How to Start Losing Weight (with Pictures)

This article was co-authored by Danny Gordon. Danny Gordon is an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Personal Trainer and Owner of The Body Studio for Fitness, a fitness studio based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 20 years of physical training and teaching experience, he has focused his studio on semi-private personal training. Danny received his Personal Trainer Certification from the California State University, East Bay and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

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The hardest step in losing weight is getting started. The most effective way to start is to get commit to small lifestyle changes that increase your exercise and reduce your calories. Strengthen your resolve and make small adjustments that have big long-term payoffs.[1]
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Expert Source

Certified Personal Trainer Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.

Steps

Planning a Safe Weight Loss Goal

1. 1Make an appointment with your doctor. This is essential, especially if you’re sedentary, haven’t had a physical for a long time or you suffer from a chronic condition. There may be certain recommendations for nutrition or low-impact exercise that you need to take into account.
2. 2Set goals. Start by expecting to lose no more than one pound a week per average. Use a weight loss calculator to help calculate a realistic timeline for weight loss. When in doubt, try to emphasize improving your overall health over simply losing weight.[2] X Expert SourceDanny GordonCertified Personal Trainer Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.
   • Try sites like FitWatch who provide a target date calculator.
   • If you are obese, try contacting a weight loss center to try setting long-term weight loss goals that are reasonable and healthy.[3] X Research source
3. 3Consider what your challenges will be. Any weight loss plan should be a combination of diet, exercise and lifestyle changes.[4] X Expert SourceDanny GordonCertified Personal Trainer Expert Interview. 18 October 2019. For example, don’t start a diet plan that is too drastic if you already know you are unlikely to stick to it.
4. 4Team up. Get a friend who also wants to lose weight to help motivate you. Consider joining a weight loss group, like weight watchers, or joining a fitness class that meets regularly to reap the benefits of teamwork.[5] X Research source
5. 5Invest in a tool that will help you reach your goal. Try an activity tracker, a gym membership or a subscription based meal plan. When you have a financial stake in it, you’ll be more motivated to continue the program.
6. 6Remove temptation. This could mean removing the unhealthy snacks in your pantry, reducing the number of days you go out for cocktails or refusing to schedule meetings during regular exercise times. When you’re tired or stressed, you are much less likely to stick to your plan, so make it easier on yourself.
7. 7Have a healthy shopping trip at the same time each week.[6] X Expert SourceDanny GordonCertified Personal Trainer Expert Interview. 18 October 2019. Try to avoid the aisles and stick to the perimeter, where the healthier options are located.Advertisement

Starting an Exercise Program

1. 1Buy a low-cost pedometer or a sophisticated activity tracker to track your steps. Get started by increasing your activity levels. For most adults, you should aim to reach 10,000 steps per day at a minimum.
   • You may be surprised at how quickly adding 10-minute walks throughout the day can add miles to your pedometer.
2. 2Aim for one hour of exercise per day. While this may seem like a lot, think of it as an extremely small portion of your 24-hour day. This is the recommended amount of low to moderate exercise recommended by experts to lose weight and keep it off.
3. 3Split up your exercise into two or three sessions throughout the day. Start with a walk after each meal.[7] X Research source
4. 4Incorporate a moderate-intensity workout three to four times per week. Take a class or schedule a gym session before you get too busy. If you like to work out at home, purchase a used treadmill and walk/run as you watch TV.
   • If you are 60 or older, stick with low-intensity workouts, like walking and swimming, but try to increase your pace slowly. Maintain at least 10 minutes of exercise at a pace where you find it hard to keep up a conversation during your workout.

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Starting a Healthy Eating Plan

1. 1Start by cutting portion size. It is an easy first commitment because it doesn’t require you to change your routine. Simply reduce your portion size by 25 percent.
   • There’s a chance you’ll curb overeating, but still feel full on 75% of your normal daily calories.
   • Serve your smaller portion on a smaller plate. You’ll feel fuller and more satisfied.
2. 2Keep a food journal. For the first month, write down everything that you eat. Recording your diet will make you mindful of what you eat and also make you feel accountable if you sneak in unhealthy options.[8] X Research source
3. 3Eat more whole foods. If you eat whole grains, fruits and vegetables, you can eat more while gaining less. Processed foods should be reduced to portion sizes of 100 to 200 calories, which is a surprisingly small amount of food that won’t keep you full.
4. 4Start by removing or reducing liquid calories. Milky coffee drinks, soft drinks and alcohol give you the most calories for the fewest nutrients. Replace those drinks with water and you will make a significant dent in your calorie consumption.
5. 5Try to cut calories in your diet significantly every other day. Never skip meals, but reduce the amount you eat by 25 to 50 percent. You can begin to see weight loss benefits in just two weeks.[9] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
   • The same is true of low-carb diets. Using an alternate-day plan may also be easier to keep up in the long-term.
6. 6Subscribe to a healthy recipe magazine or try a new cookbook. Once you find one you like, you can start incorporating more healthy substitutions into your diet.Advertisement

Expert Q&A

• QuestionWhere do I start if I want to lose weight?Danny GordonDanny Gordon is an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Personal Trainer and Owner of The Body Studio for Fitness, a fitness studio based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 20 years of physical training and teaching experience, he has focused his studio on semi-private personal training. Danny received his Personal Trainer Certification from the California State University, East Bay and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
  Certified Personal TrainerCertified Personal TrainerExpert AnswerI always tell people to first focus on their health. Make your goals focused on living healthier and making healthier choices. Also try to keep your mind focused on prevention, as in, making choices that are going to prevent you from having high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Those are all very good motivators to help you to stay on track.
• QuestionWhat is a realistic weight loss goal per month?Danny GordonDanny Gordon is an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Personal Trainer and Owner of The Body Studio for Fitness, a fitness studio based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 20 years of physical training and teaching experience, he has focused his studio on semi-private personal training. Danny received his Personal Trainer Certification from the California State University, East Bay and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
  Certified Personal TrainerCertified Personal TrainerExpert AnswerInitially, plan to lose just 1 pound per week, which would be 4 pounds per month. Use a weight loss calculator to help you plan how much weight you’ll lose.

Tips

• Plan to weigh yourself at the same time each week. At the beginning, constant trips to the scale will only reduce your resolve. You need to judge in weekly progress, rather than daily reductions.
• Your most important piece of exercise/weight loss equipment is likely to be a good pair of walking shoes. Buy supportive shoes to reduce your risk of pain and injury.
• Try to eat healthier foods and exercise while you can. Do not over push yourself.

Things You’ll Need

• Weight loss calculator
• Activity tracker/pedometer
• Gym membership/exercise equipment
• Walking shoes
• Food journal
• Whole foods
• Healthy cookbook/magazine subscription

References

1. ↑ Danny Gordon. Certified Personal Trainer. Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.
2. ↑ Danny Gordon. Certified Personal Trainer. Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.
3. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/4-ways-to-get-that-diet-going
4. ↑ Danny Gordon. Certified Personal Trainer. Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.
5. ↑ http://www.active.com/running/articles/8-tips-to-start-your-weight-loss-journey-from-ben-davis
6. ↑ Danny Gordon. Certified Personal Trainer. Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.
7. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/expert-qa-starting-weight-loss-plan-james-o-hill?page=2
8. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/expert-qa-starting-weight-loss-plan-james-o-hill
9. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16529878