Gypsy Camp Blog

You know you need to lose weight, and you’ve tried. But for some reason, your weight loss aspirations keep coming up short, landing you back at square one, if not even heavier than you were starting out. We all know that being at a healthy weight is healthy, and leads to a long quality life, but heck, we all want to look good too! The problem is, you haven’t chosen the right weight loss plan that works for you.

With the literally millions of different weight loss plans, pills, programs and supplements on the market today, where do you even begin? Heck even the so called ‘fitness experts’ get confused with all the contradictory advice out there. At the end of the day though, it’s actually quite simple. Start by figuring out what your goals are, both long term and short. Then, match those goals up against a weight loss plan that is sensible, realistic, and fits into your lifestyle.

I have developed these guidelines to help you chose your goals and find the right plan that works for you:

1. Don’t overreach. You have to be realistic in your goals. Of course you need to challenge yourself, but the goal has to be attainable. Example: If you’re a 43 year old female that currently weighs 178 pounds, don’t set your long term goal to be 115 pounds if you haven’t been at that weight since you were 15 years old! Remember, 2 pounds per week is a fairly aggressive, but reasonable and safe goal.

A good indicator of your weight profile is the body mass index or BMI. Your BMI is yoru relative body fat calculated from your height and weight. According to the national Institutes of Health, the ideal range is between 19 and 24.9. BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, and any number above 30 is considered obese. So instead of focusing on pounds, try setting your goals based off a reasonable and realistic BMI.

It’s not hard to determine your BMI, but unless you’re a math genius, you’ll need to pull out your trusty calculator. Refer to the formula attached. I’ll walk you through and example: If you are 66 inches tall, and weigh 165 pounds, you multiply your height by itself (66 X 66) which will equal 4356. Then divide into your weight (165 / 4356) which is .0379, then multiply that by 703 (.0379 X 703) which gives you a BMI of 26.6. If you are using the metric system, use the appropriate formula to determine your BMI. Easy huh?

2. Write down why you want to lose weight! I know this sounds like a common sense thing, but it really does help motivate you and keep you on track. Also, I’d stay away from vanity reasons; psychologically that wears off quick — but reasons for longevity and good health tend to stick.

When you are researching weight loss plans, make sure you choose one that includes fitness and exercise, as well as healthy eating. Although it’s possible to lose weight without exercise, it’s likely not to last, and sure won’t be as quick.

3. Think in terms of ‘doing’, not ‘losing’. Don’t set your weekly goals in terms of weight loss, rather, set them in terms of what you are going do to this week! For example, its much more positive to set “I’m going to bike 20 miles this week” than “I’m going to lose 2 pounds this week”. The pounds you lose isn’t so much controllable by you as other factors, but what you DO to lose the weight, is completely controllable.

4. Take things one-day-at-a-time. Don’t look too far ahead! I know it’s cliche, but if you just focus on today, you’ll find you are much more successful — you can always worry about tomorrow, when you wake up tomorrow. This is especially true if you are just beginning and coming off of a couch potato lifestyle.

5. Have faith in yourself. Think of this weight loss plan you are about to set upon as a journey, not a race. Give yourself some latitude, and don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t always meet your weekly goals. Take pride in what did accomplish though. Remember, it’s a journey, not a race, so don’t worry about crossing the finish line first!

6. Use quantitative measures. Just stating you are going to be more positive this week, or youre really going to get serious this week, isnt a goal that you can quantify, or measure. A more practical approach is counting up how many minutes of exercise you will do, or how many miles you will walk, jog, or bike.

Nobody can lose your weight, and there is no magic weight loss pill. But the good news is, you can lose weight! Set your goals, make them realistic, and stick to them! Find a weight loss plan that matches your goals, and make sure it is all encompassing (nutrition as well as fitness and exercise). You do that, and you will be well on your way to permanent and life-changing weight loss!

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