Things You Need to Know Before You Lose Weight

In the last two years I’ve lost 120 pounds. That’s right. Basically a Jonas Brother.

I’ve learned a lot of things in this process and some of them would have been really useful to know before I started. In the spirit of sharing and in light of everyone’s desire to make smart, healthy lifestyle changes in the new year, I’m going to let you in on a few secrets that I wish someone had told me. You’re welcome.

Toss your scales. You heard me. Get them out of your house. Weigh yourself once a month at the gym, the drugstore, or at a friend’s house. If you have easy access to a set of scales, you will be hopping on them constantly and that will only discourage you. Our weight can fluctuate greatly from day to day and it is not an accurate indicator of progress. However, I do encourage you to take pictures and measurements every week. They do a much better job of chronicling your body’s changes.

Log your food. I know, this is a real pain but it can make a huge difference in your weight loss and guess what? There’s an app for that! I use the Lose It! application on my iPhone. It’s free and available for most smart phones. It helps you set goals, create recipes, and track your exercise. Since you’re making better food choices, you should also take a good look at your portion sizes. (Be prepared to wince when you find out how small a serving of Cheerios really is.) This guide on WebMD is the one I use and it is an excellent tool for assessing serving size.

Cardio is not enough. Sorry, but it’s true. Yes, cardio is the reigning fat-burning king, but you have to include weight training and flexibility training in order to get the best results. You will lose weight with cardio alone, but you will not like the way your body looks. (Like someone borrowed it, stretched it all out, and returned it to you without ironing it first.) Weight training tones and strengthens your muscles and when you add yoga or Pilates, you get long, lean muscles with the added bonus of stress relief and increased flexibility. It is also critical to “shake up” your fitness routine regularly to avoid the dreaded “plateau effect.” At one point I was teaching 7-8 Zumba classes a week and not losing an ounce. Once I increased my weight training the pounds and inches started falling off.

Be prepared for “phantom fat.” Even though everyone tells you that you look fabulous after losing weight (and you do) when you see yourself in the mirror, you may not agree. It can take a couple of years to reprogram your brain so you can actually see your thinner self. “Phantom fat” is one of the reasons many people gain their weight back after a loss. They don’t see the difference so they figure, “What’s the point?” and go back to their unhealthy diet and lifestyle. One of the tricks I use is to keep a pair of my size 28 jeans in my closet. When I look in the mirror and still see “that” person, I hold those jeans up and it’s a quick reality check. Your brain will eventually catch up to your body; just don’t let it sabotage your hard work in the meantime.

Making the changes necessary to lose weight and change your lifestyle aren't easy. They take determination, commitment, and a willingness to allow yourself to mess up on occasion. Embracing the challenges that you face (and you will have many) is an integral part of the journey. But we only get one body, so taking care of it is well worth the effort.