You have now lost a total of 20 pounds. With 20 pounds lost you might even be down a clothing size. You also might be able to notice some improvements in your health besides your increased self confidence. The accomplishment of losing 20 pounds towards your 50 pound goal should serve as a great motivator to continue on with your weight loss program. You have proven to yourself that you can accomplish this goal by following through with your healthy lifestyle habits. Although the process has not been easy or fast, the program is providing you with safe and healthy weight loss which you will be able to sustain.
It is important to keep up with your habit of tracking your daily weigh in. This positive lifestyle habit helps you stay accountable while on your weight loss journey. It also allows you to know when you need to make adjustments to your weight loss program in order to stay on track with your 2 pound per week weight loss goal.
Your regular sessions of exercise have become fully integrated into your life. Exercising for 4 days a week provides you with improved strength and endurance along with increased energy. The suggested days for exercise are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, however, you know that if these days do not work with your lifestyle that you can make adjustments and change them as you see fit. You know that the most important thing as far as exercise is concerned is that you reach your weekly goals for calories burned. The 225 pound woman used for the default example for the program requires a weekly calorie burn of 2,700 calories in order to reach the 2 pound lost per week goal. This means that each of her 4 weekly workouts must burn 675 calories. In order for a 225 pound person to burn 675 calories they must walk at a 4 mph pace for approximately 80 minutes. Remember that if you do not have this amount of time available in one block that you can break this workout down into four 20 minute workouts or two 40 minute workouts or whatever is necessary so long as you ensure that you burn the appropriate amount of calories. Another exercise option is a 65 minute session of low impact aerobic which will burn approximately 675 calories. If you enjoy swimming then a 65 minute session of moderately paced swimming can also burn approximately 675 minutes. The type of exercise that you do does not matter so long as you accomplish the required level of calorie burn.
Proper hydration plays an important role in effective weight loss. Proper hydration is also important to your overall good health. It is suggested that a minimum of eight 8 ounce glasses of water be consumed each day in order to be properly hydrated. However, it is not uncommon for quite a bit more water to be necessary in order for you to be properly hydrated. A simple and effective way to ensure that you consume your daily water requirement is to drink a full 8 ounce glass of water before each of your 6 daily meals. This helps ensure that you are hydrated throughout the day but also aids in promoting a feeling of fullness at mealtimes.
This weight loss program like many others suggests that you eat 6 meals per day. By eating on a regular basis you allow the metabolism to work at a more efficient level. At first glance, 1,200 calories seems to be a restrictive number which when divided among six meals is only 200 calories. However, by focusing on high quality food sources such as fresh produce, lean protein, and whole grains you are able to increase the quantity or volume of the food you are able to consume. A filling breakfast could be a whole wheat English muffin with a ½ ounce slice of low fat cheddar cheese and 1 ounce of Canadian bacon for a total of 202 calories. For a mid morning snack you might enjoy ¾ cup 1% milkfat cottage cheese with 1 cup fresh diced pineapple for a total of 198 calories. Lunch might be a play on a Greek salad made by combining 2 cups fresh spinach, 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce, ½ cup cherry tomatoes, ½ cup sliced cucumbers, ¼ cup chopped bell peppers, 1 ounce fat free feta cheese, 2 tbs fresh chopped mint, 3 ounces of grilled boneless skinless chicken breast and 1 tbs balsamic vinegar for a total of 203 calories. Your mid afternoon snack might be a medium fresh apple and a medium fresh pear for a total of 179 calories. For dinner you might have 12 small steamed clams with a sauce of ½ tbs butter, 1 clove chopped garlic and 1 tbs chopped parsley served with a 1 ounce whole wheat dinner roll for a total of 264 calories. The final meal of your day might be a red fruit salad made by combining 1 cup cubed watermelon, ½ cup fresh raspberries, ½ cup fresh strawberry halves, and ½ cup pitted fresh cherries for a total of 148 calories. The grand total for all 6 meals in this menu plan is 1,194 calories. This menu plan offers a wide assortment of foods which helps to ward off the feeling of deprivation that accompanies many calorie restricted diets. Because no food is strictly off limits with this weight loss program you are able to feel like you are indulging in your favorite foods while still losing weight. The trick to enjoying your favorite foods is to pay attention to portion sizes and ensuring that you only eat the amount which your calorie limits allow.
Even with this weight loss program focusing on healthy fresh foods it is still important to ensure that you receive all of the nutrients vital for good health and efficient weight loss. The simplest way to ensure this is through the use of a high quality daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. This manner of supplementation can also serve to boost your immune system and energy levels in addition to promoting effective weight loss.
