5 Ways to Kickstart Your Weight Loss

With the turn of a new year, resolutions are set, and then quickly broken. But there’s no reason to wait until next year to hop back on the weight loss train. It’s always the season for improving your health.
Everyone wants to see quick results and changes with their body, and sometimes it’s discouraging when it takes longer than planned for. But don’t give up hope! Here are a few ways to kick-start your weight loss goals, because there’s no better time to start than now.
Try a cleanse. Cleansing your body for 3 days is a great way to flush your system of toxins, and prime your body for weight loss. Just remember to be smart about it. Try a cleanse with lots of produce and whole foods instead of a juice cleanse. Fiber has amazing benefits, and most of that is lost in pure juice cleanses. Load up on nutrients and keep yourself full with whole natural foods. Plus, when you know it’s only for 3-5 days it’s much easier to stick to the plan. Just remember that when you finish, it’s not time to binge eat.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. The majority of people are dehydrated, and when you’re dehydrated, your body struggles to differentiate the difference between thirst and hunger. Try to drink regularly throughout the day (Aim for 20 ounces every 2 hours of work) and use the color of your urine as a way to gauge your hydration. The tiniest hint of yellow is all you should see. Aim for as clear as possible without being completely clear as over-hydration can be dangerous in keeping your electrolytes in balance.
Eat your vegetables. Make a goal to get in at least 5 servings of vegetables a day. Make one of those at breakfast time, and be sure to get them in throughout the day. Try to find vegetables you like, and work with those. If you hate kale, opt for spinach. Nutritional good choices are not meant to be painful, so don’t make them that way. Start adding veggies to just about everything, mix cauliflower in with potatoes; add spinach, peppers, and tomatoes to eggs; add side salads to start every lunch; pack veggie snacks like carrots, sliced bell peppers, and celery dipped in hummus or vinaigrette. Just make a conscious effort to include vegetables every time you sit down to eat.
Join a program. Whether it’s a nutritional program, a new class at the gym, or a program in the iFit library, join something and stick to it. Initially, try for a perfect 4-week commitment. That’s usually long enough to start a habit without being too daunting at the initial start-up time. Make a commitment and don’t back out, it’s as simple as that. It’s 4 weeks of no excuses, because there’s no place for making excuses when it comes to your health. You’ve got to grab the reins and make life changes.
Don’t overindulge. You may overindulge on a daily basis and not even realize it. To keep yourself in check, keep a food journal (you don’t even have to calorie count) and write down everything you consume for a week. Most people make choices they know they shouldn’t and rationalize it with the idea that it’s just one time, or it’s a special occasion. But don’t fall victim to this mindset! You can’t work off what you eat if you’re sabotaging yourself daily. When you take control of what goes in your body, extraordinary things happen.
So, as you get started, choose one item from the list to get started, or all five if you’re really up for a challenge, but do something. Today is the day to start. Not tomorrow, not Monday, not January 1, but today. Get after it. You got this one.
Becca Capell
iFit Head Trainer