Any weight loss journey can seem long, daunting, and down right difficult. What seems like a linear path ends up being more of a rollercoaster. Taking an easy route to your weight loss journey might seem fun until it isn’t anymore and then you go back to old habits. Additionally, you’ve got endless amounts of weight loss information claiming to help you lose weight virtually overnight.
One of the most popular catch phrases I see right now is “How to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks…” or some similar promise– as if we are all on the same journey. Or, we start the year with a “diet” that lasts 30 days or a few months and then you’re back to your old ways.
A weight loss journey should be just that – a journey. This isn’t something where you need to be going in an upward trend the whole time. It’s about finding what works for your body and incorporating these changes into your life so they become a part of your every day. Some of those strategies will stick, and some ultimately may not work for you. That’s part of the process, right?
While that sounds all fun and dandy, there are a few things to get out of the way first. It’s no secret that a caloric deficit, exercise, sleep, water, and recovery are the foundations of weight loss. Without these in place, your weight loss journey might struggle at some point.
There are many articles that focus on these specific areas and I suggest reading those first. The goal of this post however, is to tackle some everyday things in your environment that will aid the main building blocks (caloric deficit, sleep, exercise, etc.) of your weight loss journey. These are strategies you can implement that won’t seem like huge lifestyle changes and can aid in helping you reach your goals.
Below are 7 surprisingly effective ways to start your weight loss journey and ones you can implement right now:
1. Assess your pantry and fill the gaps.
Take an honest look at your shelf/pantry food and take inventory. In those moments where you’re most hungry, what are you reaching for? Ask yourself, what is mostly on these shelves – is it snacks? Is it a lot of prepackaged desserts or chips? Are there ingredients for making at-home food? What fruits and vegetables do you have access to? Once you’ve identified what it mostly consists of, then find what’s missing.
Maybe you’ve got a lot of on-the-go snacks but are lacking those main ingredients for making food at home. Or do you lack dedicated space for those hearty vegetables (potatoes, onions, and jarred goods?) Wherever your assessment lands, try to give yourself grace. No pantry is perfect and there should always be a spot for those foods we enjoy in moderation.
Once you’ve established what’s in there and what’s missing, now you need to determine how to even the ratios so you have a good mixture of ingredients to prepare homemade foods, vegetables and jarred/canned foods, along with your on-the-go snacks and chips/dessert
My suggestion here is to limit your chips/dessert/highly processed/sugary items to a basket or a certain section of your pantry. It should be in one place, and preferably hard to reach and not as visible as the other options. Moving forward, when purchasing food at the store, try not to purchase more than what can fit into the basket and don’t replenish until there is space.
These are small steps into consuming these items less often, and possibly reaching for a more filling food choice. All in the good effort of shaping your weight loss journey and finding a sustainable lifestyle.
2. Make the healthiest options visible…always.
What better way to keep the healthiest options available than positioning them right at eye level. Make them the first thing you see when you open the fridge, pantry, etc.
Better yet? Put your fresh produce and healthier items in fun, clear containers to make them exceptionally visible. You can even follow steps to start with a refrigerator clean out and reorganize by food group as outlined by Eat Well To Be Well RD, if you’re really motivated.
By putting them in plain sight and deeming them easiest to grab, you have a better chance of choosing it when you’re hungry (maybe). Simply a constant reminder that it is available to eat. Bonus points if you place your fresh food in containers already ready to grab and go.
Through these small changes you can increase the likelihood of eating it and reduce the chance of it spoiling or going forgotten. Again, we are looking for ways to make a better choice when in a hurry and when looking to lose weight. If it’s easier to grab your premade container of hummus and carrots than your bag of chips (which by now should be more inaccessible or in less quantity), you have a better chance of choosing the better option.
3. Plan your week out.
Using your brain power in the moment on what to eat or what to cook leaves the stomach to lead the charge rather than the mind. If you’re not ready for the basics of meal prepping, then start with just a weekly plan. No guessing. No big decisions as you’re getting ready to eat. Just a plain and simple pre-determined list of what you plan to eat at each meal (Monday-Friday).
Even if you deviate, which is quite alright, you leave the opportunity again to make a better choice. Focus the rest of your energy on consuming a good, healthy meal instead of mulling on what options you can come up with at the moment.
What if you’re on vacation or going out to eat? Take a look at the menu before you get to the restaurant. Without the distraction of good conversation and moody ambiance, you can pre-determine a healthy option (or a few) beforehand.
