Weight Loss Newbies: The Beginner’s Guide to Losing Weight

So you’ve decided that you’re going to do it.

You’re sick and tired of being sick and tired and are once and for all
hell bent on losing weight.

Well, let me be the first to warn you of a very grim fact:

Millions have tried before you and most of them have
failed miserably at reaching their weight loss and diet
goals.

Therefore, I’ve put together a little beginner’s guide to
help make sure that you are one of the few that actually ends
up being successful at this.

1. Get an accurate picture of where you are now

   Many people just go and hop on a diet or weight loss program without
   knowing exactly where they are from the start. This is dangerous
   because along the way there WILL be numerous times where you will be tempted
   to simply quit altogether. Without knowing where you started, you won’t
   be able to accurately gauge your progress. Not being able too see that
   progress put you at an extremely high risk of quitting down the road when
   the going gets tough.

2. Set specific, realistic goals for your weight loss, and WRITE THEM DOWN.

   This is one of the most ill-executed steps in the entire process of losing
   weight. Most people will passively quote some random amount of weight that
   they “hope” to lose.

   “I need to lose 30 lbs.”
   “I’m trying to get back down to a size X”
   “If I can just fit back into Y, I’ll be fine”

   That is the exact WRONG way to go about your weight loss. All above the above
   are hopes. Wishes. Desires. And none does a thinner body make.

   What you need are detailed, definite goals that are
   written and time bound (e.g. “over the next 3 months”)
   to hold yourself accountable to doing what you
   said you were going to do by the time you said you were going to do it.

   Adopt a step-by-step course of action to get you there

   In order for this to work there needs to be a concrete method to your
   weight loss madness. To this end, you need to chose a weight loss plan
   that will lead you step-by-step through what to eat (and what not to eat),
   how and when to exercise, and every other imaginable aspect of losing
   weight. The reason for this is that goals have a much better chance of
   becoming reality when they are being attained as a result of a plan or system
   of action.

   Get started IMMEDIATELY

   Most flunkies know how to study. Most broke people know how wealth is
   generated. Most overweight people how to lose weight. However, what separates
   all of these very knowledgeable, yet unsuccessful people from the results
   they desire is action. Don’t let that be your fate.

   Once you have written specific goals and chosen a plan of action, don’t
   delay in getting right on track to weight loss. The cheesecake, burgers,
   chocolate, and pastries aren’t going anywhere. You can snack on them moderately
   once you’ve achieved your goals. Don’t get caught into the
   trap of holding off having Your
   Best Body any longer. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll be done.

   Be Prepared for the emotional roller coaster

   Nearly everyone who has tried to lose weight has had some level of success
   at one time or another. For those who have not been able to sustain desirable
   results, being knocked out by the emotional roller coaster is most likely to blame.

   Look, losing weight is very simple, but not easy. If it were, there wouldn’t
   be so many people trying to get it right. The #1 skill that you will need to
   develop in order to make it through is surviving the roller coaster of emotions.
   One day you’ll feel as if you’re getting great results. A week later, you may actually
   feel that you are moving backwards. Either way, just know that as long as
   you consistently follow the weight loss principles, you will ALWAYS move forward, even
   if it does not feel like it.

   Don’t stop until your goal is reached, no matter WHAT

   So many times people come to a screeching halt in their efforts to lose
   weight and diet because they get discouraged a portion of the way through OR
   after they reach a certain benchmark they allow themselves to be satisfied
   and quit the program even though their goal has not been reached.

   DON’T DO IT.

   There was a specific reason that you set your initial goal. Do not sell
   yourself short by settling for anything less. Stick it out until the very end,
   and your sense of accomplishment will be irreplaceable.

   Once you’ve reached your goal, never, EVER let yourself blow up
   again

   This is the last and final barrier to ultimate success in your efforts to
   lose weight.

   Make sure not to allow yourself to relapse while you are in maintenance mode.
   I recommend sticking to the same general principles that helped you lose the weight
   and then occasionally indulging in some of the foods that you love. This balance
   is the best way to keep the body that you’ve worked for and not feel over-restricted.

Make this the first and last time that you ever have to go through a weight loss
program. Remember that if you can just get it right one good time, you can
literally maintain it forever with little effort.

To Your Best Body,

Lawrence Cole
Your Lifestyle and Fitness Coach
YourbestbodyNOW.com

Lawrence Cole is a Lifestyle and Fitness Consultant based out of Los Angeles, CA. He has over 10 years of health and fitness experience and designing simple, effective nutritional strategies to help individuals achieve their personal best internal health and physical conditioning.

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