Those of us who have taken on the resolution to get fit this year are still filled with motivation and hoping that this year we will get fit and stay fit permanently.
The question is not just "how to lose weight?" but "how to lose weight and keep it off?" One of the major hurdles is having some early success with our weight loss.
A little success inspires you to keep going.
The problem happens if you don't see results immediately.
That can happen for a variety of reasons.
If your fitness routine isn't effective you've already set yourself up to fail.
You need a comprehensive system with a good exercise plan and a well-rounded nutrition plan.
Unfortunately, there is a sizeable portion of the fitness industry that sells promises of instant fitness which are terribly unrealistic.
If someone is telling you a specific piece of equipment is the answer to all your prayers, you are likely being oversold.
If someone is telling you about a diet where you can eat plenty of bad foods and still lose weight, again it very likely just isn't going to work.
An effective plan involves regular, challenging workouts and a diet which avoids too many highly processed foods and sugars.
If you are not really following a good diet you may be sabotaging all your efforts.
What I mean by that is you must keep a diet journal of what you eat because we all cheat on our diets.
The question is how much? We all have cheat meals and snacks, but you should be aware that it is fairly common to underestimate just how much bad food you eat in a week unless you are keeping track.
You may think you are eating well while in reality you are eating far too much sugary and greasy food every week.
A diet journal will keep you honest and allow you to see where you are falling off track.
Sometimes when you are making a drastic change to your diet and exercise it can take your body a little bit of time to react.
The body for a variety of reasons will sometimes be reluctant to starting letting go of the fat at first.
Don't be discouraged.
Keep doing all the right things and after a month if your body still isn't showing results, then it is likely one of the above reasons that you are not losing weight.
The key is not to be discouraged!!! If you don't see results after 6 weeks it is time to evaluate and adjust your plan.
The fact is this is what all fitness buffs do.
Set short term goals, track your diet and your exercise, then check your results every 6 weeks.
If you hit your results keep doing what you're doing until it stops working (the body will eventually adapt to any exercise routine and you'll have to change it to challenge your body).
If you didn't hit your goals then your goals may have been unrealistic, or you just weren't doing all the right things.
Make adjustments to your exercise regimen and meal plan and re-evaluate in 6 weeks time.
Always remind yourself that you can achieve your goals.
Positive reinforcement is essential.
Keep adjusting and moving ahead.
If you follow a good diet and exercise regularly you will get fit.
Just keep working at it.
You will find the right recipe for success.
Never giving up on yourself is how to lose weight and keep it off!