Weight loss tips this time around are all about keeping track of things and knowing what it is that you’re loosing. Knowing and tracking your results will allow you to make adjustments to further your progress. It’s also about being honest with yourself about what you can and might not accomplish based on how much work you want to put into it. Being realistic about what’s possible and the length of time it will take can be the difference in keeping your sanity.

1. Know what you’re loosing - When you drop 2 pounds during the week, what did you drop? was if fat, muscle or water? Muscle is your metabolic engine and you want to do everything in your power to build muscle and keep the muscle you have. Drastic calorie cutting may very well waste your hard earned muscle and slow the fat loss. Without knowing what you’re loosing (or gaining), you wont be able to make adjustments to your program. Invest in a good body fat scale that measures weight and body fat. The better ones like Tanita also measure hydration levels too, so you know if you’ve lost water weight, muscle or fat. Knowing can make all the difference.

2. Track your progress - keep score of your results. No matter what happens you got a result. You either got leaner, stayed the same, or gained weight. Keeping track of your results AND knowing what your body is doing (fat loss - fat gain, muscle loss - muscle gain, neutral) using a body fat measurements helps you make adjustments. If you burnt fat (reduced your body fat percentage), you’re program is working. If you gained muscle your program is working (in reverse, but still working). If you stayed neutral, you’ll want to have a look at what’s going on and make some decisions. Too many calories, too little? not enough exercise? too much? Without tracking and knowing what is changing in your body, you are guessing. Write your results down. Keep track of them on a calendar, in an excel spreadsheet or in a notebook. Keep track of your program as well so that you can always refer back to what worked and what didn’t work.

No matter what happens, you got a result. It’s up to you to decide if your program needs adjustment or not. Do you need to eat more food or less? Do you need to exercise more or allow for more recovery time? It’s the results that allow you to make a decision

3. Set realistic goals - what’s realistic? That question is completely subjective. What’s realistic for you might be different than others. It depends on the dedication to your goals. Are you working this every day or every other day? Are you exercising every day? or 3 times a week? If you’re program is on slow mode, is 4 pounds a week realistic? probably not, but 1 pound may very well be. If you’re making a comeback from a recent setback, you probably have the metabolism to burn the fat fast and 3 pounds a week is realistic, it just has to be revved up again is all.

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