11 Tips To Help You Win At Weight Loss And Fitness

How are you feeling about your progress on your fitness and weight loss goals, If you’re not getting the results you want, now is a great time to evaluate your strategy and make sure you’re not skipping any resources that might move the needle and get you to your goals. In addition to thousands of expert articles and videos, we've created tracking tools, free mobile apps for iPhone and Android, 24/7 community forums and monthly contests to help you stay on track. Make this your checklist! 1. Find Out How Many Calories You Should Be Eating, and Keep Track. Use MyPlate and download the free mobile app for iPhone and Android to find out how many calories you should be eating each day to hit your goal weight. Using MyPlate will help educate you about what you’re eating and it will help you stay accountable and on track. To succeed at this simply, track what you eat, and be honest. We have free MyPlate apps for iPhone and Android with a barcode scanner to scan and get calorie and nutrition info quickly for foods you are eating.

You can also now use MyPlate on your tablet such as iPad and Kindle Fire as well. 2. Aim to Work Out 6 Days Per Week. To see dramatic fitness and body changes, plan to work out six days per week at high intensity. To make this easier, we’ve created free workouts in the app, and the 8-Week STRONGER Challenge Facebook Group. Block off 30-45 minutes each day in your calendar for working out. Treat your workouts as you would any other serious appointment and try your best not to skip them. Afterward, track your exercise in the Workouts tab in MyPlate to see an estimate of how many calories you burned. 3. Write Down Your Goal(s). My goal was to lose 20 pounds in 60 days and to see muscle definition in my abs and arms. Also, I wanted to be fit enough to be able to run a half-marathon by the end of the program. Think of not only what your goal is, but why you want it.

I wrote down my goal on a Post-It note along with why I wanted to achieve it. I wrote, “1. I want to lose 20 pounds in 60 days so my clothes will fit me better and I'll have more energy. 2. I want to see muscle definition in my abs and arms. 3. Run the Long Beach Half Marathon. ” I stuck it in the corner of my mirror so that I would see it each morning when I was getting ready for my day. 4. Spend a Minute a Day Visualizing Your Goal(s). What Will It Be Like to Achieve It/Them, Take some time before you start your program to really visualize what it will be like when you achieve your goal. How will it feel, What will you look like, Spend a minute or so each day thinking about your goal and reaffirming why it’s important to you.

If you’re using the new version of MyPlate, there is a place in the Progress tab for you to upload a photo to help motivate and inspire you when you see it each day. 5. Take Your ‘Before’ Photos. If you’re not feeling like you’re in the best shape right now, we understand that it may not feel great to take off your clothes and pose for the camera. I certainly did not love taking my “Before” photos, but they did help to motivate me to work harder and push myself to lose weight. Plus, afterward, the “Before” and “After” photos served to visually tell the story of my fitness achievement. Without pictures, it may not be as apparent how much of a difference losing weight, toning up and gaining muscle can make to your appearance. Even if you only aim to lose 5 or 10 pounds, love handles will disappear as well as any stomach "pooch." Sometimes photos will show more impact than the number on the scale! 250. Here’s more info on how to take your “Before” pictures. We understand that you may NOT want to smile in your “Before” pics. I didn't smile in mine!