4. Enjoy it in moderation.
Nothing is worse than the feeling of being told you “can’t do something.” Especially when it comes to consuming your favorite foods. For a successful and long-term weight loss journey, you need to have a plan that is sustainable. Hence, why a lot of fast tracking diets or monthly challenges end up failing or worse, causing more weight gain.
When we feel the need to exclude food groups to reach our goals, inevitably we yearn for the things we tell ourselves are bad. Most foods are not necessarily bad. There are some that just have better nutrients and are more filling than others.
So how do we fix this mentality? There are many ways but here are a few:
Read the serving size, place it on a plate or napkin and only eat what you’ve set out. Then put the bag or box away. If you want more, wait a set amount of time and if you’re still hungry, consider filling that last bit of craving with a different choice. Your body takes time to send signals to your brain you’re hungry anyway. So what is the rush?
If you’re eating out on a regular basis or picking up fast food, replace just one order a week (and build on it as you can) to replace it with a healthier option. If you’re notorious for drinking lots of soda, cut back by one can or bottle per day or week. We aren’t looking to completely eliminate just looking to find a healthy moderation of those foods/drinks you enjoy but don’t necessarily aid you in reaching your goals.
Lastly, change your setting. If you like to pour dressing on your salad, opt for it on the side. You can even preload your fork by dipping it in the dressing slightly to get that same flavor you’re looking for but at a more precise measurement.
If you like to fill your plate, opt for a smaller plate or portion out what you’re cooking and place the leftovers in a container. This allows you to avoid eating to “clean your plate” or “not waste food”. If you tend to eat while distracted, stop. Pay attention to what you’re eating and avoid talking on the phone, watching a movie, or reading.
5. Replace ingredients in your favorite dishes.
This one is so straight forward but sometimes hard for people to do. However, it is an effective way to cut unnecessary calories in your meals. There are a few great ways to substitute ingredients and still have a tasty meal – take a look at some ideas in this post.
Replacing or substituting isn’t your thing? Try some new recipes that are close to your favorite dishes so you don’t have to give up the ones you love. Hey, you may even find some healthier dishes that become your new favorites. The opportunity is endless. Where is a quick place to find new recipes other than Google?
A search on Pinterest is still a popular way to find inspiration and you can be as specific as you’d like to get laser focused search results. Honestly, I even make some of my best recipes from people I follow on Instagram.
Don’t be afraid to try something new and shake up the ingredients! In all, your weight loss journey is about making small changes that add up to a healthier sustainable lifestyle, without it seeming like a huge overhaul.
6. Stick to your grocery list.
This one is easier said than done. Yet, it ends up being pretty effective so long as you have the right things on your list. Focus on adding whole foods and only the necessities. While coupons and deals are wonderful, I suggest first planning out what you need to get through the week to prepare meals for you and the family.
Then, and only then should you check where you can save based on what you need. Oftentimes, coupons and savings (whether paper/digital or in-store) will promote products you really don’t need or weren’t intending to purchase. Stick to your list and focus on your goal of eating healthier items that are necessary to reach your goals.
As mentioned before, this strategy can involve a dessert or less filling option (like chips, on-the-go snacks, etc.) if it is in moderation and you can apply the previously mentioned tools. We aren’t looking to never buy these “other” things, just make sure you’re sticking to a plan most often.
Lastly, one pro tip, do not shop hungry. That in itself is a recipe for disaster. It’s easy to do; I’ve done it.
7. Start with one thing.
This might seem super simple yet it might be the most important. Just like new year resolutions that fall to the wayside when the excitement of a chance to “start over” wears off. So do implementing techniques that seem hard or make you feel uncomfortable. It’s easy to stop doing them after you’ve missed a few days.
But if you’ve read this far you’ve gathered this much: your weight loss journey is about gaining a sustainable lifestyle. Above all else. You deserve to find success and keep it. And that takes time and it takes learning and growing along the way. So why overwhelm yourself with simultaneously changing every little detail that needs improvement..
Why not start with one? Choose one thing I mentioned in this post and implement it today. Once that becomes easier and feels normal, come back and pick another. And another. And so on. Heck, I encourage you to find motivation in what you’re reading today and seek out other techniques that you can implement right now from your trusted sources.
It all comes down to this. Your weight loss journey will ebb and flow, evolve, and pivot. But through that roller coaster you’ll find a wonderful, more healthier version of you is here to stay (or so that’s the aim). The techniques you build around yourself should be here to stay. You deserve that. This lifestyle may not feel comfortable yet but it will. One thing at a time.
And if nothing else, you learn a little bit more about you, your body, and the lifestyle you’ve earned.
