The hardest part of a weight loss journey is taking the first step to begin. Maybe you don?t even know where to begin? What to do? Whether or not you should try a certain diet? I know it can all seem so overwhelming and may even make you feel uncomfortable. 

If this is what you?re thinking or feeling right now, then I want you to know that you have come to the right place to learn how to begin to lose weight. 

First, who am I to teach you about such things??

My name is Mikaela Schifferle, and I am a qualified nutritionist who has helped hundreds of people to start their weight loss journeys and successfully complete them. I know from experience on both my own journey and through my clients? journeys that taking the first step (to begin to lose weight) is, by far, the hardest. 

It is often an absolute whirlwind of emotions. Maybe, right now, you?re feeling overwhelmed, scared, nervous, but also excited and motivated at the same time. I get it and I understand it. Every single one of your emotions is valid. After you?ve finished reading this post, I want you to walk away feeling confident and ready to begin your weight loss journey. Below, I have outlined my 4 steps that cover how you can begin to lose weight. 

Step 1: Set your goals and define your ?deep why?

I know this sounds cliche and easy, but it is such an important part of any fat loss journey. Weight loss is not easy, and, on your journey, you will experience myriad speed bumps and hurdles. I?m not saying this to try and scare you; instead, I just want to be realistic and honest with you. Along your journey, there will be days where you second guess even wanting to lose weight. There will be days where it feels all too hard, and you want to give up. On these days, your goals and your deep ?why? (i.e. why you wanted to lose weight in the first place) are more important than ever. You need to have them clearly outlined and somewhere where you can physically see them. By visually looking at your goals, it serves as a constant, subtle reminder as to why you started this journey; and thus, gives you the motivation to keep pushing forwards. 

How do you set these goals? Firstly, have your long-term goal and your deep why (e.g. I want to lose 20kg in order to reduce my risk of developing a cardiovascular disease), then break it down into smaller goals (e.g. I want to lose 3kg this month). Remember to write them down and place them somewhere where you can visually see them. 

Step 2: Define how you want to eat for the rest of your life

I know how many ?quick fix? diet approaches there are out there. As humans, we naturally want results quickly, which is why many of these ?quick fix? diets sound so appealing. However, do you really never want to eat carbohydrates, sugar and/or coffee again? I mean, to me, that does not sound fun at all? 

But, you will be very happy to know that you can lose weight without cutting out any of these food groups. Yes, you can still eat all your favourite foods and lose the weight you want to lose!

It?s important to eat now (when you?re losing weight), the same way you want to eat when you ultimately get to your goal weight. If you cut all these food groups out, reach your goal weight, and add them back in; then you?re likely to end up exactly back where you started. In fact, studies show that approximately 90% of people who lose a lot of weight by dieting eventually end up regaining all of it, and many even end up putting on even more weight than they started with.

So, instead, define how you want to eat. E.g. Do you ultimately want to eat out at social events? Do you still want to consume alcohol? Chocolate? Pasta? Etc. 

If yes, then that is okay! You can structure and work your diet around all these choices and still lose weight.

Step 3: Seek help from a professional to find out your individual body?s nutrient requirements

Everyone is completely different. As such, everyone will require a different amount of energy and macronutrients. This is determined by your body weight, height, gender, age, occupation and physical activity levels. It is important that you DO NOT just follow a generic meal plan from Google, as there is no possible way that any two individuals will need the exact same energy and macronutrient intake for a day. 

Therefore, it is very important to seek professional help when trying to work out what is right for your body. This will also ensure you are going to follow a plan that will provide you with successful weight loss results.  

If you?re interested in seeking help but aren?t exactly sure about spending the money, then that?s okay! In fact, at the moment I?m offering a free 30-minute weight loss consultation with a qualified nutritionist (either myself or someone from my team). On this call, we can help you determine what your daily energy and macronutrient intake should be. Seriously, check it out!

 

Step 4: Find support and accountability

I mentioned earlier that losing weight is not easy. Some days you may feel very alone on your journey. You may find some days harder than others. And conversely, some days you may have great success which you want to share with your friends and family.

It is important that you find a tribe to support, motivate and encourage you. You must remember that you are not alone on this journey. There are so many people who would love to support you through the good days and the bad. Find a community of likeminded people or a nutritionist that will guide you through the hard days, celebrate your successes with you and ultimately help you to reach your end weight loss goal.

 

You?ve got this! Take the first step to becoming a healthier version of yourself.