Checklist for Weight loss
Getting started with your weight loss journey? Here are some tips and tricks on getting started and keeping strong with it
Tracking current habits
Track your steps, this will give you a rough estimate of how active you are day to day. Just track; don't try to make changes. Track for a week.
Can you keep track of your food intake? How many meals do you have in a day? Do you skip any? Can you provide a rough estimate of what and how much you eat? Just record this information for now without making any changes.
Track how much water you intake, again… just observe. No need to make changes.
Working out
Before beginning resistance training, ensure that your joints have adequate mobility and stability to prevent future injuries. This will also be beneficial for mastering proper form and technique in more complex lifts. Determine whether working out 1, 2, or 3 times a week fits your schedule, and aim for 15 to 45 minutes per session, particularly if you were inactive before. We can gradually build on your progress.
After ensuring mobility and stability, focus on improving the form and techniques of the main exercises like squat, hinge, lunge, row, press, and carry.
To achieve our ultimate goal of weight loss, it's important to change our workout program every 3-5 weeks, focusing on smaller goals along the way. It's crucial to preserve our muscle mass while losing fat because muscles help us maintain weight loss and keep our metabolism high.
Reviewing data
Please review the data and let's identify areas where we can make small but impactful changes. These changes should be appropriate yet still present a challenge, and remember that no change is too small.
This data can help us decide if it's the right time to lose weight or if we need to address some issues first. We may have tried to cut calories too quickly in the past without collecting data. Likely, this isn't our first attempt at losing weight.
Currently, we are making dietary adjustments based on the data we've gathered and the changes we feel are necessary.
Fork in the road
At this point, there are two possible scenarios. We could either have a high metabolism that makes it easy to lose weight, or we may have a slow metabolism that needs to be improved before attempting to lose weight.
Progress
Please note that the following are great indicators of our progress with the workouts in the right direction: increased strength, higher energy levels, better stamina, improved mobility, better sleep, and reduced joint pain.
Please be aware that we can determine our progress towards healthier eating by observing the following factors: improved digestion, increased energy, reduced cravings, feeling more satiated, building muscle/losing body fat without a change in overall weight, and a positive trend in body fat percentage.
Show up
The most important thing is to be consistent in showing up. Achieving success requires making small changes and celebrating small victories over a long period. There are no shortcuts, and quick weight loss often results in quick weight gain.
Are you still prioritizing the fundamental tasks? Have we lost focus? If so, it's alright - we can start small and get back on track.
