How Do I Mentally & Physically Prepare Myself To Lose Weight?

Written by Adriana Albritton - Reviewed by Consumer Health Digest Team

Published: May 9, 2018 | Last Updated: Aug 2, 2019

Prepare Yourself for Weight Loss

Prepare For Success

Do you want to lose body fat and get fitter, and now are ready to make changes in your life? It is great that you realize that new habits need to be implemented. Change is hard and it is more comfortable to stay in the status quo.

So, I want to congratulate you for making the first step. It is important to set yourself up for success, which is why preparation is key. You have to lay the groundwork in order to embark on this whole process and make practical preparations.

Assess Your Body

It is time to make preparations related to your physical state. You need a starting point. It is highly advisable to take an honest look at your current state and log your findings.

  • Pictures: You should take front and back pictures of your full body.
  • Measurements: Measure your chest area, waist, hips, and legs.
  • Current Weight: Weigh yourself to get your startup point.

Get Your Tools Ready

  • Identify your Caloric Needs: You need to figure out how many calories your body needs in order to lose body fat. There are many websites and apps that can do the calculation for you. Just make sure that the one you use allows you to input all your essential info (age, weight, height, sex, and activity levels).
  • Meal Planning: Once you have your suggested personalized caloric intake, you are ready to change your diet. If you can get an individualized meal plan, it is much better since it is more accurate.
  • Tools For Weight Loss

  • Clearance: It is always a good idea to have a general overview of your health. It is generally recommended to see your primary physician before starting any exercise program as a safety precautionary measure. Most people get cleared to start a training program. In actuality, most physicians recommend it as part of your lifestyle. Once you have a clearance, you are ready to go!

Assess Your Fitness Level

It is also helpful and recommended to have a general idea of your fitness level. It will provide a quantifiable baseline, a starting point. In that manner, you will be able to see the progression of your physical state, as well as of your aerobic and muscular levels. You can do something very simple: time the number of correct sit up, pushups, and jumping jacks that you can do in one minute, and record those numbers.

Get Your Environment Ready

  • Eliminate the Junk: It is very hard to follow a meal plan when your kitchen is packed with foods, or food products, that are not part of a healthy plan. If the temptation is nearby, it is harder to resist. Go through your kitchen cabinets and refrigerator and get rid of all the processed unhealthy food you have. Eliminate all products with white flour, such as white bread, white rice, white pasta, baked goods, soda, sweets, artificial sugars, commercial juices, potato chips, and snacks.
  • Healthy Shopping: Go to the supermarket and buy organic produce, healthy carbs, as well as organic pasture-raised, grass-fed butter, or wild-caught meats. Try to stay away from processed foods.
  • Necessities: If you have a gym membership, you are set. If you are planning to join a gym, it is time to do your research and join one. If you are going to exercise in your house, you need to buy some basic items (buy a mat and free weights: a set of 7 and 12 lbs weights if you are a beginner, or a set of at least 20 lbs if you have previously worked out).
  • Attire: Get workout clothes and sneakers. If you have wore your sneakers for over a year, it is time to get new ones. You want to be fully supported.

Attire

Address Your Mindset and Spirituality

Besides preparing your body and environment, you must prepare your mind and spiritual life. Set up your goals, your vision, your sources of inspiration, and evaluate your negative thinking patterns.

  • GOALS: The first thing is to work on your goals. You must have defined goals. The goals of wanting to lose weight or being healthier are too vague and difficult to implement. You should instead frame them in concrete measurable words. For instance, plan to lose 10 pounds of body fat, plan to decrease two dress sizes, or plan to have your blood pressure or sugar levels within normal ranges, and give yourself a deadline. You are more likely to achieve your goals if they are specific, assessable, and have a time frame.

Thinking Patterns

  • Let go of the all-or-nothing thinking: This black-or-white thinking is extremist and can be quite sabotaging. For instance, you don’t have to spend hours at a gym to see changes or cheat on your dinner meal plan because you made the wrong choices during lunch. Taking a misstep does not mean that you have to change routes all together.
  • Let go of limiting thinking and excuses: “I’m too busy… I don’t have energy… I’m too fat, not athletic enough, too old, too sick to exercise’s This is too hard”
  • VISION: A vision for your future is highly beneficial in order to allow your plans to flourish. Having a vision means to imagine vividly where you want to be as if your goals have already materialized. Engage emotionally while you imagine and really feel it.
  • INSPIRATION: Find sources of inspiration that are going to help you stay on track. For instance, sign up to a blog, read books, listen to audiobooks, and/or watch videos that are aligned with your goals. At the same time, stay connected to people who inspire you and serve as a source of motivation.

Conclusion

As you see, there are different components to address when aiming to transform yourself. You are better equipped to deal with challenges and get long-lasting results when you approach change from a holistic perspective, addressing your body, your mind, and your spirit.

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