Weight loss, in itself, is holistic. If you want to lose weight in one area, you need to address the whole. In order to slim down that stomach, you can’t just do sit-ups and crunches to work on your core and nothing else; your entire body needs to be addressed. Your entire self needs to be addressed.
After all, weight loss isn’t easy, and it’s not supposed to be. Losing weight is a different journey for different people, and not everyone is built the same way or has the same mindsets. It’s a journey of the body and mind, and here we’ll show you some great tips for how to lose weight in a healthy and holistic fashion.
Tip 1: Understand Your Vision
To really understand holistic weight loss, you need to understand what you want and where you’re coming from. Why are you trying to lose weight? Are you trying to live a more disciplined lifestyle for your own health? Is it so you can look better? Is it for medical reasons? Regardless of the answer, connect it to your end goal; understand what you want in the end. Understand how long it will take to get there. Ultimately, though, you need to understand that getting to that end goal isn’t truly the end. Holistic weight loss isn’t about, well, weight loss, but more about discipline. If you let go of that discipline as soon as you reach your preferred weight, you’ll eventually gain it all back.
Truly internalizing your reasoning, your goal, and knowing the work it’ll take to get there is the first step in getting to know yourself and your body better.
When you exercise or shop for healthier food, keep these things in mind. When you find yourself struggling, don’t let the daunting idea of the work you face ahead of time hinder you. Instead, focus on maintaining that weight. Don’t go sprinting into weight loss, or you’re setting yourself up for failure. Instead, keep a steady pace as you and your muscles gradually adjust to this new lifestyle, and soon you’ll find things becoming a lot easier for you to handle.
Tip 2: Understanding Your Biochemistry and Conditions
We told you earlier that everyone is different, both in body and mind. Even if you believe you’re in perfect condition, some introspection into your own limits will do you tons of good.
Some of us have a chemical imbalance, and that’s perfectly fine. We take medication to level things out, and at times, it can add on weight and have certain side effects when it comes to our mental state. If you have
Others tend to have more physical conditions, such as asthma, arthritis, or kidney disease. Perhaps you’re of an older generation and don’t have the same physical ability as you used to.
In all of these cases, mental or physical, we strongly advise speaking with a doctor about your plan to exercise and eat healthier and find out what you might need to cut out in order to maintain your health. Doing this helps you understand your limits, which is key to knowing what diets and exercises are right for you. After all, there are hundreds of weight loss regimens out there, and all can be adjusted to suit your needs.
Tip 3: Nutrition
Now we get onto the actual weight loss part. Finding the perfect diet for you isn’t easy, and it might take some experimenting to really understand what you’re most comfortable with.
If you’re going on diets that are fairly exclusive to many foods, like keto, make sure you consult with a dietitian, or at the very least do your research. When taken to the extreme, these diets can bar you from getting the nutrients you need, and you can develop some serious health problems.
Most importantly, make sure your diet is sustainable. You can become more lax as you continue to shed the pounds, but learn to recognize when you’re indulging a bit too much. We suggest a calorie tracker on your device, specifically one that can let you know about the nutritional contents of every meal and snack (MyFitnessPal comes to mind). You can use holistic weight loss supplements like green coffee bean extract or herbs like ashwagandha as well.
Tip 4: Exercise and Rest
These go hand in hand, as moderation is key. Pushing your body to the limit on a good workout is a good way to really work those muscles, but it’s also imperative that you learn to recognize when your body needs a break. Contrary to popular belief, you should not work out when your body is sore. Soreness is a sign that your muscles need a couple days to repair themselves and adjust to your new pattern of physical activity.
If you insist on working out each day, we suggest utilizing rotations. If your legs are sore, work on your upper body, and then switch once your legs are back in shape.
Tip 5: Accountability
We’re sure you’ve heard this word a lot when it comes to exercise, and that’s because it’s important. If you rely on someone to hold you accountable for being too lax, there’s a chance you might not hold onto that forced discipline once you feel like they’re no longer needed. This challenge is yours, and while it’s not a bad idea to have a personal trainer or a friend to spot you during workouts, you won’t have them watching you forever.
We suggest writing down your progress in a journal of sorts to understand where you’re at in your journey. Not only is it a good way to see when you’re beginning to drift away from the regimen, but it’s also a good log of how far you’ve made it and can serve as inspiration as you see that little number that is your weight slowly drop downwards.
This is one of the most important parts about weight loss. The ability to catch yourself when you’re faltering and fixing it before it goes too far is key to discipline. By absorbing and internalizing how to do so, you’re guaranteed to go far in your weight loss journey.
Hi, I’m Ashley! I help big-hearted spiritual individuals reach new levels of success, self love, and confidence.
