Achieve Weight Loss with Weekly Planning

There is no simple answer to weight loss and each individual’s experience with it is unique. Shawn Smith , Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center , shares “starting something new is hard for many, so it’s important to have a fitness plan you enjoy.” Smith also says the lack of motivation is a reason why people don’t start losing weight, so discovering their motivation is the first step.

Each individual’s experience with weight loss is different; many who have lost weight still struggle staying consistent with their fitness. An analysis of 29 long-term weight loss studies “more than half of the lost weight was regained within two years, and by five years more than 80% of lost weight was regained.” For many, reaching their weight goal means they can stop exercising and eating healthily. But if someone doesn’t change their unhealthy habits, they will likely regain weight and eventually reach their starting weight.

Understanding how to include exercise and nutrition into your life is the first step in creating realistic goals. Losing weight is affected by multiple factors in your life including:

• Lifestyle
• Work environment
• Accessibility to healthy foods

In creating your plan, Smith says “you should set short- and long-term goals, even breaking them down further into phases based on an upcoming event or a big vacation.” Creating goals will help you track your weight loss but also motivate your desire to reach a special trip or event you’ve been anticipating. For creating weekly goals, Smith recommends losing an average of 0.5 to 1% of your total bodyweight. For example, a person weighing 200 pounds should aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week.

Another aspect to remember when creating a weight loss plan is finding the best way to measure and track your progress. Apps are great when tracking calories, workouts and measurements including your body weight. Tracking your weight with a scale is a popular way of measuring your progress, but it’s not for everyone. Some can find obsessing over the number on the scale as something that is not good for their mental health. “Another form of tracking weight that is popular in the fitness industry is using progress photos,” Smith says. You start by taking pictures before you begin your exercise program and during your journey to visualize your progress.

While creating your weight loss plan, you need to plan the types of exercises best for you and your lifestyle. Smith says one of the main workouts he recommends is resistance training. “When you’re looking at weight loss, most people really want fat loss. But when you lose weight, you’ll lose both muscle and fat—that’s why resistance training is so important.”

Staying consistent with your exercise routine is essential in losing weight. Here are four exercises recommended for those starting their weight loss journey:

• Push-ups
• Dumbbell rows
• Reverse lunges
• Squats

Smith recommends executing these exercises in 6-20 sets per body part every week. “Six sets for your legs can include three sets of squats and three sets of lunges,” says Smith. Paul Mossa , Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center, highlights these exercises in our Weight Loss With Resistance Training exercise video.

People struggling to lose weight may have unhealthy eating habits. Smith lists three of the most common unhealthy eating habits harming your weight loss progress:

• Drinking your calories. Yes, calories are included in the beverages we drink, including juice, coffee, tea, soda and energy drinks.
• Mindlessly snacking. Snacking when you’re not hungry can be triggered by countless aspects in someone’s life such as boredom, stress or comfort.
• Lack of nutritional knowledge. Underestimating calories in meals is as simple as not including add-ons such as cheese, creamer or dressing to your meal. This underestimation can cause you to exceed your calorie goal and hinder you from reaching your weight loss goal.

Weight loss is not one size fits all and requires key components such as planning, motivation, exercise and knowledge of healthy foods. If you have questions about weight loss, nutrition or Cooper Weight Loss program, schedule a nutrition consultation with a Cooper Clinic registered dietitian nutritionist. Call 972.560.2655 or visit cooperclinicnutrition.com .

For more information about professional fitness training at Cooper Fitness Center or to schedule a session with a trainer, visit cooperfitnesscenter.com or call 972.233.4832 .