Weight Loss For Abs

There are few things as gratifying as reaching a weight loss goal…and few things more frustrating than trying to lose weight! Make sure that you have credible information when it comes to weight loss for abs, as there are numerous myths and misconceptions about the best ways to lose weight and keep it off.

Many of us set impossible goals, such as reaching the weight we were twenty years ago in just a month or two. When we fail to reach these impossible goals, we become discouraged and give up our efforts. Do not fall into this trap! Setting goals is imperative, as they give you benchmarks by which to measure your progress, but make sure that your goals are ones that you will be able to realistically reach with hard work. You probably have a larger weight loss goal, but break that goal up into all the smaller steps that you’ll need to take to reach it. Rather than weighing yourself every day, have a weekly weigh in, and record your progress.

Your body needs a certain amount of fats, carbohydrates, and sugars to survive. But chances are pretty good that you are consuming these in far greater quantities than you need! Many of us really don’t have an accurate idea of what our typical diet is truly like. Before you can even begin to figure out how to change your diet to best suit your weight loss goals, you need to have a clear idea of what your typical diet is. Keep a food journal – in other words, write down every single thing that you eat every day, no matter how small. In addition to giving you a clearer picture of what you typically eat, you may find yourself eating less and making smarter food choices as a result of keeping a food journal. The simple act of recording all our meals and snacks often makes us more aware of what we’re eating, and makes us less likely to engage in mindless eating and snacking.

You would likely be amazed at all the sugar that you consume without even realizing it in the form of sodas and fruit juices. Many people have lost several pounds simply by replacing these types of beverages with water. Your bank account will thank you, as well, as soda and fruit juice can be expensive over time!

Everyone, at some time or another, will become discouraged with their weight loss efforts. This is natural, so don’t let your discouragement cause you to stop in your efforts. Remind yourself of how far you have come. In general, lasting weight loss is best achieved if you are patient and persistant, and although the quick results that fad diets typically offer can feel good, their results rarely last more than a few months. Stick with it, and you will soon see results! Remember, you are in this for the long haul.

Losing weight for abs can be challenging! The more you know about successful practices and habits of those who have lost weight, the more likely you will be to meet your own goals. With patience, dedication, and hard work, you will soon be well on your way!

How To Get In Great Shape At 55

Do you need to lose some weight at the ripe old age of 55? You will get the results you want if you adopt an efficient weight loss program. Keep reading for some useful weight loss tips.

Avoid eating more than you should. Find out how many calories you need to eat in a day. A 55 year old should eat an average of two thousand calories in a day but the recommended daily caloric intake can vary a lot in function of your age, sex, size and activities. Take your time when you eat and avoid distractions so you can stop eating when you are full. Make sure your meals include foods from the five main food groups in reasonable quantities.

Eat at home instead of going to fast food restaurants. It will be easier to control what you eat if you prepare your meals yourself. Go grocery shopping twice a week so you can always have some fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge. Avoid buying processed or canned foods and always check the labels of the foods you buy. You should easily recognize the foods that contain too much fat, sugar and preservatives.

Eliminate unhealthy foods from your diet and replace them with healthy foods you like. You should try a few new healthy foods a week and try different ways of preparing them. You could for instance try steamed vegetables if you do not enjoy raw vegetables. Spend some time cooking when you can. Prepare large quantities of a healthy dish so you can freeze smaller portions. You should be able to adapt most of your favorite dishes by replacing unhealthy ingredients with better alternatives.

Try being more active. You should get in shape quickly if you walk at least thirty minutes a dayand for someone in their 50′s this should be a cinch. Get into the habit of taking the stairs or riding your bike when you can. Do not spend long hours watching TV or spending too much time on the computer. Find a hobby that will keep you active. If you have to spend most of your day sitting at work, take frequent breaks to do a few exercises and go for a walk during your lunch break.

A good fitness program will help you get in shape. If you are overweight, you might have to lose a few pounds before you can exercise safely. Work on losing a few pounds in your midsection to make exercising easier. You should start by exercising two or three times a week for half an hour. Add a few exercises to your usual routines and try working out more frequently to make your fitness program more challenging. Work on your cardio by running, swimming or practicing a martial art once or twice a week to burn some calories. Do not exercise too frequently or you could burn the muscle mass you build.

Getting in shape is a possibility if you use the tips you just read. Develop your own weight loss program in function of the goals you want to achieve and get help from a personal trainer if you need to. I use a PT amd I am 53 years old.

