How to Stick to Your Weight Loss Goals

Many people struggle with sticking to weight loss goals, and with high calorie, mouth-watering food available on nearly every street corner, it's no wonder why. Being overweight can cause serious health problems, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer, breathing disorders, depression, sexual dysfunction, and more.^{[1]XTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world's leading hospitalsGo to source} The good news is that even a slight drop in weight can significantly improve your quality of life.^{[2]XTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world's leading hospitalsGo to source} To stick to and achieve your weight loss goals, you'll first need to get off to the right start. Then you can use psychology and maintenance techniques to keep the weight off.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Getting off to the Right Start

1
Avoid fixating on your weight. You may have a tendency to regard the number on your scale as a clear indicator of your health, but unfortunately this isn't the case. Muscle is far denser than fat, so if you are exercising to meet your weight loss goal, you could actually decrease in size and end up only weighing a little bit less than you did at the start, or you might even remain roughly the same weight.
- Your health and well-being should always be the ultimate goal of your weight loss. Fixating on reaching a target number for your weight or on becoming "thin and beautiful" can lead to unhealthy habits or even eating disorders.
- Even though you should avoid fixating on weight, you might find it encouraging to weigh yourself at the start of your weight loss journey and track your progress bi-weekly or monthly.^{[3]XResearch source}
2
Evaluate and set your goals. Goals that are too far off in the future can actually end up discouraging you in the long run. It's not bad to have a big goal, like being able to run a marathon, but by setting small, weekly goals and acknowledging these little victories, you'll feel more encouraged.^{[4]XResearch source}
- If you're just starting out on your weight loss journey, try to set reasonable goals, like running around your block without stopping, or doing light aerobic exercise, like jumping jacks.
- Muscle burns more calories than most other kinds of tissue, so the more muscle you build, the easier it'll be to shed those pounds. You might use light hand weights for 15 minutes each day to start building muscle.^{[5]XResearch source}
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3
Make an exercise plan. Modern life is full of distractions and busyness, so you might find it difficult to get your exercise in. However, exercise and diet are the two main factors that contribute to your weight loss.^{[6]XTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world's leading hospitalsGo to source} By making a plan to exercise and setting specific dates and times to exercise, you'll be more likely to do it, and more likely to lose the weight as well.^{[7]XResearch source}
- If you dislike physical exertion, you can still get exercise in with light activity, like walking, swimming, playing a sport, cycling, and more.
4
Listen to your body. When you first begin exercising, you might have some muscle soreness. If you overdo it at first, then you might have considerable soreness and muscle fatigue or even an injury. That is why it is important to start slow. Allow yourself one to two days of rest between workouts so you don't overdo it. As you build your strength and endurance, the amount of recovery time your body needs will decrease.^{[8]XResearch source}
- As your workouts become easier, you can begin to increase the intensity and decrease the rest time.
- When starting exercise, if you feel significant pain, discomfort, grinding, popping, or other alarming sensations, stop and consult an expert, like a personal trainer or doctor.
5
Assess your diet. Even a physically active person can be overweight if they eat too much. Eat less overall, especially high calorie, greasy, and unhealthy foods. Replace high calorie foods with vegetables. Prioritize lean meats and blood sugar stabilizing complex carbohydrates.^{[9]XResearch source} Stable blood sugar will help you maintain a more consistent and positive mood, which will only help you meet your goals.
- Some complex carbohydrates you might want to add to your diet include: sweet potatoes, couscous, corn, oatmeal, barley, black beans, whole wheat bread, whole grains, and more.^{[10]XExpert SourceLaura Flinn
  NASM Certified Personal TrainerExpert Interview. 18 November 2019.}
- If you have difficulty understanding nutrition, a good rule of thumb is to eat food that is a wide variety of colors. Colors in fruits and vegetables are due to high concentrations of nutrients, so by eating different colored food, you'll get a wide array of nutrients.
6
Calculate your ideal caloric intake for weight loss. Calories are the energy your body gets from eating food. When you eat too many calories, your body stores the extra energy as fat. For your body to use these reserves you'll have to cut calories, increase your caloric burn with exercise, or do a combination of both.
- Every person will be different, but generally you can expect an average female to need 2000 calories a day to maintain her weight. Males, on average, require 2500 calories to maintain weight.
- There are many factors involved in determining your ideal caloric intake for weight loss. Some of these include gender, age, weight, height, level of physical activity, and more. Due to this, your ideal range may vary slightly depending on how you calculate this number.^{[11]XResearch source}
- Because there are so many factors to consider when identifying your ideal caloric intake, you should use an online calorie weight loss calculator or consult an expert to learn your ideal caloric intake for weight loss.
- Generally, with moderate activity, you should be able to expect to lose a pound (.45 kg) every week with a decrease of 500 calories to your diet.^{[12]XResearch source}
7
Create a meal plan. The trouble with sticking to your new diet is that it can be inconvenient at times. When you're in a rush or very tired, unhealthy options, like fast food, can be tempting. By planning out your meals in advance and purchasing ingredients to make healthy meals, you're more likely to keep with your new diet.^{[13]XResearch source}
- If your lifestyle is particularly hectic, you may want to prepare your meals for the week in advance. For example, you might make several meals on Sunday and then freeze them so on busy days you only need to heat up the meal to eat.
- Slow cookers, also known as crock pots, are an easy and safe way to cook food during the day while you're away at school or work. This way, when you arrive home, dinner is ready.
8
Position your meal and exercise plans somewhere visible. This is a great trick to remind you about diet and exercise when you first start trying to lose weight. You might tape your plans to your bathroom mirror, place them prominently on your desk, magnet them to your fridge, or more.
- As long as you clearly see your plans at some point during the day, you're more likely to remember and stick to those plans.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Using Psychology to Lose Weight

