How To Lose Your First 10 Pounds

Virtually everyone will, at some point in their lives, decide that it is time to lose some weight. One of the most common ways this is done is through diet and exercise.

Unfortunately however, losing weight can prove to be quite a challenge to begin with, which is why so many people fail at their weight loss attempts.

In this article, you will learn some simple but important steps which will show you how to begin your weight loss efforts successful.

I Want To Lose X Pounds

The first step to successful weight loss is deciding upon how much weight you would like to lose.

The trick is to set a realistic goal, which will challenge you but you still think you could accomplish if you put your mind to it.

For most people, losing 10 pounds in 3/4 weeks is a sensible and realistic weight loss goal.

To Lose 10 Pounds You Need To Change Your Lifestyle

Your habits are currently responsible for your present state of health. This means that your current habits will also be responsible for your future state of health.

So unless you want to maintain the same level of fitness and the same body weight as you have today, you need to change your habits in line with what you want to achieve.

Think about your day. Do you spend most of the day sitting down? Do you drive to work, sit down at your desk, sit on the couch in front of the TV after dinner and then lie down in bed?

If so, these are things you could change, because these habits are not doing your body or your health any favours.

Try to become physically active whenever possible, because you don’t have to go to a gym to exercise. Try riding a bike or walking instead of taking the car, try playing sport with a friend or simply go for a run in the morning or the evening.

It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you bring some sort of sustained physical activity into your life whenever you have the opportunity to do so.

What you will find is that the more active you become in your life, the more energy you will feel you have and the more you will want to exercise.

When you start exercising you will feel happier and stronger, and so will become motivated to do even more exercise.

It’s a self reinforcing cycle, and one that starts when you first make the decision that you are going to change your life for the better.

Why It’s Easy To Lose 10 Pounds!

Losing the first 10 pounds is actually one of the easiest set of pounds that you will ever lose.

The reason for this is because most weight gain is due to physical inactivity and eating too much sugar and refined carbohydrates.

So if all you did was cut out refined carbs and sugar from your diet without exercising, you would probably quite easily lose 10 pounds in 3/4 weeks.

Why It’s Hard To Lose 10 Pounds!

Losing your first 10 pounds can also be the most difficult set of pounds you lose, largely as a result of your old established patterns of behaviour, your habits.

Habits allow us to do things easily, effortlessly and without thinking. People also feel comfortable with the habits they have, and breaking those habits makes them feel uncomfortable.

Every major change you make to your life, not just in terms of weight loss, will involve the breaking of old habits and the formation of new habits. Since we naturally like to fall back on our habits, this can make making changes to our life very difficult.

If you want to lose your first 10 pounds and improve your overall health, you therefore need to identify your old habits and replace them gradually with new healthy habits.

Be Successful At Losing Weight

In order to lose your first 10 pounds you don’t need to go to the gym every day, or go on a drastic diet. You just need to make a few sensible adjustments to your lifestyle, and stick with them for at least one month.

In terms of exercise, take every opportunity you have to be physically active rather than being inactive. Most people will be able to be active enough just through their normally daily routine to lose weight without exercising in the traditional sense.

In terms of diet, cut out sugar and refined carbohydrates, as these are the number one cause of fat accumulation.

To monitor your progress weigh yourself once a week only, and record your weight in a notebook so you can see how much progress you have made.

If you can make these changes and stick with them for 30 days, you will be well on the way to developing healthy exercise and dietary habits that will eventually replace your old bad habits.