Choose the final result you want to create at the end of the program
This is the first and definitely the most important weight loss tip I can give you. The reason is simple: you can’t get there without knowing where you’re going. So at the beginning of your weight loss journey, determine exactly what you want to achieve by the end of your weight loss program.
The end result I want to achieve at the end of my weight loss program is: a lean, healthy body with 10% body fat and visible six-pack abs.
Since my total weight in 1994 was 285 pounds and my body fat was over 44%, I honestly don’t think I’ll ever reach this important fitness goal that I’ve set for myself.
However, this was what I really wanted, so I wrote this goal down in my notebook and took my second step.
Track your current situation by seeing the exact situation you currently have
Once you’ve chosen your end result, your next step in creating permanent fat loss is to see where you are relative to your main goal at the current moment. Of the 5 weight loss tips, this one is important because it can help you understand where to start in your plan.
In my case, I weighed myself and had my body fat percentage measured by an experienced tester. When I started, my body fat percentage was 44%. That means I have 125 pounds of body fat. Obviously this was a real shock to me and my confidence plummeted after hearing the song.
But my desire to achieve my primary health goals was so strong that I simply wrote my weight, total fat mass, and lean body mass at the bottom of the notebook.
I’ve also written about key lessons I’ve learned from eight years of low-calorie diets, fad diets, and many other weight loss methods that aren’t helping me achieve permanent fat loss.
Make a list of steps you will take to achieve lasting fat loss
Once you’ve decided where you’re going and observed where you are now, your next step should be to list the steps you’re going to take to get from where you are now to where you want to be. In the near future, when you create the final result.
From 5 weight loss tips, this third tip will help you focus on the next steps you need to take to achieve your most important health goals. Mine is permanent fat loss. This is the main goal that keeps me motivated during my weight loss program.
Since I weigh 285 pounds and want to achieve 10% body fat, I have calculated that I need to lose 110 pounds of unwanted body fat while maintaining lean body mass.
My first step is to consume my daily maintenance calorie intake. This means that the calories from my food and drink will be equal to the amount my body can actually burn during the day.
My second step is doing cardio four times a week. This is very important because I know that to lose 110 pounds of excess body fat, I need to burn that fat. A diet without exercise had no effect in the past, so I took a different route to permanent fat loss.
My third step was to use strength training to maintain my lean muscle mass during the weight loss phase of my plan. Since muscle is a metabolically active tissue, our body has to add energy (calories) to maintain it, meaning that during the weight loss phase of my plan, strength training will help keep my metabolism up and I will lose body fat more easily.
Here’s a secret I learned from my friends at the gym who used strength training to build their toned physique. They told me that when I lose weight, the best way is to focus on maintaining my current muscle mass, and when I reach my ideal weight, I can adjust my calorie intake and start building new muscle.
Use effective nutritional strategies to reduce calorie deficits
From 5 weight loss tips, this one can help you create the necessary calorie deficit without resorting to a low-calorie or fad diet. This is important because these ineffective nutritional strategies can lead to increased appetite and food cravings.
Since I already know that the low-calorie approach won’t work in the long run or help me lose fat permanently, I choose to eat four medium-sized meals every four hours.
The size of each meal was calculated by taking my daily maintenance calorie intake and dividing that number by four. Then, using a 50-30-20 nutrient ratio, I calculated how many calories I would consume from carbohydrates, protein, and food.