Making the Most out of Weight Loss

Counting calories, dieting, exercise. I don't know about you, but all of these things seem to take a lot of time and effort that I don't always want to put in. At least, that's what I thought for the past two years.

The reality? It might take some time and effort, but it's worth it! Yes, losing weight takes planning and effort, but it pays off in the end with feeling great and seeing the results.

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Healthy weight loss takes time. Some things you should keep in mind...

1. Figure out your BMR (basal metabolic rate). This is how many calories your body burns a day by just living (if you were to stay in bed all day).
2. Know how many calories is in a pound. The answer...3,500.
3. In order to lose weight, you need to have a deficit in calories. Example: if you want to loose 1 pound a week, you should average a deficit of 500 calories per day.
4. Track your calories! Know how many calories you're taking in and if you can, figure out how many calories you are burning each day.
5. Read labels and measure your portion sizes. This is so important. If you are inaccurate, you will not be seeing the results you were hoping for.
6. You need to eat to lose weight! It's not good to starve your body and you will end up in starvation mode, making it difficult to lose weight.
7. Be active! If you can't go to a gym, that's ok. There are so many other ways to burn calories and you need to get moving.
8. It takes determination. There will be days where you don't want to work out. Make a schedule and stick to it.
9. Realize that it takes time. Weight doesn't pile on in a day and it won't come off in a day.
10. Exercise can become addictive! For me, the first three weeks are the hardest. Last week (Week 4) was much easier and this week (Week 5), I have so much energy and really look forward to moving and working out!



 And this is for the tough days...

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