Steps to weight loss – part 1 Vision
When it comes to trying to lose weight, do you:
- Decide you will start again on Monday and not think much about it until Monday rolls around
- Decide you will start again on Monday and indulge while you can and enjoy your last few days of ‘freedom’
or
- Think about the things you can do before Monday to set you up for success this time around
If you chose the first two, don’t worry – you are far from alone as that is what happens in the majority of cases! This blog is about giving you some ideas to think about (and hopefully act on!) so that you chose c) the next time you commit to losing weight!
I like to break it down into four parts – vision, food, move and mindset and will give you some ideas of what you can do in each of these areas to set yourself up for success. For this weeks blog we are focusing on Vision.
“Unless you know where you are going and why, you can’t possibly get there”
Establish where you are at
The first step in creating your vision is establishing where you are right now. It is a good idea to get some baseline measures such as weight, body fat%, Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference. If you are a member of a gym they will be able to take the measures for you and sometimes pharmacy’s offer that service too. I also encourage people to take a baseline fitness measure – what is the fastest time you can complete a mile (1.6km) in. Having these measures helps you set your goals and monitor your progress over time.
Think about your vision
Based on the time-frame you have set yourself, think about the positive changes you want to make in relation to your weight by that time. Consider the benefits you will get as a result of bringing this vision to life and how you will feel when this is your new reality. This way of thinking helps you to really start focusing on where it is you want to go and really feel how it is going to be when you get there.
Get clear on why you want to lose weight
‘Your Why’ is also very important to consider. what has motivated you to commit to losing weight at this time? What is your motivation for wanting the vision you just described? Write down all the reasons that come to mind.
Some people like to write these reasons out on a pretty piece of paper and decorate it and keep it somewhere they can read daily. I encourage you to do this as your ‘why’ will be the key in helping to keep you motivated, especially if you experience challenging days. Examples include to feel more confident, to fit my clothes, to set a good example for my kids, to feel more comfortable in my body, to be able to reduce my medication, to be able to enjoy exercise, and on and on. There is no limit to the number of reasons or the type of reasons. It is very individual and what is key is trying to get to the core of why you really want to lose weight.
Set SMART goals
Setting goals brings structure and accountability to your vision and helps bring it closer to reality. Think about your weight loss goals– more than likely they will include a goal around how much weight you want to lose. Decide on your time frame and based on a safe weight loss of 1-2lbs a week, decide what your SMART goal will be. For example, “I will lose 12llbs in the next 8 weeks starting today the 21st of September”. I also encourage you to set non weight-related goals that you would like to achieve such as complete your first 5km event, try out a new sport or have green smoothies every day.
Create a Vision Board
A vision board really helps to bring your vision to life and is the fun part of all of this! The idea of the vision board is to create a visual that is exciting, inviting and motivating for you. Every time you look at it you should be inspired to continue to move toward your vision, your new story, your new reality. You can find more info on creating vision boards on a previous blog I wrote.
This will be continued in my next blog where I will discuss some of the practical steps you can take to set yourself up for success with regard to food.
If you are ready to commit to losing weight, you might be interested in my INSPIRE Healthy Weight Loss programme.