50 Abs

I decided to call this guide “50 Abs” and for good reason. It will be an all encompassing guide to a lot of questions I get asked by readers here so I thought I would answer you all here instead of one-on-one emails I usually send out to questions about abs.

Here is a sample of questions that have come in just this year alone. Mind you, I have got hundreds in my file that I attempt to answer but time does not permit.

Can 49 yr old men get abs?
Can a 53 old woman have ripped abs?
How do i get ripped abs at 47?
How to get abs back at 52?
How to get abs over 60?
How to get great abs at 55?
How to get rip abs at 58 years old?
How to get tight abs over 60?

I will tell you now that I have had over 90 questions similar to these which tells me that there are many people over 50 who still desire to be lean and mean (or svelte for the females).

The reason I call this guide “50 abs” is because I am here to tell you that YES, you can get great looking abs at 50 years of age and you can do it in 50 minutes a week and I will teach you how. Very simple and no need for gyms or classes. If you have the commitment to get abs you can do this at home or at work. The 50 minutes needs to be done in 2 x 25 minute sessions. Think you could find two 25 minute periods during the week you could allocate to working towards abs that show? Of course you can. Prioritize.

Tell Me About 50 Abs

By now you will know that getting great abs is 70% diet and 30% exercise. Your first task is to strip away the layers of fat covering your abdominal area. Once you have done this, you have to exercise, or build up, the muscles in the stomach region and make them as pronounced as you want them to be. Let’s start with the eating side of things shall we. You can start by kickstarting your metabolism. Metabolism is your body’s ability to break down food into energy. Muscle stores this energy thus minimizing weight gain but as we reach fifty+ our metabolism begins to decrease roughly 7% per year in which the end result is weight gain. You have to boost that metabolism and here are 5 simple ways to up yours starting today.

50 Abs Eating

1. First of all you have to go here to get your metabolic rate (I’ll be here when you get back). This figure will tell you how many calories you burn during the day with limited or next to no exercise. As long as you eat less calories than this figure, you will lose weight. It has been scientifically proven. Oh, and don’t stress. It won’t be a number that shocks you. I promise.

2. Eat 100 calories less per day. That’s all. If you don’t know what 100 calories represents let me give you some examples.

• 1 Latte or 1 glass of soda
• Half a bag of crisps
• One small party pie

3. Eat more protein for breakfast. Try to include eggs or white fish in the morning.

4. You must eat every 3 hours. Grazing during the day is the way to go. Your body gets accustomed to being fed often so will never go into starvation mode allowing your body to continually break down food.

5. Consume 3 ice drinks per day. Drinking iced drinks forces your body to work harder to warm up thus using more energy.

In summary, you have to eat less calories than your basal metabolism figure you got from #1 above then include the other 4 tips into your everyday routine.

5 Most Powerful Yet Simple 50 Abs Exercises

So we spoke about the 5 “must do’s” in regards to eating to get 50 abs. Now I will touch on some exercises you can do at home to chisel those abs. Keep in mind that you should be doing exercises for your whole body but these ab exercises will get the ball rolling for you. With all of these movements you must pull or suck in, your abs back towards your spine. This takes practise so perservere with it. It is the muscle building component of it all.

1. Get on the floor with your knees and elbows touching the floor. Simply bring your right hand up and touch your left shoulder and vice versa. 10 reps
2. Same as above but bring your right knee to your right elbow then left knee to left elbow. As an alternative you can bring your right knee to left elbow. 10 reps
3. Turn your body to be resting on your right elbow and right knee touching the ground. Now reach up as high as you can with your left hand. Hold this for 15 seconds. Now turn onto your left side and repeat.
4. SIt on a chair and simply stand up… but DO NOT use your hands to help. 10 reps
5. Sitting on the same chair incline your torso back so it is on a 45% angle, grip the chair with your hands. Now bring your feet no more than 6 inches off the ground. Bring your right knee to your chest and back to original position then your left knee. 10 reps

Do this set of exercises three times with a 60 second rest in between. It should take you 9-10 minutes to complete and should be a part of your overall fitness plan. Remember that these are for your abs primarily so other regions of your body will need attention too.

In A Nutshell

If you are over 50 and want to get abs, you can. Eat right, do some basic exercises consistently at home and within a matter of months you could have the tight abs you have always dreamed of. Please leave your thoughts below or tell us all of your results.

