3 habits for losing excess weight

As we discussed in the previous article, to achieve any goal, we should not rely solely on momentary motivation but focus on building habits that will take us to the end point and generate the success we desire. In this article, we will be more specific and share with you the 3 key habits needed for effective loss of excess weight, which will not only help you shed excess fat but also ensure sustainable results in the long term.

We are sure that you know at least one person who faces this, or even you yourself are an example – trying to lose excess weight but never succeeding, or maybe succeeding to some extent but then losing everything you have achieved in no time. We hope that almost everyone knows that to lose excess weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit for a sufficiently long period of time (i.e., consuming fewer calories than those needed to maintain your weight). The main problem is that when we try to maintain a calorie deficit for an extended period, we often revert to our old eating habits and ruin everything. This is because 90% of our behavior during the day is driven by our habits. That is why if we want to have good long-term results, we must strive to build healthy habits that will lead us to success, rather than relying on momentary motivation, "magic" tricks, supplements, etc.

Here are the key habits you need to build:

1. Weigh yourself every day

Why does a simple habit like weighing yourself every morning after using the bathroom have a big impact on weight loss?
A two-year study was conducted with 162 people who were overweight and obese, attending the gym, divided into 2 groups (one group weighed themselves every morning, and the other did not). It was found that those who weighed themselves every morning and recorded their weight daily lost more weight and then maintained the results more easily. Weighing yourself every morning makes us more aware of the weight loss process and gives us an idea of what is happening and whether we are on the right track. The end result is better decision-making and, consequently, better results. The easiest way to add weighing yourself every morning is by using the principle you learned from the previous article. Let going to the bathroom be your "Signal," and weighing yourself be your "Action."

Every day, write down the date and your weight on a sheet, phone, or computer. This way, as we have already said, you will have an idea of the weight loss process and whether you need to make any changes. Also, it is important to note that weight can vary from day to day, which is another important reason why you should weigh yourself every day! If you only weigh yourself randomly during the week when you remember, you risk being misled about your progress.

Example:If you weigh yourself only 2-3 times a week, but those are days when your weight is higher than usual, it will make you think that you have no progress, while in fact you may have progress and your weight is decreasing compared to last week, you are just not tracking it correctly.

For this very reason, it is best to weigh yourself every day, and at the end of the week calculate your average weight, which you can calculate by taking the arithmetic mean of all the measurements from the week.

2. Track the calories and macronutrients you consume every day using apps like “Myfitnesspal”

Why count calories? What counting calories does is help us become extremely aware in the process of losing or gaining weight. Once you know how many calories you need to achieve your goal, you will be able, with the help of counting calories, to consume exactly as much as you need. This way, you will easily and consciously achieve your goal. Also, if you count calories regularly, you will learn the nutritional values of almost every food you consume.

Let's be honest. If we ask someone about the calorie values of a meal or product and they have never counted calories and/or macronutrients in their life, we will probably get an answer that is nowhere near the real values, and even if you know how many calories you should consume per day, if you don't count them correctly, you will not have a good result.

We are not saying that you have to count calories and macronutrients for the rest of your life, but the truth is that if you haven't gone through this process, you certainly do not have adequate knowledge about the nutritional values in different products. It is not uncommon to notice that there are people who do not even have basic knowledge about what certain products are rich in, which is one of the main reasons why these people do not succeed in losing excess weight.

Many people think that counting calories and macronutrients is difficult. The truth is, it is difficult for the first few weeks until you get used to it, but anything that gives good results is hard at first and requires a bit more effort. What you need to know is that once you learn this very important and key habit, it will accompany you for the rest of your life and will make things much easier for you. By counting the calories and macronutrients of foods, you will understand how and why you lose or gain weight, and once you know the reason for your previous failures, the chance of making a bad choice again will be very small.

3. Avoid lack of physical activity

You don't need to train at the gym every day or spend hours on the treadmill. For most people, especially beginners, training even just 3 times a week is completely sufficient, but what would make a significant difference is striving to have more activity throughout the day, which can be achieved through small but meaningful changes in your daily routine. Instead of using the elevator, take the stairs. Instead of driving to work, use a bike. Instead of watching TV in the evening, go for a walk in the park and listen to music or an audiobook. This way, you will burn extra calories every day, feel much better, and build a great habit that, together with the two habits above, can change your life for the better.

We hope that the article was helpful to you and that you will start working on building these key habits! Share in the comments which habit you find most challenging. If you liked the article, support it by sharing it on your social networks.