It's the top of another New Year and with a new year, there is often a health related goal on every woman's mind. One of the top goals is to lose weight—typically by the summer months—so they can feel confident in their skin when the warmer weather hits and clothing becomes less.
If this is you, here are nine things you can do starting today that will help you lose 15-25 lbs by the summer:
1. Start now
There are 24 weeks between now and the first day of summer. For a sustainable rate of weight loss, you can’t expect to lose more than 1 lb per week. So, I recommend starting now.
2. Walk more
Most of us are way too sedentary, especially those with a desk job. Increasing your step count to 8-10K per day will burn a ton of calories. It will also help manage stress and improve overall health.
3. Sleep more
Chronic fatigue will make you hungrier because your body produces more of a hormone called ghrelin, which makes you feel hungry and less of a hormone called leptin that makes you feel full. Aim to go to bed by 11pm and get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. The earlier you go to bed, the more deep, restorative sleep your body will get. Also aim to improve sleep quality by cutting device times 30-60 minutes before bed.
4. Manage your stress
Many of us react to stress with emotional eating, which doesn’t help with our weight loss goals. To manage stress, incorporate a daily stress management habit like journaling, meditation, breathing exercises or mindful walking.
5. Track your calorie intake
The only way to lose weight is by eating in a calorie deficit, so track your intake to ensure you’re not overeating. Your calorie intake requirements for weight loss can be calculated as follows:
Multiply your target weight in lbs and multiply by 12.
If your goal weight is 130 lbs, you would eat 1,560 calories (130 x 12) per day.
6. Eat more protein
Consuming adequate protein reduces hunger and prevents muscle loss. You don’t want to lose muscle if you want to look more toned. Having muscle is a vital part of achieving a toned look. Use the following calculation to determine your protein requirements:
Multiply your target weight in lbs and multiply by 0.7-1 grams of protein per day.
So, if your target weight is 130 lbs, you should aim to consume 91-130 grams of protein per day.
My favourite sources are chicken breast, greek yogurt, eggs and egg whites, protein powder and extra lean ground beef and turkey.
7. Follow the 80/20 rule
Make sure that at least 80% of your daily calories come from nutritious, minimally processed foods, including plenty of vegetables and fruits. This will keep you healthy and energized. Then, aim to get the rest of your calories from anywhere you like so you can still live life and feel sane!
8. Limit alcohol consumption
Aim for no more than 1-2 alcoholic beverages a week. Alcohol may interfere with sleep quality; affects fluid balance in the body and recovery from exercise; it adds calories that are stored for energy but with no nutritional value; and for those in menopause transition, it may worsen your symptoms.
9. Start strength training consistently
Strength training is also super important for preventing muscle loss in a calorie deficit. 2-4x per week is a good frequency.
Struggling with or not sure how to get started with all of these tips?
Schedule a free health strategy session with me today. We'll deep dive into your goals, your biggest challenges and a solution to get you there.