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If you’re a newcomer looking to get started on the road to fat loss, this is your best place to start.
Possibly the most intimidating thing for any rookie is just getting started onto the path of healthy eating and proper training.
Once you’re over that hill and have an action plan, you’ll find your primary focus turns to manage motivational levels and to assure you adhere to that program.
Having a solid program to follow is crucial for success since it keeps you on the right path to your goals.
We will learn how to plan and set goals for your fat loss journey for the best outcome.
Define your Goals
When you set a goal, it needs to be as precise as possible so you can begin achieving it.
Ask yourself “Why do I want to do it?” “and how?”
Ideally, you want to feel good and have more energy from exercising and eating a healthful diet.
This works much better than you “just want to lose weight.”
For this example, if you’re looking to lose weight, the primary fitness goal you wish to target should be fat loss.
You may be someone who has attended gyms or exercise classes. However, have taken an extended day without work or someone who has never even set foot inside the gym for a workout.
When starting an exercise program, you want to start work on building muscular strength.
Building muscle sets the foundation for when you begin to strip off the layers of fat you have packed on over the years.
You would like a smart fitness plan that’s going to be simple to follow and can get you results for the long term.
Your Source of Motivation
The motivation for fat loss can be for many reasons. You may want to drop weight for a wedding, photo shoot or improve your general health.
Sometimes you need a defining moment in your life which triggers you to take action and reduce weight.
People may be motivated by the thought being more attractive, having an abundance of energy or finally being able to play with your children without tiring.
It could be many other things. Whatever sets you on a weight loss journey, be sure to keep it in mind as you make progress continually.
For health, fitness and weight loss, be mindful of setting realistic targets so as not to be discouraged and give up.
Tracking Success
To track your journey and progress will always be the smart thing to do.
People who track their health and fitness results either by using a diary or apps are more inclined to stick with their program.
Drafting your weight loss goals over many months shows you how well you’re doing. Here you’ll see if you need to buckle up or slow it down.
Setting a long-term goal such as “I want to lose 20 pounds in 6 months” helps you plan for the ending.
If you’ve only lost 10 pounds after 4 months you know, you must work a bit harder to meet targets.
Your Low Carb Nutritional Program
As a beginner or intermediate, you should focus on a solid nutrition program. Making little changes whenever possible on an ongoing basis to help improve your overall diet.
If you’re one to eat processed and junk food, then it’s fair to say you should adjust your entire menu.
Remove all foods you ordinarily eat and replace them with wholesome natural nutrient dense foods high in vitamins and minerals.
Here we like to practice ketogenic dieting whereby we consume at least 70% fat and the rest around 10% carbs, 20% protein.
Incorporate a lot of these healthy veggies and fatty foods, makes many positive, healthy food selections, whereas restricting the processed, refined, and high sugar food products.
You are making yourself more accountable for the calories you are taking in every day.
Nutrition is of the utmost importance and creating healthier choices is a no-brainer for fat loss.
If you continue to eat unhealthy selections, you are not going to improve long-term health and ultimately fat loss.
Food Preparation
Weighing your food out in food storage containers, preparing meals in advance and calculating macros will be vital.
Use a good keto calculator to help plan your meals for the day.
It’s good to get into the habit of measuring food. Also, over time it becomes much easier to prepare meals. You have an idea of grams of fats, protein, and carbs without any kitchen scales.
After weighing and calculating food for a few months, you’ll develop a high understanding of macronutrients and your total calorie intake.
On a typical day following a LCHF diet, grams of fat can typically exceed 200g, protein 100g, and carbs under 50g.
For more resources check our ketogenic diet section.
What helps you best when setting health, fitness, and weight loss goals?
