Starting A Diet Plan

I am the head of the Biggest Loser competition at work! I will use this as a 2-in-1 to post information on my site. There will be lots of posts during this time since I already have all the information laid out. Feel free to join along at home and challenge yourself! Record your start weight, set goals, track progress, and work towards a healthier existence. The challenge lasts 12 weeks (but we started last week, oops!). Stay focused through the holidays by checking back often =D

Starting a diet plan

Deciding on a plan is one of the most important parts of maintaining a healthy lifestyle! You must first pick a strategy – cutting calories, adding more fruits and vegetables, increasing exercise, cutting out processed foods, etc...  or a combination. You may decide to start everything at once or gradually change habits over time. Writing out your strategy will ensure you stick to it! This will also help organize your thoughts and re-strategize as you find out what works best.

Setting Goals

Plan to make SMART goals:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time sensitive
 

Specific goals include all the details – what, where, when, how, why.

Measurable ensure you can see progress – pounds lost, minutes exercised, servings of vegetables eaten, or # of days exercised.

Attainable goals should be realistic. You can dream big but ensure it’s something that you can achieve so you aren’t let down!

Relevant goals apply to this competition – weight lost and healthy lifestyles.

Times sensitive goals create a time limit for motivation and progression.

Create goals using these guidelines. You should set goals each week. Decide upon your final goal and then make small goals to help you get there!

Keep a journal, calendar, word document, note in your phone etc… with all of the information in this post! Track weight, exercise, feelings, goals, progress, challenges, successes and so much more! Writing things down allows you to take a step back and sort things out. Start one today!!

Tracking

Tracking can be utilized in several different ways:

·      Food journals aid in weight loss and maintenance. They show you the good and bad, what works and what doesn’t work, habits, cravings, and calorie intake. I encourage you to start one today!

·      Weight tracking 1-2 times a week keeps you focused. Any more than this is not recommended because weight fluctuates from day to day.

·      Tracking exercise can help set goals. You can write down time, activities or weight lifted to see progression

·      Journaling cravings, feelings, thoughts, and ideas will help find overall patterns. This will serve to identify cravings, strategies, and problem areas.

Use these tools to start your diet plan! The best way to handle this is to write everything out and review it often. Your goals should always be chaining and morphing as you get better and learn what strategies work best.

Share your ideas, thoughts, and progress with me! What are some of the biggest challenges and how can you overcome them? What goals have you set to achieve over the month of November?

Have a great week!!!