How to Crush your Weight Loss Goals in 2019

Setting weight loss goals is the easy part.

But sticking to your goals, that’s where things get difficult. Studies show that 80% of New Year’s resolution dieters fail to lose weight, while one-third actually end up gaining additional weight.

So how can we set ourselves up for success in the New Year? Follow these tips for crushing your weight loss goals in 2019.

Start small.

Don’t start off the New Year with a complete overhaul in mind. Limiting your diet, adding exercise, and other lifestyle changes will be too much. Don’t overcommit yourself amidst the hype of the New Year just to fizzle out before the month is over.

You juggle a lot in everyday life so there is no need to overwhelm yourself with unrealistic plans. Be sure to replace old habits with new ones that support your healthier lifestyle, but don’t feel the need to change everything at once. Remind yourself that this is 2019 and it’s not all or nothing. Here are some ideas for small changes you can start right away, and then build on throughout the rest of the year.

• Make a commitment to get moving. Walk around your neighborhood or bust out those old workout videos. Do something active for 30 minutes three times a week. Once this becomes a part of your lifestyle, up it to 45 minutes a day four times a week.
• Cut one thing from your diet that you know is unhealthy. Whether its sugar-filled frappes, soda, your morning donut, or that beer after work, commit to cutting it from your life for two weeks. After the two weeks are up evaluate how you feel and consider making a permanent change.
• Plan to drink at least eight glasses of water every day. Not only is it extremely important to stay hydrated, drinking water is a helpful aid when trying to lose weight.
• Keep a food journal but don’t make any major changes just yet. Focus on your new activity, cutting out that one thing, and drinking plenty of water. Other than that just track your food and calories for a few weeks so you have baseline information available when you are ready to make more changes in the future.
• Try new things this year. Plan a vegan or vegetarian meal once a week, add a new healthy snack into your diet, swap avocado for mayo when you make your sandwich, replace green tea with coffee, or try that new class at the gym. Trying new things will open your eyes to healthier options and it will keep your new lifestyle fun and exciting.

Be realistic.

It’s important to know what you can handle and set yourself up for success in 2019. You’ll have greater success if you make realistic and meaningful changes then build from there. Remember this is a marathon, not a sprint. You are in this for the long haul. If you have realistic weight loss expectations you will set yourself up for long-term success.

If you’re already struggling to balance your life and health, it’s unrealistic to think you are going to make huge changes and stick with them. You aren’t going to wake up every morning and run, go to a yoga class after work, or cook and eat five healthy meals a day all in the first month. While those are amazingly ambitious goals, it’s just not realistic for the average person.

Track your progress.

Make sure you take stock of your starting point, whether that’s your weight, measurements or how much you can lift. How can you see how far you’ve come if you don’t have a reminder of where you started?

One great way to track your weight loss progress regardless of your goal is to take photos. You may be unhappy with how you look or feel uncomfortable taking pictures, but it’s really important to capture the beginning of your journey. Unfortunately, the scale doesn’t move when your body composition begins changing. As you exercise, hydrate, and eat healthier, you’ll start seeing results. Most importantly, you’ll feel better, but the numbers on the scale may not reflect all of those amazing changes.

Reward yourself.

If you stick to your goals or lose a few pounds here and there, plan to reward yourself. Celebrate with friends, treat yourself to the movies, splurge on a massage, or have a peaceful but luxurious spa day at home.

When trying to achieve your goals, it’s important that you acknowledge the good things and break up the monotony to keep things fun and fresh

Get some help.

Sometimes you just can’t do it on your own, and that’s ok! If that is the case for you, The Simple Clinic is here for all of your health needs. Together, we will create a comprehensive and individualized plan that will help you realistically crush your goals in 2019. We offer drug therapy with a variety of prescription medications that suppress your appetite while increasing your body’s ability to burn fat and produce energy. In addition to drug therapy, we offer a nutrition plan based on your body and its needs.

With a quality nutrition plan, we can help you eat a balanced diet while utilizing smart choices to control calories. Inactivity is hazardous to your health, so we will also help you put together a fitness plan to assist in preventing chronic disease while helping you manage your weight and keeping you mentally fit.

Making positive lifestyle changes and losing weight isn’t always easy, and sometimes you need some help. The Simple Clinic can help you achieve your goals with a healthy combination of nutrition, fitness, and medication therapy.

If you are ready to put yourself first and kick off the New Year right, give us a call today!