1
Establish a routine. Whenever something becomes routine, it becomes easier. But to make something routine, you must be consistent. Being consistent is one of the hardest parts of weight loss. However, your routine won't always be difficult. Once diet and exercise become a habit, they'll be much easier to perform faithfully.
- On average, it takes most people about two months of consistently doing something for it to become a habit, although in some cases it might take as few as 18 days.^{[14]XResearch source}
- However, it is also important to consider how long your old habits were in play. It might take that long for you to establish new habits. Be patient with yourself, and remember that a slip up does not mean all is lost. Get back on the wagon as soon as possible.
2
Take your time when eating. Today's hectic lifestyle can leave you feeling like you have to scarf your food as quickly as possible. In some cases, you may eat too fast and miss your body's signal to stop eating. This can lead you to eating unnecessary calories, making it even more difficult to lose weight and stick to your goals.^{[15]XResearch source}
- It can be difficult to distinguish satisfaction, which is where after eating you no longer feel hungry but you don't feel full, from actual hunger. To tell these feelings apart, next time you're hungry ask yourself, "Does my stomach actually feel empty, or is it just not completely full?"
- Sometimes boredom can cause you to feel like you're hungry when you're not. Before grabbing a snack, drink a glass of water. Hunger and thirst are often confused. You might also try an activity or game first.^{[16]XResearch source}
- If you have difficulty slowing yourself down when eating, you might try taking a sip of water every few bites or chewing a set number of times before swallowing.^{[17]XResearch source}
3
Find an accountability partner. This person could be a workout partner, but it doesn't have to be. An accountability partner is someone who checks in on you to make sure you're staying on track to meet your goals. Be specific in asking for what you need, as this will help your partner meet your needs more easily. You might ask a friend or relative something like:^{[18]XResearch source}
- "I've been trying to lose some weight and be healthier, but I'm having a hard time sticking to my diet. Dinner's the worst - do you think you could send me a reminder text at dinnertime to be healthy?"
- "Lately, I've been exercising to lose some weight, but I really struggle with running. I dread it and skip it often. Could you run with me? That way I won't skip!"
4
Limit your portions. Sitting down with a full bag of snack food might save you some dishes, but eating from the bag or sitting down to a large portion can result in you eating more than you need. Those extra calories will make it more difficult to lose the weight, and you can give yourself a hand by eating reasonably portioned servings.^{[19]XResearch source}
- If you're in a situation where you're forced to eat out of a box, bag, or large container of food, limit yourself to a few pieces at a time. Before going back for more, ask yourself, "Am I really still hungry?"
5
Choose exercise you enjoy. Exercise doesn't have to be a miserable experience. You can even trick yourself into enjoying it. There are many physically engaging sports and activities that are also fun. For example, in place of running, you might go cycling or rock climbing. Other activities you might consider include:
- Dancing
- Geocaching
- Hiking
- Martial arts
- LARPing
- Poi^{[20]XResearch source}
6
Coach yourself through the hard times. Everyone goes through rough times. During downswings in your life, you might think sticking to your goals, losing weight, and becoming healthy are impossible. When this happens, challenge the thought and encourage yourself with positive language.^{[21]XResearch source} For example, you might tell yourself:^{[22]XResearch source}
- "Plenty of people lose weight, and so can I. Things are a little rough right now, but they'll get better. I was doing great, and if I stick with it, I'll reach my goals."
- "Losing weight isn't impossible. I've accomplished a lot of difficult things in my life, and I'm going to accomplish my weight loss goals, too."
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Maintaining Your Weight

