Choose a Realistic Goal

A realistic goal is one that is both challenging and achievable. If it is too easy, you will lose interest; too hard and you may give up. Research shows that if you are overweight, losing just 10 percent of your body weight can improve your health. Start there and aim to lose one to two pounds per week. If you still need to lose weight once you reach your 10 percent goal, set out for another 10 percent at the same pace.

Build a Support Group

Share your goals with loved ones, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Consider beginning a weight loss plan with a friend. One study showed that when friends signed up for a weight loss program together, they were more successful at keeping the weight off. It’s also not uncommon for a support group to include people you have never met, such as a gym instructor or people with shared interests on social media or website forums. When you create a healthy environment by surrounding yourself with like-minded people, you build a supportive network that makes it easier to reach your goals.

Give Exercise and Eating Equal Attention

Combining both exercise and healthy eating improves overall health and weight loss while creating healthy habits to keep the weight off long term. Healthy eating and exercise work hand in hand to keep you fit. Nourishing foods fuel your workouts, and exercise improves your mood and brightens your outlook making it easier to commit to healthy choices. Giving both equal attention creates a healthy lifestyle balance. The days you eat a little more, exercise will help burn those extra calories. When you have to skip a workout, healthy eating helps control your calorie intake so you can stay on track.

Recognize Hunger Signals

When you eat mindfully, you put the focus on the food and how you feel during the meal. This helps you recognize when your taste buds are satisfied and when you feel physically full. As you get better at recognizing hunger signals, your portion sizes will grow smaller and choosing healthy foods will become natural. These changes also help you control cravings. With time, you will need two bites of cake to feel satisfied instead of two pieces.

Plan Ahead

Planning and preparation are essential for making the healthy choices that are necessary for weight loss. Without them, you will fall into a trap of excuses for why you are too busy to make dinner or squeeze in a walk. Plan and shop for meals over the weekend and spend a couple hours preparing meals and snacks for the week. Make calendar appointments for your exercise and give them the same priority as you do work meetings and doctor appointments. Planning will pay off in weight loss success.

Sources

• American Psychological Association - How social support can help you lose weight

Lori Rice, M.S., is a nutritional scientist and author with a passion for healthy cooking, exercise physiology, and food photography.