Losing weight in the new year. What should I be doing?

Last week, we talked about how to stick with your fitness goals in the new year. This week, we’re going to take a closer look at how to approach one of the most common New Year's Resolutions: losing weight.

There are a ton of reasons why people choose to lose weight—from living a healthier lifestyle to fitting back into those pre-lockdown pants. Keeping these reasons in mind can be a huge motivator as you move through the weight loss process, especially when they come from a place of love and respect for your body!

Step 1: Get a Plan
It’s important to have a clear view of how you will accomplish your goal. How many calories do you burn now? How quickly should you lose weight? How, when, and where are you going to raise your heartrate for at least 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week? There are tons of resources online to answer these questions and plan your journey, including some tips on this blog! If you’re still not sure where to start, we’re here to help!

 And remember – strength training is the best way to increase and maintain your lean muscle mass as you pursue your weight-loss journey.  Your goal should always be to lose body fat while maintaining the lean mass you’ve built over the years.  Muscle mass keeps your body standing tall, moving strong, and looking toned and lean as you drop the pounds.

 Step 2: Get a Sound Nutrition Plan
Weight loss is about calories in (what you eat) vs. calories out (what you burn to operate and move your body). When it comes to shedding pounds, most people have to address the calories-in side of the equation to be successful. Look for a nutrition plan from a nutrition coach or dietician that accounts for calories, macronutrients, and micronutrients to lose weight and support a healthier, more active lifestyle.

 Remember – protein is the most important macro we can consume.  Protein helps us feel satiated throughout the day, it helps us recover from our workouts, and it helps reduce those dangerous cravings late at night (and throughout the day, as well!).  Try to get .8g of protein per pound of bodyweight in order to maintain muscle mass as you lose bodyfat.  If you are always hungry and tempted to eat “cheap calories” – calories coming from overly processed snack foods that don’t add much nutritional value – focus on eating more whole foods and protein first!

Step 3: Stick to the Plan
Find the motivation that works for you, and stick to it! It can take time to see results. Build in accountability through a personal trainer, friend group, online community, or tracking app to see you through, and check out our previous post for more tips and tricks.

Step 4: Understand that Setbacks Happen
Sometimes old friends come to visit and you splurge on a meal of all your favorite college-dorm snacks. Sometimes natural variation in water retention makes the scale move up one day when it had been headed down. Don’t get discouraged. Get back to the plan, and remind yourself of why you’re on this weight loss journey in the first place. 

 The process seems simple when it’s written, but putting it into practice can be hard. It does get easier, though! Following a plan means you don’t have to always be putting in energy to decide “should I work out today?” or “should I have a healthy dinner today?” With time and consistency, you may find you’re a person who just works out and eats healthy. 

And remember — weight training is an integral part of any smart weight loss plan! If you are training to build muscle and lose weight in the gym (by doing resistance training), the scale will not tell the entire story. Muscle is far more dense than body fat! Focus more on how you feel, how your clothes fit, and measurements from a tape measure rather than a number on the scale. Scales can be a misleading indicator of your weight loss and body composition progress.

 If you need help to get started or keep going, a personal trainer can provide targeted support.  Sustained weight loss is an ongoing lifestyle change, and it’s one that can leave you eating better, moving more, and feeling more energized in 2023 and beyond!