If you want to lose weight and keep it off, this is the best way to do it. To help you even more, here are some tips to maximize your potential and help you reach your goals! Keep your expectations in check The biggest reason people stop trying to reach their goals is because they don’t have realistic expectations. If you want to lose 20 lbs in a month it’s probably not going to happen, but if that is your expectation and you don’t see those results you’ll likely quit before you will reach them! When setting your goals make sure they follow the S.M.A.R.T acronym: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound (with emphasis on the realistic part)! Get up and move Even if a work day consists of a lot of tasks and you get a lot done intellectually, a lot of busy professionals sit at their desk for the majority of their time at the office. This causes your body’s metabolism to slow down! A simple trick to burn more calories and lose more weight is to get up and move: Take a ten minute walk a few times a day, or when your phone rings pace your office! Use your lunch break to take a walk or get some exercise in. If you have to, set a timer throughout the day to remind you to move at least once an hour. Get better sleep While there have been numerous studies done that show individuals lose more weight when they sleep well consistently, a simple explanation is that the better you sleep, the less tired you are, the more likely you are to have the energy to exercise, and the less likely you feel like you need to eat to boost your energy! So sleep! You’ll feel better and have an easier time losing weight! Clean up your diet Nutrition is the Yin to Exercise’s Yang, and you can’t have weight loss simply from exercising and changing your nutrition. What you eat and how much you eat matters, so start by eating less processed food and make sure you are getting all the nutrients your body needs. The best way to find that out is to go to a registered dietitian or health coach, like the ones at CNU Fit, and get the knowledge base you need to make healthy choices. Drink water Sometimes when you’re hungry you’re simply thirsty! Drinking more water helps you feel satiated and helps you fight off dehydration. We know what you must be thinking “Well, I don’t want to gain water weight!” but the reality is drinking water will not increase your water weight. Water retention is based on your diet. If you eat a lot of salty, sugary, or carb-filled foods your body reacts by soaking up and retaining water. In fact, eating one gram of carbohydrates causes your body to retain 3-4 grams of water! So drink up! We hope these tips bring you one step closer to reaching your New Year’s Resolution goals, but make sure to stay tuned every week for more tips and tricks on how to lose weight, fit your clothes better, increase your confidence and boost your energy.
