Six Short Steps to Weight Loss Success (Part 1)

Earlier this week we introduced local NHS health trainer John Russell who is going to be contributing to WV11.co.uk with tips on health and fitness.

This post if the first of two this week covering John’s “Six Short Steps to Weight Loss Success” – today we’ll cover steps 1-3, with 4-6 following later in the week.

Six Short Steps to Weight Loss Success (part 1) by John Russell

Let’s face it, sometimes it’s pretty hard to motivate ourselves. We all have those days when we’re super motivated, we feel like we can do anything. We go to the gym with a spring in our step and resist that chocolate cake as if it wasn’t there. Then there are those other days where everything goes, well… wrong.

Assuming you need to lose weight, what is it that keeps us motivated? For some people it’s all about health reasons, for others it’s about being able to play with their kids or grandchildren, or looking and feeling better… everyone’s reasons are different.

Before you start, take 30 seconds now to think about what’s motivating you to lose weight.

Ready? Okay, let’s get into it.

Step One: Set Yourself a Weight Loss Goal.

It may sound silly, but most people don’t know what they want, all they know is that they don’t want what they’ve got right now!

So what do you want? To lose one stone? Two stone? More? Make it specific, realistic, achievable and time based. Below is an example of an unrealistic goal…

“I will lose three stone by next month”

If you’re losing weight, target yourself to lose 1 – 2 lbs (pounds) per week. Based on this you could expect to lose anywhere between four and eight pounds a month. This means you can realistically look to lose up to a stone every two to three months! This might not sound a lot, but if you lost 1llb a week starting from today, this time next year you’d be almost four stones lighter. It all adds up.

This means your Ideal Goal might look something like this…

“I will lose one stone by 1st November 2010” or…

“I will lose one stone in the next 60 days”

We call this goal your “Main” Goal or your “General Goal”.

Step Two: Set Yourself Mini Goals.

A “Mini Goal” is a smaller goal you use to achieve your “Main Goal”. First of all you need to know what you’re going to do, for example a mini goal might look like this.

“I will exercise at least 5 times a week”

Why not make it more specific by saying where you’re going to do it, who (if anyone) else you’re going to do it with and when you’re going do it and for how long for example:

“I will exercise for at least 30 minutes a day on at least 5 times a week by walking around the park with my colleague Karen on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday immediately after work”.

Try it with yourself and apply it to your own situations.

Step Three: Keep a Diary.

Keeping a written record of your Mini Goals and knowing how close you are to achieving your Main Goal is a great motivational tool.

A diary will also help you to keep track of how successful you’ve been in the past.

Keep your diary in a visible place, this will keep your goals in the forefront of your brain! Some common places to keep your diary include, your bag, on your notice board, or on the kitchen counter.

Check back later in the week for the next instalment and you want to make sure you don’t miss it, you can sign up for Wv11.co.uk email notifications here.