This shouldn't take too long.
I'm an athletic/pretty fit person, who has helped a few friends get fitter and slimmer, and this list is definitely going to help you too. So... you want to lose weight, and you want to do it for two reasons: 1) Become more attractive, and 2) get healthier. Right? Sounds good. Well it won't necessarily be easy... a lot of people struggle to lose weight. Some more than others.
But you, yes you, can do it,
and it'll be easier for you if you DO NOT tell yourself the following things on this list, because they will hinder your journey.
1) "I don't need a goal weight."
...Yes you do. Whatever you weigh now, you need a goal, something SPECIFIC you can look at to know that you are working toward. Now! if you never reach this goal, but simply get a lot closer to it, that is also good! There may be nothing wrong with that, if you never reach your goal weight. If you weigh 220 lb. but want to weigh 180 lb., and you only ever make it to 185-190 or so, have you still progressed? Have you still gotten healthier and fitter? Yes! absolutely. So... yes, a number matters.
2) "It's better than nothing."
This is mostly in regard to specific exercises or methods of exercise. If an athletic trainer or someone has advice you read online or in a fitness magazine that goes contrary to what you've been doing, LISTEN TO THEM. Don't just keep doing things the way you have been, and tell yourself "Well, at least I'm doing something right? It's better than nothing. I could be sitting on my couch right now."
Yes... you could be, but you're setting a dangerous precedent for yourself that could become mentally ingrained if you tell yourself that an exercise that ISN'T DOING ANYTHING POSITIVE is helping you out. Because you know what'll happen then?... What will happen is, you won't challenge yourself. You won't push yourself. You won't try new exercises that use more muscle groups. You'll get scared of being sore. And that is an easy recipe for failure.
3) "I like treadmills."
No. You don't. You fucking hate treadmills. Tell yourself, right now, that you hate treadmills and you will not use them unless there is literally an inch of ice on the ground outside that is making it far too dangerous to run out there. Why do you hate treadmills? Simple: They mess up your gait/stride and they do half the work for you. If you are going to get fitter, there is ONE thing that is to do the work, and that is you.
So, like I said... you hate treadmills? How do you feel about treadmills? You hate them. Run stairs, swim in a pool, ride the exercise bike at a high level of resistance, whatever... but avoid treadmills AND ALL SIMILAR MACHINES, such as "stair masters" or "ellipticals." Do the real work, and do it outside.
4) "If I'm working out hard, I can reward myself by eating/drinking whatever I want."
...Losing weight is about 70% based on proper nutrition, 30% exercise. That is not to say that you cannot ever reward yourself with dessert or with a burger and fries, but if you're doing it every day instead of one or two meals a week, then you are blowing your goals. That's a simple fact. Excess fat is almost always based on one thing, and that is caloric intake. Burn more calories than you take in, and you WILL lose weight, short of having some kind of weird fluid retention disorder.
But that also doesn't mean you can never eat anything fun! And if enjoying one or two cheat meals a week is what keeps you sane, THEN DO IT. You don't have to make yourself miserable with "going on a diet," because that isn't sustainable. "Going on a diet" does not work, because you know in the back of your mind it is only temporary. If you want to stay healthy and KEEP the weight off, then there are *overall dietary and nutritional changes* that you could consider... not just "I'll go on a diet for a month." Your whole life is a hell of a lot longer than a month, right?
5) "What's the point?"
There's nothing wrong with you if you get frustrated from time to time; we all do. It's not that you can't ever ask yourself ^ this or you're a failure... but remind yourself of your eventual goal when you ask yourself "what's the point?" Yes, we're all gonna die some day and the Sun will eventually destroy the Earth in like five billion years, and all that nonsense, but there is a point: You becoming the toughest, fittest, leanest, happiest version of yourself, because we all only have one life to live brothers and sisters and we need to make it the best we can.
~ Dig it. Thanks for reading; hugs and kisses, and good luck. #whatnottotellyourself
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