5 things you should know before embarking on a weight loss journey

Too many times folks jump on the weight loss wagon without thinking things through. You hear random talk like ‘I just want to be slim’, ‘I want to look sexy’ or the most famous one ‘I want flat abs.

However, whatever your reason, before you embark on a weight loss journey there are 5 basic questions you should ask yourself to avoid getting disillusioned down the line and ultimately quitting.

Question #1: Why do I want to lose weight?

The weight loss journey is a long and often challenging one. There would be times you will question your decision or the importance of losing weight. It is at times like these (and they will come) that you will need to remind yourself of your ‘why’. It is therefore important to have a strong ‘why’ to make regular reference to at the start of the journey.

If your reason for losing weight is random or too shallow it would not hold up against your self-doubts when they come up.

Check www.deardammy.com/guides for a practical guide to this article. The guide will show you how to set or discover a strong ‘why’ and how to imprint your ‘why’ in your subconscious to guarantee weight loss success.

Question #2: What is my ideal weight or body composition goal?

Your ideal weight is the healthy weight based on your height, gender and body composition. It should also be a weight at which you like the way you look and feel your best at.

There are different ways to determine your ideal weight but most common is to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). There are tons of BMI calculators online.

Note that BMI calculations should be taken as a rough estimate of your ideal weight. This is because BMI calculations do not take into consideration body composition. Muscles weigh more than fat, so increase in muscle mass may lead to increase in weight which may in turn throw off your BMI calculation. Therefore, it is important to also consider your body composition and aim to keep your body fat within a healthy range.

Question #3: What is my Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)?

TDEE is an estimate of the number of calories your body burns in a day. TDEE calculations consider your age, height, gender, weight and activity level. There are many easy to use calculators online. Once you know your TDEE then you set out to eat 150 – 500 less calories than your body burns daily for healthy weight loss.

Question #4: What is my Body type?

You know that you friend that can eat ‘anything’ and never get fat? Well he or she is probably an Ectomorph. The other two body types are Mesomorph and Endomorph. Your body type determines how well your body adapts to different Marco nutrients (Carbs, Protein, and fats) and determines how much of each you should be eating. Ectomorphs find it hard to gain weight and typically require higher Carb intake, while Endomorphs have a slow metabolism and should therefore consume less carbs.

Check www.deardammy.com/guides for a practical guide to this article. The guide will show how to identify your body type and the recommended Marco nutrients break down for your body type

Question #5: How can I change my current habits?

The current state of your health and weight is as an accumulation of your daily habits. To be successful on your weight loss journey, you must be ready to change your mindset and habits. You need to look to swap self-sabotaging habits for empowering ones.

Do you feast on Soda all day? Ask yourself what an acceptable healthy alternative for you would be.

Do you stock your fridge with unhealthy foods that tempt you especially at night? Then you should consider not keeping such foods at home and buy only what you wish to eat at a time.

Do you find it difficult to find the time or motivation to workout during the day? Consider joining a workout group, gym or find an accountability partner.

Take out some time to reflect on and pinpoint your other self-sabotaging habits and decides on alternatives you can try out.

Remember your habits are formed over a lifetime and will take some time and effort to work on, so be patient with yourself and when you find yourself going back to old habits, just get back on track as soon as possible.

There you have it. Before you get fixated on diet and exercise, take some time out to answer the basic questions to improve your chance of success.