Resources

Striving for Those Six-Pack Abs
6 Habits to Chisel a Solid 6-Pack
Is there a right way for women to get ripped abs

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Training and Diet Information Sheet For Great Abs

Cut and defined abdominal muscles are the ultimate sign of supreme physical fitness. The information contained in this article will allow you to develop the body of your dreams. With intelligent training, hard work, discipline and persistent effort you can have cut, six-pack abs on a buff body. It does not matter what your current physical condition is; no matter how overweight or out of shape you are, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Do not use the tired excuse of “poor genetics.” Your genes will not prevent you from having great abdominal muscles. Follow the training and diet info in the following paragraphs and you will definitely develop an impressive physique that is admired by other men and lusted after by women. Read on.

Believe in yourself. Before starting any fitness program it is absolutely critical that you get yourself into the right frame of mind. You must believe to succeed. Stay positive with yourself at all times and never give up. If you possess grit and determination along with a never say die attitude, there is nothing in the world that can stop you from reaching your goals.

You must eat a healthy diet. Without a healthy diet, you can never have six-pack abs. No matter how strong or developed your abdominal muscles are, they will be hidden under an unsightly layer of fat if you do not eat properly. Instead of eating a couple of huge meals, try to eat several smaller meals throughout the day. This will provide your body with a constant stream of nutrients and will rev up your metabolism. Concentrate on eating lots of lean protein to help build muscle. Eat chicken breasts, egg whites, turkey breasts and tuna fish. If you have difficulty eating enough high-protein foods, you can supplement your diet with high protein shakes. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies provide you with essential vitamins, nutrients, fiber and phyto-chemicals. Avoid drinking high-sugar fruit juices, soda and alcohol. Instead, drink lots of plain water. Drinking a gallon or more of water per day will keep you properly hydrated, help you from feeling hungry and assist you in your quest to get cut, six pack abs.

I found a great training table guide over at the University of Illinois which goes into detail about the correct food pyramid to follow.

Perform basic compound lifts. Concentrate on basic exercises such as squats, dead lifts, presses and pullups. All of these lifts utilize your core muscles and will help you to develop your abs, as well as your lower back. To isolate your abdominal muscles, perform crunches, reverse crunches, hanging leg raises and machine crunches. When it comes to working your abs, you must keep constant tension and execute all exercises with perfect form. Do not use momentum, use your ab muscles.

Perform aerobic exercise 3 or 4 times per week. Cardiovascular aerobic exercise will burn off excess calories. Shedding fat will enable you to see your fully developed abdominal muscles in all of their glory.

Developing six-pack ab muscles is a real achievement. You will look better than you ever imagined in your wildest dreams. If you work hard, believe in yourself and never give up, nothing is impossible!

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Getting Fit and Losing Weight Over 55

As an over 55, you probably know that working out can help you feel better, lose weight, and look younger. However, if you haven’t been that active in the past, it is hard to know where to begin. Still, you can’t let that stop you. It is important to be active and maintain a healthy weight even as you get older. As a matter of fact a resident fitness expert, Dean Anderson, from SparkPeople.com has the following to say about fitness for seniors.

We know now that the physical decline associated with aging is not simply the result of getting older. In many respects, it’s a product of becoming less active as we age. In other words, it’s not aging that forces us to take it easy, it’s taking it too easy that makes aging more debilitating than it needs to be. The human body is much better at repairing and maintaining itself when you keep it well conditioned through a program of regular physical activity, exercise, and good nutrition. This doesn’t change when you move into old age—in fact, the old adage “use it or lose it” is probably more true when you’re in your 60s and beyond than when you’re in your 40s. Slacking off on healthy habits (like regular exercise and good nutrition) is the primary factor in age-related problems like excessive muscle loss, deteriorating bone density, declines in strength and aerobic fitness, and increased difficulties with balance and flexibility.

Now, don’t get me wrong here. I’m not trying to say that a 60-year-old who starts exercising and eating well can expect to go out and win athletic competitions against the 20-something crowd. And I’m not encouraging you to jump up off the couch and start training for the Boston Marathon if you haven’t run in 30 years. Wear and tear does have its effects, and we aren’t designed to keep on going forever like the Energizer Bunny–40 may be the new 30, but 60 is never going to be the new 25.
(resource: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1202)

Seek Advice

Always speak with your doctor before you begin any type of workout routine, particularly if you have not been active in the past. You may have pre-existing conditions that prevent you from engaging in certain types of exercises, or you may simply need a reminder of which exercises are safe for your age. If your doctor does not specifically mention any activities that you need to stay away from, make sure you ask; it is as important to be aware of what you can do as it is to be aware of what you cannot do. Safety should always be a priority.

