Any project can seem overwhelming at the start. Losing weight is no exception (especially if you have a considerable amount of weight to lose like I did). If you are starting from scratch and want to jump start your weight loss efforts the best thing you can do to avoid being intimidated or overwhelmed is to progress through baby steps.
The following 5 baby steps are what I did to lose 70 pounds and what I’d recommend to anyone who is just starting out on a similar journey. The point here is to take them one at a time. Progress through them in order and only proceed to the next step when you feel you are ready (i.e. no need to do all 5 steps in a single week).
1) Create a foodlog – This first step is often overlooked but is very important in starting out into fitness on the right foot. Before you begin cutting calories and exercising, take a stock of what you are really eating. This can be done with a notebook and pen or a text file on your computer. Record every meal and every snack that you eat. Omit nothing. Also, at the beginning of each week, record your current weight. It is an awesome feeling to look back and see the weight slowly drop off.
At this time you can also begin counting up your total daily calories. This can take a little bit of guess work, but try to get as accurate as you can. It can be shocking at how much we really eat in a single day when we stop and take stock of our diet.
2) Cut out 500 calories a day – Now that you have a good idea of what you eat on a given day, we can begin the hard work. Start altering your diet in small ways by taking 500 calories out of your daily consumption. This may seem like a small number but overtime it will really add up. If you removed 500 calories a day from your diet then after a week’s time you will have consumed 3,500 less calories than you normally would resulting in 1 pound of weight loss (as 1 pound = 3,500 calories).
At this point, don’t try to overly restrict your calories. Stick to 500 calories less than what you usually eat. Later as we add exercise, your weight loss can increase beyond the 1 pound a week if you let it.
3) Begin cardio that you can stick with – Lately, a lot of people have been downplaying the effectiveness of long, slow cardio as a means of losing weight. Maybe they’re right. Maybe there are faster ways that people can drop weight. But if you attempt something that is so intense that you’re out of commission for a week, then it probably isn’t something that you’ll be able to stick to.
Therefore, for beginners, I recommend to start by adding 30-60 minutes of cardio 3 times a week. The longer you stick with it, the more efficient you will get and the faster you can go. However in the early stages, keep it nice and slow. Walk if you have to. Just make sure you get out of your house and get your heart rate up for the required amount of time.
4) Add strength training – After you feel comfortable jogging for the full 30-60 minutes, it’s time to add strength training to the mix. You don’t have to join a gym or even buy any expensive equipment (though it wouldn’t hurt). What you will need to do is begin looking for a strength training program that meets your needs. If you do have a gym membership, try StrongLifts.com’s 5×5 program. If you want to invest in a cheap dumbbell set and/or doorframe pull-up bar, I’d recommend following some of GymJunkie’s excellent strength training tips. If all you have is a floor, try the HundredPushups program. There really is something for everyone out there.
This baby step will really accelerate your fat loss. When combined with regular cardio, you should see a noticeable difference in a very short amount of time.
5) Train for a race – This last step may seem out of place but I really think it is important. Training for an event like a local 5K, 10K or marathon will give your training a specific purpose. No longer are you shooting for a vague goal of “losing weight”. Now you have a target in your sights with a fast approaching deadline. Training for a race will also give you accountability. If you aren’t prepared for the event when it comes, there is no postponing it. You’re either ready, or you’ll fail. This was seriously one of the most important things I did when I was first starting out.
You don’t have to be a runner for the rest of your life. Finish one race and decide for yourself when it’s over. You don’t have to be able to run the whole way (I didn’t). Go as fast as you can. If that means walking the whole way, then that’s fine. I know that a lot of people won’t see the importance of this step and will skip it altogether. But trust me, any benefits you receive from competing in a local race will out way the suffering you put into it.
Continue. The point of these steps is to ease a total beginner into a life of fitness. Living a fit life isn’t a 90 day program; it takes a lifestyle change that has to be consistent. There is no end. Just diet, exercise, and consistency.
(photo by D’Arcy Norman)
