Quick tips to establish a healthy weight-loss journey

If you’re looking to shed a few pounds, you might start searching social media for the latest crash or fad diets. These trendy offerings may help people lose 15-20 pounds fast, but they often gain them right back – and they don’t improve their health or quality of life. In some cases, people gain back more than they lost.

As a nutritional therapy practitioner, I partner with people on their journey to better health. Here are a few quick tips if you’re hoping to lose weight and actually keep it off. 

Identify your ‘why’

More often than not, people are seeking to lose weight for a more specific reason than simply seeing a lower number on the scale.  

A common reason is they desire to spend more time playing with or simply keeping up with their children or grandkids. Picking a goal that isn’t likely to change is important because that helps you stick to changes in your habits, which is essential to long-term weight loss. 

If you can’t identify a “why,” it might be harder to find motivation to take action toward a weight-loss journey.

Find trusted partners

Partnering with anyone – a friend or family member – is a must if you truly desire to lose weight.

Having people in your corner can help motivate you during your journey and provide support if you run into any bumps.

Consult a medical provider

Seeking help from a medical provider can also be beneficial. We’ll be on your side and willing to talk through your wins or fails. We can answer your questions. We can keep you motivated. 

We want you to focus on maintaining your lean muscle mass as you lose weight. We can help you set up a plan that works for you and your lifestyle. We don’t want you to lose weight if it’s not healthy weight loss. 

Discover info that’s safe

There’s so much information available that it can cause you to get lost. You might start to think that you’re not able to make any changes because you don’t know what to do.

It’s also important to make sure the information you’re reading is safe. A lot of times, people on weight loss journeys are on multiple medications, either for diabetes or blood pressure. You need a strategic plan to make sure you don’t make drastic changes that could negatively impact on your health.

If you’re not sure about something, reach out to your trusted partner to help you make informed decisions. As a nutritional coach, I’ve waded through a lot of information to help my patients come up with the best course of action. 

Start with small changes

One of the best ways to lose weight and keep it off is by making changes that you can stick to.

I like to tell people to start with small changes because that gets the ball rolling. If you can make one change, you can likely make two. If you try multiple things all at the same time, you probably can’t maintain that. You might get frustrated and stop doing anything.

Limit sugar and convenience foods, and eat ‘real’ food instead

One of the first things I tell people to start thinking about regarding their eating habits is limiting the amount of sugar and convenience or ultra-processed foods they’re consuming. 

I like to ensure that people are incorporating “real” foods – fruits, vegetables and protein – that are one ingredient and usually don’t come in packages. And sometimes that shift is enough for people to start seeing results.

It’s less about cutting out certain food groups and more about making good choices – real foods and packages in which you can identify all the ingredients and could make on your own. It’s a lot easier to overeat convenience or ultra-processed foods compared to real foods.   

Try exercise snacks

One thing I discovered and try to talk about more is “exercise snacks.” This involves completing small exercise sessions throughout the day, such as a 10-minute walk after each meal. For me, I like to eat lunch and then make the 10-minute roundtrip walk to the hospital for crushed ice. 

Finding a route that will take you about 10 minutes to complete could help kick-start your routine of getting three or more walks each day.

The tips above aren’t an exhaustive list, but they’re a good starting point for anyone looking to lose weight. And if you still don’t know where to start or seem overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to reach out to your primary care provider.