Take Baby Steps

Even if you were 20 years younger, it would be difficult to immediately jump into an exercise program and push your body to its limits. As an over 55, it is even more important to take baby steps as you get your body used to working out again. You could injure yourself if you are too ambitious, so plan to simply increase the duration or intensity of your exercises slowly over the next few months. Pay attention to the signs your body is giving you; if you feel like you are doing too much, you should probably scale back.

Feel Good After A Workout

If you feel bad during a workout, stop. If you finish a workout and you don’t feel good, you have probably gone too far. While you may feel sore the day after exercising, working out shouldn’t be painful. Call your doctor if you have any concerns with how your body is responding and particularly if you have trouble breathing or your chest hurts. There is no shame in determining that you just can’t do certain exercises.

The Habit Of Working Out

While you may start out strong, it is easy to let life get in the way of your exercise routine. The only way that you are going to make it is to get yourself into the habit of working out. Therefore, prior to starting, map out a monthly schedule. Go ahead and pencil in time for your workout routine. If you are able to stick with it for that month, you will find that it will be much easier to continue with your program. If, however, you allow yourself to deviate from your schedule and you skip workouts, you might be in trouble.

Working out and maintaining a healthy body weight is as important for over 55′s as it is for any other age group. However, over 55s do have unique concerns that often make exercising difficult. Rick Rockwell from LiveStrong.com gives four simple exercises that are certainly not difficult and causes no stress to the body. He cites that walking, elliptical, cycling and yoga are low intensity but effective forms of movement for your body

(resource: http://www.livestrong.com/article/476058-exercises-for-women-over-55/)

Take the advice in this article to heart, and move forward to creating a workout plan that will be right for you.

Selecting An Effective Weight Loss Plan

Are you overweight? If so, then you have likely tried all kinds of weight loss plans. Nowadays, you can literally turn on the television and find a new plan. However, when it comes to success with any weight loss plan, you must keep some things in mind. The below article contains some excellent advice that will assist you in selecting a plan that will get you the best possible results.

First, it’s important that you are setting yourself realistic goals. Realistic is not losing 100 pounds in 2 or 3 months. This is just too fast, and unless you are extremely obese, this cannot be achieved in a healthy manner. A better goal would be to lose 10 pounds per month. This comes out to approximately 2.31 pounds per week, which is a healthy and achievable weight loss rate. Setting a higher goal will just cause you to be disappointed in yourself whenever you fail, which will eventually cause you to quit. Worse, you may turn to extremely unhealthy methods, such as starving yourself, in order to lose the weight you want. Starvation diets do not work in the long run, and you could seriously harm your body.

Although your ultimate goal may be to lose 25 pounds, 50 pounds, or even 100 pounds, you should not neglect to set short-term, smaller goals for yourself. Set a goal every week to lose 2 pounds. If you succeed, reward yourself in some way that isn’t food. You should also set midway goals. For example, if you are wanting to lose 50 pounds in a year, set a goal to lose 25 in half a year. If you are just focused on the end goal, you can easily overwhelm yourself. Having these smaller goals will help you stay focused to the end.

Keep in mind that you cannot expect to lose all the weight you want to instantly. Although you may quickly lose a few pounds starting off, remember that most of this weight is water weight. Therefore, you will not continue losing weight this fast. It is important that you realize this fact because the truth is that your weight loss will have its ups and downs. You must be patient and dedicated to succeed. Nothing worth achieving in life comes free, including weight loss.

Finally, if your weight loss plan isn’t effective, don’t be afraid of changing it. Not every plan works for everyone. All of our bodies are different, and therefore, we require different plans. Having said this, you shouldn’t jump on a new plan immediately. Give your current plan at least 3 weeks before you make a decision because sometimes, your body may be slow to respond to weight loss. If you still aren’t losing any weight after three weeks, then make some changes.

In order to succeed at losing weight, you must utilize the best weight loss plan for your needs. Thanks to the excellent advice provided in the above article, you should now be able to select the best weight loss plan and lose the weight you have been wanting to lose.

Reach Your Ideal Weight Without A Diet

Many people resist the idea that they need to lose weight because they do not believe they can stick to a diet. Dieting can be difficult, and when people lose weight and gain it back after going off their diet, they can become discouraged. There is one sure way to reach your ideal weight without a diet, and this article tells you how.

