If you want to lose weight, a holistic approach can lead to healthier weight loss and management and can improve your overall health - mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. When tackling weight management, it's important that your whole life is on the same track. People who have struggled with weight their entire lives may want to get a mental health counselor on their team to simultaneously address any underlying issues that might be contributing to poor weight management.
Everyone can benefit from regular check-ins with a counselor or therapist, even if they feel "fine" otherwise. Once you've committed to managing your weight for good, simultaneously commit yourself to doing it safely and naturally. Keep in mind that the best way to lose weight is slowly. Just one or two pounds per week is the maximum to keep your body from going into starvation mode and ending up with saggy skin at your goal weight.
Track your food and exercise
Some people gain weight or are overweight simply because they don't realize what they're feeding their body. People's caloric needs can vary, but in general a person needs 2,000 calories per day to maintain their weight. Losing weight requires a caloric deficiency. Start tracking what you eat every day either with an app (there are many free ones) or simply by jotting it down in a notebook. Dedicated weight losers will quickly realize some of their favorite snacks, such as peanut butter, is laden with calories while equally fulfilling treats like berries have only 50 calories per cup.
At the same time, start tracking your workouts. This includes brisk walks during lunch and anything else you can squeeze in. You might need to increase your daily caloric intake if you're combining your efforts with a rigorous exercise routine. Too much exercise and too few calories can have counterproductive effects causing weight gain (there's that starvation mode again), frustrating plateaus, fatigue and a slew of physical and mental health issues.
Accept that you will plateau
It doesn't make sense that someone can consume 1,400 calories per day and moderately work out four times per week and get stuck at the same weight. It happens. Your body might be storing water weight, you might have upped the intensity of your exercises, women might be coming up on their cycle, or your body might just be acting stubborn. Plateaus will always pass, but you may need to tweak your caloric intake to give it a boost.
Try introducing new, healthy foods to surprise your body. One way to really increase your healthiness is to try doubling a superfood-rich diet with your existing calorie counting measures. Not all calories are created equal - a snack of kale chips (a superfood) will be treated very differently by your body than a little cheat of 100-calorie milk chocolates. Choose your foods wisely.
It's not all about the scale (but it is a little)
Get a comprehensive look at your efforts by weighing in weekly - no more, no less - as well as measuring multiple body parts once per month. If possible, also get your body fat percentage checked once a month; many gyms offer this for free. You might think you're plateauing, but your measurements are shrinking. Maybe you're putting on muscle weight. Not all numbers will decrease in conjunction with each other.
Most importantly, stay focused. One or two pounds per week may not seem like much, but it adds up. Rally a support network and keep the end goal in sight. You're practicing healthy habits that will help you maintain once you get there, and that will take time.
Shawna is an avid writer about wellness and holistic health, including tips for living a healthier life style. Find similar subjects from an Austin wellness center offering longevity and weight loss in Austin, TX through its mind/body exercise programs.
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