For some of us, losing those "last 5 pounds" is a struggle. For others, it's about starting at "day 1" of our weight loss journey. If you're looking to lose 20 or more pounds, the road may seem daunting. Thankfully, there are 7 key steps that you can take in order to put yourself on the path of success. Here are our best tips to help you lose all of that weight. Good luck, chicas!
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Image via Paola Kizette Cimenti/flickr
It's important to have a longterm plan when you start.
When setting about any kind of change, you have to commit to it. Beyond that, with a 20 pound or more weight loss you also have to understand that this is a life change and not just a temporary solution.
Begin your weight loss by focusing on the big stuff.
Before you can run, you have to learn to crawl. The same can be applied to weight loss. Start by making small changes to your diet. For example, eating a healthy breakfast, cutting back on soda, and having more veggies.
Don't obsess about the scale.
Yes, it's an important indicator of where you start and where you want to end up, but losing 1-2 pounds a week is normal. However, it's easy to get discouraged if you're just not seeing the numbers go down the way you'd like them to. Instead, focus on other healthy lifestyle indicators such as your pants fitting looser.
Slowly start to incorporate small and healthy habits into your life.
As much as the big stuff is important, don't forget about all of the little things you can do to help you lose weight. That means using the stairs instead of the escalator, getting a standing desk at work, and parking farther from the store so that you can walk a little more. The small, healthy habits will add up in no time too.
As you lose more and more weight, slowly cut calories from your diet.
If you're losing weight, you alreay know that you're cutting calories. But you can't really keep going with your original weight loss plan, because soon enough you'll plateau. The thing to keep in mind is, as you lose more and more weight, you'll need less and less calories. Cut 500 calories when you start out, then go for another 200 every few months if you are seeing big results.
Cardio's great but don't forget the importance of strength training too.
As you lose weight, you also tend to lose muscle mass, which is horrible, because muscle is responsible for keeping your metabolism up. In order to keep up your goals, you need to step up the strength training. Aim to hit the gym 3-5 times a week for optimal results.
In the end, it's important to learn to love your body too.
It might sound contradictory because the reason you're losing weight might have something to do with the fact that you're not totally in love with your body right now, but research shows that having confidence in yourself actually helps you to stay motivated. Learn to love yourself…
