Are you feeling frustrated when it comes to your weight? You’re not alone. Studies show that a majority of people struggle to shed pounds and keep them off for more than a short period of time. The good news is that there are some simple things you can do to make the process a little bit easier and achieve a successful weight loss journey.

When trying to lose weight, it’s important to be realistic about what you can achieve in a short period of time. Losing weight is about breaking bad habits and replacing them with healthy ones. It’s not about starving yourself or working out for hours a day – although a caloric deficit and exercise both play an important role. It’s about making gradual changes over an extended period of time. That said, if you want to have a successful weight loss journey, there are tips that you can follow.

Tips for a Successful Weight Loss Journey

What is the difference between someone who has a successful weight loss journey, and someone who doesn’t? It’s not genes or rocket science. It’s simpler than that – in fact, that’s often the point.

Pick One, Simple Goal at a Time

We’re often so excited to get started on a new plan or program that we envision a complete life overhaul – a 360 from what we currently do or don’t do to the “perfect” new routine. Unfortunately, that strategy often leads to overwhelm, frustration and eventual surrender to old habits.

The key to success is to take it one step at a time. Pick one, simple goal and focus on achieving consistency like nothing else matters.

Move More

If you workout, great! Keep working out. But that workout – even if it’s an hour long and you do it 7 days a week – is only 4% of your week. Compared to the numbers of hours you spend outside of the gym, that’s just not enough movement on it’s own.

Take the stairs. Go for a ten minute walk at lunch time. Clean. Play. Garden. Shovel snow. All of these activities require movement and movement requires calories. Over time, they add up to make a real difference.

Build Every Meal Around Protein and Plants

Protein provides you with amino acids – the building blocks of muscle. It’s satiating, has a higher thermic effect than any other nutrient, and reduces appetite and cravings between meals.

Plants are packed with vitamins, minerals, water and fiber. They’re nutrient powerhouses packed into (typically) low calorie servings. When you’re eating at a caloric deficit – which you need to do for a successful weight loss journey – plants add bulk to your meals which is super satisfying visually and physiologically.

Build every meal around these two nutrients: protein and plants, and you’re almost forcing a healthy diet. There’s not much room left (on your plate or in your belly), for extra!

Create an Environment that Supports Your Efforts

Nothing creates change faster than a change in environment. Think about it…

If there’s ice cream in the freezer there’s a chance you’ll eat it. If it’s not in the freezer, there’s no chance you’ll eat it.

When you have easier access to the TV than you do to the dumbbells, you’re far more likely to watch the TV. Get a set of dumbbells and make them really easy to get to.

If you don’t have a water bottle, how are you going to drink enough water? Buy a water bottle.

Create an environment that supports success at every turn!

Strength Train Minimum Two Times per Week

When the goal is effective, long-term weight loss success, strength training is non-negotiable. Strength training builds muscle. Muscle boosts your metabolism, improves overall strength and reduces your risk of injury. The more lean muscle that you have in comparison to fat mass, the better off you are on every level.

If you’ve only got two days to strength train, total body workouts are the way to go. Make sure to include compound lifts that work multiple muscle groups at once: squats, deadlifts, rows, presses, pull ups, lunges.

But if you can sneak in 1 or 2 more days, check out the articles and splits below to reap the biggest benefits from your efforts:

>> The Best 3-Days a Week Strength Training Routines

>> The Best 4-Days a Week Strength Training Routines

Mix Up Your Cardio Routine

Contrary to popular belief cardio is not the best workout style for weight loss. That said, it’s still great for overall health and mood. Your best bet is to mix it up.

When it comes to weight loss goals, intervals are going to be a good option to include 1-3 times a week. Keep them short and intense: alternate between pushes of all out effort followed by lower intensity recovery/rest periods to build cardiovascular fitness and maximize hormonal response.

Lower-to-moderate intensity, steady state cardio is best used for active recovery purposes. If possible, take these workouts outside so that you can soak up some vitamin sun and de-stress in nature while you’re at it.

Get Some Sleep

And by some I mean 7-8 hours minimum, every night. Sleep is critical to your bodies ability to- and efficiency at- burning fat. A lack of sleep (even a single night), disrupts hunger hormones and stress hormones. That one-two punch means that not only are you physiologically more likely to choose higher-fat, higher-sugar foods, your body is physiologically wired to not burn those calories you want to burn.

Reset Your Expectations

Weight loss is not a linear process. The scale will go down. It will go up. It will fluctuate. That movement doesn’t automatically mean you’ve done something wrong. It’s not a cause for concern and it’s DEFINITELY not a reason to quit. In fact, that kind of fluctuation is completely normal.

This is why we need other methods to show progress: photos, measurements, consistency tracking, how your clothes fit. Keep in mind that as you strength train, you lose fat AND you add muscle mass and bone mass. There’s nothing happier on a successful weight loss journey than that as an outcome!

…as you strength train, you lose fat AND you add muscle mass and bone mass

Find a Reason to Keep Going Than is More Important Than Your Excuses to Stop

Most people rely on the excitement of a new program to propel us forward. But eventually, when the results don’t come quite as fast as the excitement runs out, we turn to willpower. Willpower does not come in limitless portions. Things like stress, deadlines, travel, holidays, and that time of the month can quickly drain the willpower well. Not your fault, just fact.

Find a deeper reason.

Read that again.

Find a deeper reason to commit and keep going than a number on the scale, or a pant size. Those often aren’t enough (time’s proven that), to get through the tougher/busier times. Dig a bit. Forget about what you want to look like…how is this going to change your life?

Find an Accountability Partner

Accountability: taking responsibility for your actions and non-actions, for what you choose to eat or not eat. Finding ways to increase accountability:

• increases motivation
• improves your chances of hitting your weight loss goals
• boosts confidence

As a fitness coach, I consider one of my most important jobs to be helping my clients stay accountable. My clients KNOW that I’m essentially over here twittling my thumbs, waiting for them to complete the days workout and check off their focuses. If they don’t, they know I’ll be in their inbox seeing what’s up. There’s accountability there AND support. It works both ways.

Stop Stopping

You have big reasons to be here. Stopping is no longer an option.

That’s it. That’s the mindset. Nothing more to say!