Results and Goals
Before really getting started, it is really important to have goals. Let's face it, one of the main goals people have, when changing eating habits and exercise routines, is results. We all want them! We want them NOW. This can be very dangerous. All those diet plans we see on TV that promise results fast are , for the most part...BAD. Here is WHY.
This is a safe rule of thumb...if you lose it fast, it comes back faster. Those diets do work, but they don't work in a healthy way. Ironic right? It is the same with a lot of diets out there. Cutting things like all bread products or dairy out of normal meals still gives your body the idea that you are starving yourself. Also, by getting rid of food like that, your body will not know what to do with it once it is reintroduced back into your diet. If you want to get rid of weight in a healthy, safe way, don't expect results fast!
Coming from a college kid, I do NOT want to give up unhealthy food. So I compromise. If I eat healthy when I have the choice (aka. breakfast, lunch when I'm home, snacks), I can afford some unhealthy meals here and there as well as "bad days". By keeping these unhealthy foods in my diet, but in small portions, my body can process them. As a result, I don't gain 5 pounds by eating a slice of cake :) That is the whole idea! Eating better and still enjoying it!
Here is how to gauge whether you are losing weight in a safe way. It takes (on average) 4 weeks to see any improvement! You heard me...1 month. Tough huh? It gets better. It takes another 4 weeks (8 weeks total) for close family and friends to notice any difference. And, it takes 12 weeks total for the rest of the world to see changes. If you lose weight on this timeline, it will be easier to keep it off. Seriously! You could miss a week of working out and have a couple back-to-back days of bad eating and STILL NOT SEE A BIG DIFFERENCE. It gives you some room for error, because we all have things come up in our schedules.
So, make goals, but understand how to achieve them in a healthy time frame. Maybe make one of your goals drinking 4 or 5 water bottles a day (or more). It's a small change but its doable. Maybe make another one eating a meat with every evening meal. These small changes do have an impact, but they are small and reachable. As time goes on, add more! You want to feel like you are succeeding through this lifestyle change, not always striving to finally feel good about yourself. Trust me, it's not a fun thought process.
This is a safe rule of thumb...if you lose it fast, it comes back faster. Those diets do work, but they don't work in a healthy way. Ironic right? It is the same with a lot of diets out there. Cutting things like all bread products or dairy out of normal meals still gives your body the idea that you are starving yourself. Also, by getting rid of food like that, your body will not know what to do with it once it is reintroduced back into your diet. If you want to get rid of weight in a healthy, safe way, don't expect results fast!
Coming from a college kid, I do NOT want to give up unhealthy food. So I compromise. If I eat healthy when I have the choice (aka. breakfast, lunch when I'm home, snacks), I can afford some unhealthy meals here and there as well as "bad days". By keeping these unhealthy foods in my diet, but in small portions, my body can process them. As a result, I don't gain 5 pounds by eating a slice of cake :) That is the whole idea! Eating better and still enjoying it!
Here is how to gauge whether you are losing weight in a safe way. It takes (on average) 4 weeks to see any improvement! You heard me...1 month. Tough huh? It gets better. It takes another 4 weeks (8 weeks total) for close family and friends to notice any difference. And, it takes 12 weeks total for the rest of the world to see changes. If you lose weight on this timeline, it will be easier to keep it off. Seriously! You could miss a week of working out and have a couple back-to-back days of bad eating and STILL NOT SEE A BIG DIFFERENCE. It gives you some room for error, because we all have things come up in our schedules.
So, make goals, but understand how to achieve them in a healthy time frame. Maybe make one of your goals drinking 4 or 5 water bottles a day (or more). It's a small change but its doable. Maybe make another one eating a meat with every evening meal. These small changes do have an impact, but they are small and reachable. As time goes on, add more! You want to feel like you are succeeding through this lifestyle change, not always striving to finally feel good about yourself. Trust me, it's not a fun thought process.
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