Often people who set out to lose weight become so focused on the number on the scale and their weight loss progress, or lack thereof, that it consumes their thinking. It can be counter-productive because once you see that you have not lost weight and the scale doesn't reflect all of the hard work you put in, you end up getting off track and wonder why you even bother trying.
It is this all-or-nothing thinking, however, along with too much focus on your weight, that prevents you from reaching your long term goals. Making a shift towards being fit is a better way to track your progress while achieving weight loss as a byproduct.
Stop worrying about being skinny or getting to a certain goal weight. Instead, focus on healthy living. Start working out regularly and track your fitness. Don't be discouraged if you can't do as much as you'd like at first. Determine your current fitness level and set goals to improve on it. If you start with a 20 minute mile, for example, work on gradually improving that by walking faster, including intervals and eventually running until you can cut that time in half.
Apply this concept across the board. If you've never lifted weights or confine yourself to the circuit, it's time to step it up and start working with free weights. Again, you won't be able to start off benching or deadlifting huge amounts of weight, but work at your own level and work on getting better each week. Gage your progress by how many extra reps you can do or your personal best record that you continually aim to beat.
By focusing on your fitness level, you will have track-able results that aren't as subjective as the scale. You will improve your heart health, gain muscle, lose fat and reshape your body. Losing weight is a side benefit from committing to exercise, but as you gain muscle and your body transforms, it doesn't always show up on the scale, so rely on other ways of judging your progress, like how you feel, your energy level, how different your clothes fit and how much more you are capable of.
If you need help staying motivated, think about hiring a personal trainer or sign up for a local event like a 5K or a 10K race to train for.
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