Losing weight can be a challenging and frustrating process. If you’ve tried numerous diets and still haven’t found a way to lose weight and keep it off you’re not alone. The weight loss industry is flooded with so many different methods of losing weight. Some are sustainable while others offer a quick solution to your weight loss goals and then you gain the weight back.
As a health coach, I teach a method that’s sustainable for everyone if you’re willing to be patient throughout the process. Behavior change is the key ingredient to creating a recipe for sustainable weight loss and weight maintenance. Here are my top three tips to get your weight loss journey off to a successful start.
Create Your Why
This is the most important step to take when starting your weight loss journey (or any new journey for that matter). Your Why (yes capital-W) is the one thing that’s going to drive you to keep going when you don’t feel like it. When I work with clients (health coaching or personal training) either one-on-one or in a group setting this is one of the first exercises I have them complete. Why is now the time for you to lose weight? Have you been diagnosed with a preventable disease? By the way, many diseases are preventable through lifestyle habits. Are you a grandparent for the first time and you want to live long enough to see your grandkids grow up? Or are you simply sick and tired of being sick and tired? Whatever the reason is it has to be emotional enough for you to be willing to do the work to change your habits.
Decide Where You Want To Start
Do you feel overwhelmed by the number of lifestyle habits you want to change? I can totally relate and so can many of my current and prior clients. Where do you begin? Start by making a list of all the lifestyle habits you want to change. Take 10 minutes to write them all down no matter how big or small you think they are. It’s ok if your list isn’t complete. You can always add to your list as you think of more habits you want to change.
After you have your list written out, review your list and choose one habit that you feel will be the easiest one to change at this time. For example, if you want to eat more vegetables and you enjoy eating salads, commit to eating a salad with healthy protein and fats for lunch four days a week. Do this for one week and then reevaluate. Did you eat a salad for at least for lunch at least four days this last week? If not, decrease the number of days per week for the next one. If you did, keep your commitment going for the next week.
Join A Group Weight Loss Program
People who join a weight loss group are more likely to lose weight and keep it off as compared to people who are not part of a group. As a health coach, I’ve seen first hand how powerful participating in group coaching can be. Not only do you receive guidance and education from a behavior change expert but you also receive an invaluable amount of support and accountability from others who are on a similar journey as you. If you’re having challenges in one are it’s likely someone else in the group is having similar challenges. Being in a group environment is an excellent opportunity to learn from each other.
If you’re not sure if a group setting is a good fit for you I encourage you to join our 21 Day Whole Food Reset program starting January 6, 2020. For a low investment, you’ll receive three group coaching sessions, a private Facebook group, and a healthy lifestyle tip sent right to your inbox every day for 21 days. Everyone who signs up and completes the 21 Day Whole Food Reset will receive a $50 gift certificate to use towards any of our programs including our online self-paced program, one-on-one health coaching, or one-one-one personal training.
This is a great way to dip your toes in the water with group coaching rather than jumping all the way in feet first. If you’re not sure if our program is a good fit for you, I’m happy to hop on a call with you to chat. Just email me at melissa@honeybee.kitchen to schedule a time.