When a person goes on a diet and loses some or all of the weight they need to shed, they usually go off their diet and think they do not need to restrict themselves anymore. The obvious result is the return of the weight they lost, and often they gain even more. This is called yo-yo dieting, and it can be a very destructive cycle. Many times this situation ends with the person being even more overweight and discouraged than when they began their diet.

While most people can lose weight by dieting, their weight loss will not be permanent unless they learn a better way to manage their calorie intake. Very few people can continue with a restrictive diet once they have reached their weight loss goal, so they regain the weight all over again. The trick is in learning how to maintain their weight loss, and that only comes with a lifestyle change.

Anyone wanting to lose weight would like to work hard at it and get it done. This is not the best way to attain permanent weight loss though. It is best to make healthy changes in the diet and lifestyle, rather than attempting to stick to a difficult diet. Many people are quite successful at losing weight just by eliminating sweets and fats from their diet, and increasing their activity level at the same time.

Most people find that when they begin eating a nutritious diet, drink adequate water and exercise at least 30 minutes each day, they will lose weight. Using this approach to weight loss will not result in fast weight loss, but a gradual loss is better anyway. Most people can lose about two pounds each week by switching from an unhealthy diet and a sedentary life to this more healthy program. Their weight loss may happen more slowly, but it will likely be permanent. This is much healthier than the yo-yo diet pattern that is so common.

The type of weight loss that occurs from lifestyle changes are much easier for the body to adjust to. The weight loss will naturally be accompanied by an increased activity level, making life more interesting and enjoyable. A stronger, more athletic body increases the desire to get out and get involved in sports or other activities, offering new opportunities for interaction with others.

Succeeding at weight loss depends greatly on how it is approached. When someone realizes that it is their very lifestyle that is causing them to be overweight, they have taken the first step in correcting the problem. A permanent change in their diet and activity level will result in permanent weight loss. Use the information in this article to find your way to a healthy weight.

Seven Habits That Can Help You Lose Weight

Your desire to shed your unwanted pounds might give you the inspiration and aspiration to dramatically overhaul your life. This kind of thinking leads to severe changes in diet and dreams of running marathons. In truth, weight can not only be lost in smaller changes, but your chances of long term success are higher if you just make a few minor actions long running habits. Keep reading for seven of them that can help you lose weight.

When you are at the gym or in a sporting goods store or department, just pick up a five or ten pound weight. Move it around gently. You are actually doing two things here. First, you are visualizing that many pounds coming off your body, as you can realize just how heavy even a mere five pounds is. Also, you can see just how easy it is to start using weights to burn fat and build muscle.

Be mindful about the levels of sugar in both coffee and sodas. The sugar content either in these beverages or added by you can really add up fast. These drinks do not fill you, nor do they provide much nutrition.

If you do any kind of high-intensity exercises, keep in mind that your appetite is going to increase. Never wait too long after exercising to snack, as your muscles need nourishment now, including protein, carbs and even some fat. If you wait until later, you are going to binge, which just wastes the effort that you put into the exercise.

Make your home and kitchen a safe zone for proper dieting. If there are foods that you know you should not really have or want, get rid of them. Stock the fridge and cabinets with only foods that will fill you up, but in healthy ways. If you live with someone else who just has to have a particular junk food, give it a space, along with a note as to who it is for, so that it is mentally off limits to you.

If you have cravings for foods that you do not want or need, find anything that distracts you. Make a call to a friend or loved one, change the music or just put some on. Clean something or weed your garden for a few minutes. Even go run an errand (as long as the errand is not to a convenience store). Cravings pass if you give them enough time.

One pertinent time that cravings might hit is mid to late afternoon. The stretch between lunch and dinner can be pretty extensive for most citizens of the western world, so be ready. Have a low-calorie but filling snack ready for this time period. A handful of nuts, yogurt and servings of fruit are all good choices.

When you do exercise, keep in mind that frequency is better for you than intensity. Getting five minutes of cardio every morning is better than going for thirty minutes one night a week. Your digestion, flexibility, circulation and immune system will all benefit.

As you can now see, you do not have to drastically alter your lifestyle in huge ways to help you lose weight. Try all seven of these habits to see which ones fill the holes in your life and leave you lighter on the scales.

