New Year’s Resolutions: Healthy Weight Loss Edition

I started this New Year’s Resolutions series with a Fat Loss Edition since I thought it was most important to focus on losing fat rather than just losing weight. But in this edition we want to focus on recalibrating our way of thinking so that weight loss is imminent and simple. Get your cup of green tea and join me for a quick read…

Healthy Weight Loss: New Outlook

Put everything you’ve ever heard about weight loss behind, you should be looking at this year with a new outlook and if you take this upcoming nugget of wisdom you will multiply your efforts with weight loss forever. Forever you ask? Bold statement yes, but it is absolutely integral to the mindset of those who are most successful long term. Here it is…

Forget what you weigh on the scale and put all your thoughts towards enjoying how good you feel after exercising. This is very essential most simply because the weight scale is so inaccurate. You may actually gain weight after exercising since muscle gain is heavier than fat so the scale could be crushing your motivation and determination.

So how good do you feel after exercising? Are you getting an adrenaline rush that lasts for hours? Are you feeling relieved from the stress factors of that day? Are you getting a boost in self confidence? Ask yourself these questions every time you workout and you will begin to realize a whole new outlook with weight loss.

Now what if you don’t feel good? These are questions to keep in mind… Do you have the right workout plan for you? Have you consulted with a certified personal trainer who has lots of raving clients (Read Personal Trainer – Benefits Exposed)? Do you have a healthy eating plan? How is your sleep? Are you allowing enough time for rest and recovery from your workouts?

Now you have both sides of the story and can use these questions to evaluate your current progress. But let’s get a little more into planning ahead to really make this even more powerful…

Healthy Weight Loss: Planning Ahead

You need to plans to be successful with your healthy weight loss goals: a workout plan and a diet plan.

Workout Plan – You need a new one of these at least every 6 weeks otherwise your body will adapt to your workout and you will stop seeing progress (that is if you don’t get bored of it before that!). Check out the workouts and training section of this site for ideas on workouts and try and consult with a personal trainer at least once a month (I will also be releasing an online coaching program in the near future so stay tuned!).

Here’s a very cool tip to keep you motivated…Review your workout routine in the morning of that day. Just doing this will keep you extremely motivated and anticipating that rush you get after a workout.

Diet Plan – Ok by diet plan I don’t mean some crazy plan where you’re eating lettuce and celery all day! I mean planning ahead the night before or in the early morning for that day. Aim for 3 meals and 2 healthy but significant snacks (examples include whey protein smoothie, handful of nuts, fruit, yogurt, or two celery sticks with natural peanut butter). Alternatively you can also plan for 5 smaller meals (stopping just before your full) which is the best way to go for quick weight loss but definitely more challenging to schedule.

Now we just need one more element to keep us on track…

Healthy Weight Loss: Support System

Do you have anyone to help you keep accountability for your workout and diet plans? This is key especially if you have problems with motivation and are yo-yo-ing with your weight loss all the time. Have a personal trainer, spouse, relative, or friend to ask you about your progress once a week or at least once a month. Make sure this person is positive and encouraging yet persistent to help you stay on track.

Healthy Weight Loss Supplements:

What about healthy supplements that will help you with your weight loss efforts. Here is my true advice that I have given even to my mom and dad about healthy supplements.

  • Whey protein powder is the gold standard because it helps you keep full and provides your body with essential amino acids that help your muscles with growth and recovery. Read which whey protein is right for you in my article on Whey Protein Isolate vs Whey Protein Concentrate.
  • Green Tea is another very healthy supplement to your diet because it is zero calorie and boosts your metabolism to burn more calories all the while providing antioxidants which helps protect our body from harmful additives in our food. Check out my article on Green Tea Top Secret Weight Loss Drink.
  • Omega 3 – an essential fatty acid found in fish, flaxseed & other seafood and has been shown to activate enzymes which increase your body’s metabolic rate. The supplement is recommended because most fish (especially farmed) are found to have high levels of toxic contaminants which can accumulate in your body over time. Read more in my article on Omega 3 Benefits.
  • CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) is another naturally occurring free fatty acid that is found in dairy products and meat and has been show to increase muscle mass while at the same time reduce body fat. We can get it concentrated in a gel cap so it’s easy to take on a daily basis with basically no side effects. Read my article on CLA Secret Fat Loss Formula.

What are your Weight Loss New Year’s Resolutions? Leave a comment below…