Meal plans, supplements, fat-burning workout programs, cleanses, macro tracking, the keto diet and other nutrition regimes—where do you start if you want to lose weight?
Here’s the truth: The world of nutrition can be very confusing, and there are lots of too-good-to-be-true promises and outright lies. It’s no wonder many people struggle with weight loss.
But I have great news for you: Simple healthy habits can help you move toward your goals.
In fact, you can take some simple steps today and you’ll be on the right track. I’ll provide a few things you can do right now if you want to lose weight. If it all seems “too easy,” remember, simple habits are sustainable habits and sustainable habits produce long-term progress.
Weight-Loss Habit 1: Get Moving
You know all those workout programs you see on TV? You don’t need to complicate things if you’re just starting out. Instead, just get moving. And if you’re already moving every day, increase the amount a little bit. Movement will help you burn calories!
This movement could involve working out, and we advise you to eventually do workouts specifically designed to help you reach your goals. But in the beginning, just adding general movement to your day will produce results.
Here are a few ideas:
- Go for a short walk twice a day.
- Spend time doing yard work or tackling a project that requires movement.
- Play a sport with a child or grandchild.
- Pick up a ball, racket or club and head to the park or field.
- Get on an indoor bike, treadmill, or rower (outside in the summer).
- Use the stairs at work any time you have to go to another floor or walk the stairs on a break.
Try to do something every day and give yourself a checkmark on a whiteboard, calendar, or sticky note every time you do an activity.
Once you get a string of days with activity, you’ll have confidence and momentum. The next step? You might add some light resistance workouts to your routine—maybe two or three times a week in addition to your daily movement.
What should you do? You can find many workouts for beginners online, but you might consider reaching out to an MSP Coach who can tell you exactly which workouts will help you reach your goals fastest. If you want to book a free consultation with us, click here to choose a gym location and click the “book a free intro” button.
Weight-Loss Habit 2: Focus on Vegetables and Lean Protein
Improving your diet can be very simple. Most people eat too many carbs and too much fat. Many popular foods combine the two and make it easy to overeat. Sometimes you definitely deserve a treat. But to accomplish weight-loss goals, use a few simple but very effective strategies.
First, fill half your plate with veggies at every meal. Vegetables are packed with vitamins, nutrients and fiber which makes them filling and nutritious. They’re also low in calories and can be delicious – try air frying or roasting your veggies!
The other part of the plan: focus on lean protein. Rib-eye steaks, juicy hamburgers and deep-fried chicken wings won’t fit well with this plan. But grilled chicken breasts, turkey cold cuts, and fish are great choices. There are also many other protein options if you’d prefer not to eat meat.
Protein will help you build or maintain muscle and lean choices will ensure you don’t take in a lot of calories from fat.
Again, you can track your “win streaks” by giving yourself a checkmark every time a meal has veggies and lean protein. Your body will love what you’re putting into it and you’ll feel great.
Once you have some momentum, you might want to fine-tune your plan and add in some other healthy habits in the kitchen. That’s where a pro comes in: we can suggest additional habits that will move you closer to your goals and create a plan to achieve results.
Be on the lookout for MSP’s very own nutrition program launching January 1. Our nutrition program will prioritize meaningful behavior change for real, long term results. To book a free nutrition intro scroll up and hit the free intro button at the top of this page!
Simple and Effective
If you ever feel overwhelmed by all the noise around weight loss, remember that fitness and nutrition don’t have to be complicated. At first, the key is to move a little more and eat a little better every day and then an expert can help you tailor your plan so you get the best results.
If you have any questions or want to talk more about body composition change or health and performance please reach out to our team at MSP (info@mspgym.com). Then, try to go for a walk today or make a meal with lean protein and veggies! You’ve got this!