Weight Loss Strategies That Work For 55yo Women

Losing weight can be challenging for a lady in her fifties, and you can set yourself up for failure without even realizing it. The most successful weight loss programs for females combine a sensible diet and exercise and avoid fads or gimmicks. The more you know about successful weight loss, the more likely you are to shed your unwanted pounds!

Your body and overall well-being will reap numerous benefits from regular exercise. People who exercise on a regular basis are at a significantly lower risk for several different types of cancers and diseases such as diabetes. If high blood pressure runs in your family, exercise is one of the best ways to combat it! People who exercise regularly additionally are less likely to struggle with depression and anxiety, so exercise has psychological benefits, as well. You will probably notice an increase in your energy level and stamina throughout the day, and you can thank running for that!

Especially when you first start running, it will likely be helpful to you to create a running schedule. Once you have been running for several weeks, you may find that you genuinely enjoy it and look forward to it, but until this happens, schedule exercise into your weekly routine. If you keep a planner, make a date with yourself to go running on certain days, and do not let yourself break this commitment. As you are first getting used to running, you may find yourself trying to talk yourself out of going for a run, but don’t give in to this temptation! Stick with it, regardless of the weather or anything else.

Ladies, it can be very easy to get stuck on the numbers on the scale. We are used to thinking of weight loss as LOSS, after all, and when we’re exercising and eating healthy, yet still weigh the same, it can feel very discouraging! What may be happening, however, is that you are gaining muscle, and this is why your weight remains the same. Focus on how your clothes are fitting and how your body is looking, rather than on your weight. If your clothes are fitting better, feel proud of that, and forget about the scale.

Set small and manageable goals for yourself and reward yourself when you meet them. But don’t let your rewards undermine your efforts! Many people will treat themselves to a brownie or other dessert, and this is counterproductive to your weight loss goals. Instead, buy new exercise clothing or a new book or something that will support your goals and efforts. Allow yourself to feel proud of what you’ve accomplished. Make sure you keep your goals listed in a place that’s easy to see, like on your fridge or posted to your bathroom mirror.

Small steps can add up to big results when it comes to weight loss for women! Set yourself up for success by making sure you approach your weight loss efforts in a sensible and dedicated way. Be patient and soon you’ll start to see progress!

Losing Weight – How Does An Over 50 Do It

Losing weight can be extremely challenging and keeping the weight off can feel impossible! If the idea of losing weight intimidates you, then keep reading. The purpose of this article is to give you an overview of tips for successful weight loss when you are in your fifties.

You absolutely owe it to yourself to be healthy. You’ll live longer, spend less time in hospitals and doctors’ offices, and have a happier outlook on life. Make a commitment to yourself to take the steps that you need to in order to get healthy. And step number one starts with losing weight! You’ll appreciate the extra energy you’ll have during the day, and well as the complements you’ll get on your appearance.

One of the first things you’ll want to do is to come up with your action plan for weight loss. This plan will be specific to you, your age and your own goals, and should include a detailed plan for how you’ll achieve your weight loss. Remember that you’re most likely to be successful if you incorporate both regular exercise and healthy eating into your plan!

You will need the support and encouragement of those around you. Let your friends, co-workers, and family members know what you’re trying to do, and enlist in their help. Consider asking one of them to be your accountability partner, or someone who will hold you accountable to your goals. Often, just knowing that we’ll be checking in with someone can be enough to motivate us when we’re tempted to slack off! Share your progress and your struggles with them.

Track your progress! There will be times during your weight loss journey when you get discouraged, and so it will be helpful to be able to remind yourself of how far you have worked and of how far you have come. Skip daily weigh-ins, as your weight fluctuates several pounds over the course of the day and you will likely drive yourself crazy. Instead, weigh yourself every week or every two weeks and record your weight in a journal. Record every time you exercise, and keep a food journal, where you write down every meal and snack you eat. Keeping a log of everything you eat will help you stay accountable to yourself and will also make you more likely to make healthier food choices.

Keep your eyes on the prize! Remind yourself regularly of your weight loss goals and of how proud of yourself you’ll be when you meet them. Picture in your mind how nice you’ll look once you shed your unwanted pounds, and how happy you’ll feel. Visualization like this can help motivate you when you’re feeling discouraged and can help you keep on going when you feel like quitting.

Creating your own plan for weight loss success will help you stay on track. The support of those around you will be instrumental, and reminding yourself of your progress will help you keep going when you get discouraged. Remind yourself of how proud you’ll be once you reach your goals!

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