Healthy weight loss requires a lifestyle that includes healthy eating habits, regular physical activity, and stress management rather than a "diet" or "program." It could also be more difficult to lose weight if you use medications for other problems. Speak with your healthcare professional if you are worried about your weight or have concerns about your medications. Talk with your health care provider.
When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s natural to want it to happen very quickly. People who lose weight gradually and steadily (about 1 to 2 pounds per week) are more likely to keep it off.
Once you’ve achieved a healthy weight, rely on healthy eating and physical activity to help maintain health over the long term.
Losing weight isn’t easy, and it takes commitment. But if you’re ready to get started, we’ve got a step-by-step guide to help get you on the road to weight loss and better health.
Before starting the guide, it’s important to approach the changes with self-compassion and understand your readiness and motivation. Creating a supportive environment, both physically and with the people in your life, can help you achieve your goals. Losing weight takes commitment and a well-thought-out plan. Getting started on your weight loss journey means changing your lifestyle to eat a variety of healthy foods, get regular physical activity, get enough sleep, and manage stress.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting started.
Step 1: Make a commitment.
Making the decision to lose weight, change your lifestyle, and become healthier is a big step. Start by making a commitment to yourself.
Whether you have a family history of heart disease, want to see your kids get married, or just want to feel better in your clothes, writing down the reasons you want to lose weight can help you confirm your commitment to yourself. Post these reasons where they will serve as a daily reminder of why you want to make this change.
Step 2: Set realistic goals.
Set some short-term goals and reward your efforts along the way. Maybe your long-term goal is to lose 40 pounds and control your high blood pressure. Then some short-term eating and physical activity goals might be to drink water instead of sugary beverages, take a 15-minute walk in the evenings, or have a salad or vegetable with supper.
Focus on two or three goals at a time. Effective goals are—
Specific
Realistic
Forgiving (less than perfect)
For example, "exercise more" is not a specific goal. But if you say, "I will walk 15 minutes, 3 days a week, for the first week," you are setting a specific and realistic goal for the first week.
Remember, small changes every day can lead to big results in the long run. Remember that realistic goals are goals that can be achieved. By achieving your short-term goals day by day, you’ll feel good about your progress and be motivated to continue. Setting unrealistic goals, such as losing 20 pounds in 2 weeks, can leave you feeling defeated and frustrated.
Step 4: Identify resources for information and support.
Find family members or friends who will support your weight-loss efforts. Making lifestyle changes can feel easier when you have others you can talk to and rely on for support. You might have coworkers or neighbours with similar goals, and together you can share healthy recipes and plan group physical activities.
Joining a weight loss group or visiting a health care professional such as a registered dietitian can help.
Step 5: Continually "check in" with yourself to monitor your progress.
Revisit the goals you set for yourself in Step 3 and evaluate your progress regularly.
If your goal is to walk each morning but you have trouble fitting it in before work, see if you can shift your work hours or if you can walk at lunchtime or after work.
Evaluate which parts of your plan are working well and which ones need tweaking. Then rewrite your goals and plan accordingly.
If you are consistently achieving a particular goal, add a new goal to help you continue on your pathway to success.
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