How do I start a weight loss plan?
I get a lot of messages about WHERE to START. I want to share my basics for getting started with a weight loss plan.
Learn what works best for you
You will have to figure out what works best for you. I’m not a medical professional and don’t pretend to be an expert, but I have found some personal success and wanted to share some basic concepts and what has worked for me.
Let me begin by saying, that when it comes to weight loss it’s different strokes for different folks. Meaning it can’t be a one size fits all approach, but there is one reason every weight loss program and concept work. They work when your body is in a calorie deficit, you must be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. A calorie deficit occurs when the number of calories a person consumes in a day is smaller than the number of calories they burn. Not all bodies burn calories in the same way. I’m sure you’ve heard the term metabolism. Metabolism refers to the way that your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. If you’d like tips to improve your metabolism read this LINK
Do this first
Figure out your TDEE. TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. This is a basic formula that will give you an idea of how many calories a day your body burns, which will in turn tell you how many calories you should consume to be in a calorie deficit. Use a TDEE calculator, it will ask you questions such as age, height, and activity level to determine a suggested calorie range. This range will tell you how many calories you need to consume to maintain your current weight and then you will subtract between 250-400 calories to be in a deficit.
I like this TDEE calculator– I’ve linked it here.
PLEASE, I beg you. Do not be tempted to cut your calories to an extremely low number. Most experts suggest that 1200 calories a day is the lowest you should consume in a day. 1200 personally is too few for me, I move and burn calories, my daily calorie goal is around 1500 calories.
If you’re like me the idea of counting calories is not realistic for my whole life. It feels very restrictive, and I’m generally not the biggest fan. I really do suggest you do the calculation and count for a couple of weeks to get the idea of portions of foods you enjoy, for awareness. For my everyday eating, I am aware of portions and calories, but choose to follow the balanced plate method. The Balanced Plate Method works well for me, especially when consume enough protein and focus on eating lots of fruits and vegetables.
Plan, Plan, Plan
Plan 3 meals a day, plus a small snack or two. Write them down the night before. Set yourself up for success by having simple meals. I have favorite meals that I eat on repeat. Remember you don’t have to eat everything that you have planned, only eat when you are hungry, but have a PLAN. Having guidelines in place is one of the basics for getting started with a weight loss plan.
Failure to plan is a plan to fail. Once you know how many calories you should consume keep it simple. You don’t have to be a gourmet cook. You don’t have to give up your favorite foods, most of the time I just substitute for a healthier option. When I feel like eating pizza, most of the time I will eat a healthy version. Such as this LINK. Occasionally, I will eat traditional pizza and watch my portion. Let me reemphasize this point, you don’t have to give up your favorite foods.
You need to include your favorite foods in your plans, but just in a reasonable portion. If you give up your favorite foods, your plan will not be sustainable, and you will fail. You need to choose something that will work for long term. YES, long term. Your mindset needs to be that this is your new lifestyle, so it can’t feel super restrictive.
I rotate between 4-5 different breakfasts. I’ll share some simple favorite breakfast ideas here LINK.
Don’t eat a snack to just include it in your day. I wrote an article about how I decide when to snack and how they can help with your weight loss. Read the post.
Here are some of my favorite snacks LINK
Only eat when you are hungry and stop eating when you are full
That is a statement that is easy to say, but harder to master. Mastering this concept will take time, so be patient with yourself.
Before you begin to eat, ask yourself, am I really hungry? Your body is designed to ask for food when it needs it. Part of the challenge is learning when you are truly hungry versus eating for emotional reasons. Lots of times we choose to eat out of boredom, stress, or another emotion.
Am I hungry enough to eat an apple? When you are hungry you will eat an apple. Eating an apple is usually about physical hunger vs satisfying a craving.
When you feel like you are hungry, drinking some water and then begin eating. Take a reasonable portion, part way through your meal, pause and ask yourself if you’re still hungry? Part of mastering this concept is being brave enough to leave food on your plate if you are full. When I say full, I’m not talking about eating until you are comfortably stuffed, but until you feel like you have satisfied your physical hunger. Practice this concept of eating only when hungry and stopping when you’ve had enough.
Make small changes to your lifestyle
You don’t need to change everything at once. Begin by making small changes.
Start adding in more fruits and veggies into your meals.
Find simple meals that you enjoy and eat them on repeat. Planning is key because you don’t want to have it be dinnertime and have nothing planned to eat and then begin grazing on whatever is easily available. Here is a meal planning worksheet and grocery shopping guide that works for me LINK
If you normally eat pizza every night, try reducing your portion and adding a piece of fruit or some raw veggies to your meal. I don’t want you to totally freak out because you make a complete change to your lifestyle.
For me I rotate between 4-5 different breakfasts. I’ll share some simple favorite breakfast ideas here LINK.
Healthy eating begins at the grocery store
Your cart reflects your plate. This means that whatever food you purchase you’re likely to consume. (duh, I know) Give me a minute and really think about that statement.
The important first choice you are making is what you purchase at the store. Load your cart with easy to prepare protein, fruits, veggies, and healthy fat.
Make a plan that is sustainable
I use the 80/20 rule, read about the benefits of this way of eating in this post. The 80/20 rule allows me to regularly eat my favorite foods.
Accept the fact that you need to choose something that will work for you long term. That’s why I don’t look at the way that I eat as a “diet”, it is a healthy eating plan. It isn’t a short term change, because a short term change will only yield short term results.
How to succeed long term
View the changes as long term:
To be successful you need to make long-term changes to your eating habits and physical activity level, changes that you can live with for the rest of your life. I have also learned that combining a healthier diet with more activity has improved my overall health and made me feel better. I have accepted the idea that I will have to work vigilantly to keep the weight off that I have lost.
Use the principle of volume eating:
Diets that leave you feeling deprived or hungry can cause you to give up. Therefore, I focus on volume eating. Which means I choose food that I can eat a lot of, so I don’t feel hungry. Yes, this is mostly fruits and veggies, and I always make sure that I include protein, even with my snacks. I share ideas about volume eating in this article.
Not all calories are created equal
A calorie is a calorie from a thermodynamic standpoint, but when it comes to how you use them not all calories are created equal. In this article by Mississippi State University a dietician explains how your body uses different foods in different ways. This article explains it very well.
Here’s some tips:
- Make protein a priority
I make protein a priority in my diet, because consuming protein helps make me feel full for longer and more satisfied. Eating protein with carbs also help keep my blood sugar stabilized, meaning no high insulin spikes and drops.
- Low glycemic index foods
I also try to eat carbs that are lower on the glycemic index. The glycemic index measures how quickly a carbohydrate will turn to sugar in your blood stream. Food with lower glycemic index take longer to turn to sugar.
- Don’t eat empty calories
That means food with no nutritional value, yes, I’m talking about junk food, chips and candy.
- More fruits and veggies
- Less processed food
- Drink mostly water, and occasional low-calorie drink as a “treat”
If you are feeling overwhelmed don’t worry. It is a lot to take in at the beginning. But making small changes often can help with the basics for getting started with a weight loss plan.
