Factors like age, sex, medical conditions, medications, genetics and activity level, just to name a few, make your path to your weight loss unique. The good news is there are proven, science-backed strategies that can be tailored to your lifestyle while driving results. Let’s rethink weigh-ins, calorie counting and exercise.

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What is the point of weighing myself daily? 

Weighing yourself daily—first thing in the morning, using the same scale and wearing similar clothing—will help you correlate your efforts with your outcomes. It is perfectly normal for your weight to fluctuate by 2–6 pounds due to factors like hydration, digestion and exercise. Monitoring even minimal changes over time can help you better understand how these daily variables impact your weight. 

How can maintaining a food log help me move the needle? 

The majority of people overestimate the healthiness and underestimate the calories of their diet. Logging your daily food intake is a powerful, evidence-based weight-loss strategy. Studies highlighted by Harvard Health show that keeping a food diary can double weight loss success by providing real-time, factual insights into eating habits. Tracking helps you identify patterns and make conscious, healthier choices before you eat.

How can I reduce calories without feeling hungry?  

Reducing calories does not necessarily mean you have to eat less. You read that correctly. It means you need to eat smarter. Mayo Clinic suggests eating low-calorie, energy-dense foods to keep you full between meals. Choose nutrient-rich, high-satiety foods that contain water, fiber and protein with limited fat content to keep you going.  For example, try scrambled egg whites with spinach, a spoon of bacon crumbles and fresh basil instead of Greek yogurt and fruit one day and take note of your satiety and energy levels.

Workouts not having the desired impact? 

Taking a smarter approach to exercise can increase benefits and efficiency. Did you know strength training for 30 minutes a couple days a week increases resting metabolism, helping you burn calories up to 48 hours after your workout? You can use your own body weight and simple hand weights to get started. While it is ideal to shoot for 10,000 steps a day, when you take those steps also matters. Women’s Hospital states walking even for five minutes after meals can lower blood sugar, burn calories, improve your mood, lower your blood pressure and help you digest.  

Is this just another diet? 

No, this is lifestyle change that involves incremental modifications to achieve your health goals for a lifetime. Put it all together: Log and track your weight, food and activity to determine how to make tweaks that help you reach your weight goals. Seeing results from lifestyle change can take 4-12 weeks, so be patient with yourself.

Nurse Shannon

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