Weight Loss – Baby Steps or Leap of Faith, Which One is Best For You?

I am always reading on how to make improvements in myself and was reminded this morning that some people need small incremental changes to begin any journey. You know the saying “Inch by Inch, anything is a chinch.” Others (like me) have to dive in and get something going right away so they can see the rewarded effort. Everyone is different in what they need.

Personally I think that is why having a health coach is so rewarding. I can customize my program or the way I work with someone to fit their personality. I have those that want to do it on their own and just give me the 5 mins of how they did. Now they often leave out the details that would help me tune their weight loss, but they are happy with their results and that they have conquered the weight loss monster. Others want to have their hand held, or be held accountable for each of their choices. They report every bit and every meal with all the details of the struggle and triumphs. Funny thing about this group is they often do much better on the program. They have the basics down of keeping track of what goes into their body and how much energy they expend in exercise down.

Now the ones that want to do it on their own are successful. Their main motivation is to get the weight off NOW! What I work with them on is that to keep it off they need to develop the same habits that the other group starts from the get go. Something I had to learn for myself now that I am transitioning into a maintenance phase of my weight loss journey. When I monitoring and track, my weight continues to improve, I stay on track. When I don’t monitor, I can gain unwanted pounds even if I think I made some good choices. It is all about awareness and the facts.

Weight changes daily, based on amount of water, food intake and exercise. There can be added muscle gain as well as fat gain depending on how you monitor. A simple scale does not know the difference. Back it up with a tape measure or some clothes that fit tight on you and now you start to see the actual difference. Tracking teaches you how your body responds to different foods, times of day, and types of exercise. You learn more about yourself every day that way.

Oh and paying attention means you don’t slowly slip back into the obesity zone and one day wake up and ask yourself “How did I get back here again?”

Have a great Monday everyone!