1
Avoid over training. When you start to see results in your weight loss, you may be bitten by the exercise bug and start pushing yourself even harder. However, too much of a good thing can be bad, and the same is true of over training. Over training can lead to poor performance, persistent fatigue, disturbed sleep, frequent illness, and more. Some symptoms of it include:
- Increased and persistent thirst. If you find your thirst impossible to satisfy during a period of increased gym activity, this could indicate you're overdoing it. Drink plenty of water and allow yourself plenty of sleep.
- Extended muscular soreness. After a good workout, it's only natural to be a little sore. However, if your soreness lasts for more than 72 hours, you may be overdoing it. Schedule a rest day and allow your body to recuperate.^{[23]XResearch source}
- Insomnia. If your diet is good and you're tiring yourself out with high intensity workouts and you still can't fall asleep at night, you may be pushing yourself too hard. Take a week off to reset yourself and decrease your workout intensity.^{[24]XResearch source}
2
Allow yourself cheat days. Cheat days are an excellent way of resetting your willpower. Willpower is like a muscle, and sticking to your diet and exercise tires out that muscle. On your cheat day, allow yourself a meal of whatever you desire to give your willpower time to recharge.^{[25]XResearch source} This way you can stick to your goals even better.^{[26]XTrustworthy SourceAmerican Psychological AssociationLeading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologistsGo to source}
- If you only do light exercise, cheating too much can undo your progress. In these cases, you might only cheat treat yourself to a food or snack you've been craving instead of an entire meal.
- Little by little, spread out your cheat days. For example, at first you might indulge every other day. In this case, you might plan a cheat day once every two days. When that becomes easier, change it to once every three days, and so on, until you only have one cheat day a week or less.
- Depending on who you ask, the "ideal" interval between cheat days can vary. Generally, highly physically active people can have one cheat day a week with little to no consequence. Less active people might benefit from cheating less frequently, like once every other week.^{[27]XResearch source}
3
Keep your weight loss interesting. Routine and habit can help you stick to your exercise and meal plans, but doing the same exercises and eating the same meals every day can be boring and lead to slacking off. By adding variety, like new exercises and meals, to your weight loss repertoire, you're less likely to slip back into an unhealthy lifestyle.
- Where food's concerned, you should be able to easily find healthy recipes online. You might even find suggested meal plans that you can adapt to your situation.
- There are plenty of exercise related resources you can use online. You might follow along with a trainer on YouTube, or you could research additional exercises on your own.
- Over time, you body will adapt to the exercise you do. To keep seeing weight loss and positive health gains, you'll have to alternate between different exercises.^{[28]XResearch source}
4
Acknowledge your progress. Losing unhealthy weight and maintaining healthy weight is hard work that lasts a lifetime. As time passes, you might lose sight of the improvements your weight loss goals have had on your life. Taking a moment to regularly recognize positive changes will motivate you to stick with it.^{[29]XResearch source}
- After some time has passed and you've slimmed down, you might want to put up a picture of yourself at your heaviest somewhere visible, like on your desk, as a reminder of how your health has improved.
- Thinking about positive things in your life regularly can also make you more positive and improve your mood. You might benefit from spending five minutes every day reflecting on positives.^{[30]XResearch source}
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Expert Q&A

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Question
What are some goals for losing weight?
Laura Flinn
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
Laura Flinn is a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer, USA Olympic Weightlifting Sports Performance Coach and Certified Fitness Nutritionist, with an additional qualification as a TRX Suspension Trainer. Laura runs her own personal training program based in the San Francisco Bay Area and specializes in topics such as weight loss, muscle growth, cardiovascular training, and strength training.
Laura Flinn
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
Expert Answer
As a general rule, aim to lose 1-2 pounds a week. This is a healthy pace for most people. However, you may be able to lose more weight every week if you have a lot of weight to lose. For example, if you have 60 pounds of excess weight, you can lose weight faster than someone who only has 5-10 pounds of excess weight. Your genetics also play a part in this, but 1-2 pounds a week is a safe target.
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Tips

Your body repairs and restores itself while you sleep. You should always try to get enough sleep, but you should especially prioritize sleep when first starting out exercise.
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Surround yourself with healthy and positive people. It's hard to stick to your goals when someone is hassling you about being healthy or digging into an unhealthy meal. Being around people with healthy habits will make it easier for you to keep your healthy habits as well.
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Warnings

Always make sure you're getting enough to eat. Starving yourself puts immense strain on your body and, even if weight loss is achieved, it can have serious negative effects to your overall health.
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