7 Simple Steps to Get Back on Track With Weight Loss

Have you been gaining weight back that you worked so hard to lose?  Or are you struggling to get back on your diet - or even start one in the first place?  This post is all about 7 simple steps you can do to get back on track with your weight loss journey!

Over the past year, to my horror, I have been putting on weight.  It has been so frustrating because I had worked so hard to get it off.  Even worse, it seemed like every time I tried to take off the weight and get back on track "something would come up" and I just couldn't get my head in the game.  

Are you like me and having a hard time getting back on track (or even starting) with your weight loss journey?  I sat down and figured out how to get back on track with weight loss and am finally seeing the scale go back down consistently.  

In this post you will learn 7 easy steps to incorporate today to get your weight loss journey back on track.  

After learning about all of these awesome tips you are  going to be super motivated and have some easy tools that you can incorporate to get the scale moving in the right direction.  

This  post is all  about how to get back on track with weight loss!

1. Get Your Mindset Back in the Game - Setting SMART Goals

Setting goals can be a great way to get your mindset back in the game. Set achievable daily and weekly goals that help motivate you to take action. Make sure your goals are SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Oriented.

Start by setting easily achievable goals that you are likely able to achieve each day. For example, setting a goal to take a minimum of 10,000 steps each day, or not to eat more than ___ number of calories; drink 80 ounces of water each day; consume 25 grams of fiber each day and aim for a certain number of cardiovascular exercise minutes each week (150 minutes is recommended for cardio health).

Placing focus on these smaller accomplishments can help build momentum, providing a sense of achievement along with positive reinforcement towards a healthier lifestyle.

Visualizing your accomplishments is a great way to help stay on track with weight loss. Set up daily reminders of the goals you have set for yourself and how close you are to achieving them. This will keep you motivated and prevent falling off the wagon again.

I use a spreadsheet where I have my daily and weekly goals. Each morning while I have coffee, I review my data from the day before and then highlight which goals I attained. I do the same at the end of the week for my weekly goals and this gives me a nice visual of how on track I have been.

Over time, as you attain these daily and weekly goals consistently they will soon become new habits that you just always do. Once that occurs you can add new goals to keep you progressing forward.

I notice that after a few weeks of being very consistent on my daily and weekly goals, the scale consistently goes down.

2. Identify Bad Habits that are Holding You Back

Are you having trouble meeting your weight loss goals? Weight loss is often a series of healthy habits that build upon each other to lead you to success. Conversely, weight gain or stalled weight loss can be bad habits that build up to prevent us from achieving our goals.

Identifying the bad habits that may be holding you back can help you make progress on the path to success. A great way to start is by leveraging the power of MyFitnessPal, a free app that helps track food intake and provides people with real-time nutritional information. As you monitor what you're consuming regularly, ask yourself if it's something like ice cream or alcohol that could be causing an obstacle in achieving your desired results. Once identified, it might not be easy but it's certainly possible to eliminate these bad habits and put yourself on the path to success!

I usually start to recognize that I am off track when I notice how much of my weekly caloric intake is devoted to wine and pretzel thins. This seemingly small habit can easily bloat the total amount of calories consumed in a week, and it provides me with an ideal opportunity for cutting back on my eating habits and jumpstarting weight loss.

3. Track Progress and See Results

Tracking progress and seeing results is a crucial part of getting back on track with weight loss. Tracking your progress can help you stay motivated, as it gives you the opportunity to accomplish daily goals. When you start accumulating daily wins it motivates you to keep going.

Whether you're tracking how many steps you take, how much weight you lift or how many calories you consume, use a simple spreadsheet or application to capture the data from each day. This will allow you to see how far along your progress and identify successes along the way. You can also review this information with your doctor or nutritionist to ensure that you are on the right track.

Also, if you have tracked your calories in the past when you were losing weight, it allows you to look back and see what you were eating and how many calories you were eating to lose weight. This can help you to adjust your current routine in order to get similar results.

4. Reward Yourself Frequently to Stay Motivated

Rewarding yourself frequently is a key part of staying motivated to stay on track with weight loss. By allowing yourself to indulge in something special upon reaching a milestone, you can keep your motivation and commitment high while providing yourself with a sense of accomplishment. It's important to note that rewards should be both rewarding and meaningful. For instance, instead of rewarding yourself with a high-calorie food item, how about treating yourself to a massage or spa day?

How often should you reward yourself? I would suggest daily, weekly and monthly rewards.

Daily should be small - if you meet all of your daily goals give yourself a small reward a sticker on your calendar is often a small visible reward that will keep you going.

Weekly rewards can be if you meet all of your goals for the week. These should be non food rewards. Perhaps a massage or a facial.

If you meet all of your daily and weekly goals for a month then you can reward yourself with a slightly larger reward. Perhaps a new piece of clothing or an activity that you enjoy.

By keeping your rewards meaningful and in line with your goal, it will help keep you motivated to stay on track with weight loss.

Finally, make sure to review how on track with weight loss you have been regularly and adjust your goals as needed! Are there some goals that you are not ever meeting? If so, modify or change that goal. Initially, I set a goal to have a 7000 calorie deficit each week. I would never meet that goal and so it became a negative but once I modified the goal to a 6000 calorie deficit each week I started hitting that goal and feeling more successful. 

If you are wondering what an easy way to determine if you are in a calorie deficit read my article about how to use your Fitbit for weight loss

5. Make Healthy Choices and Incorporate Exercise into Your Routine

Making healthy choices and incorporating exercise into your routine is essential for getting back on track with weight loss. Eating nutrient-dense foods rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients helps to provide the body with energy while avoiding unhealthy cravings. Additionally, exercise can help boost metabolism, burn calories, and strengthen muscles so that you can reach your weight loss goals.

To get started, set realistic goals that you can stick to and focus on making small changes to your diet and lifestyle. For example, try drinking more water throughout the day or adding in one extra serving of vegetables with each meal. When it comes to exercise, start by setting aside just 5-10 minutes each day to get your body moving. Also, focus on increasing your daily physical activity such as getting more steps, taking the stairs etc to burn even more calories. Then, increase the amount of time as you feel comfortable doing so.

By focusing on healthy eating you are likely to naturally eat lower calorie foods which are more likely to cause you to be in a calorie deficit and lose weight. In addition, as you add in more exercise and get more physical activity you will increase your calorie deficit and lose more weight.

Make sure to track how many calories you are burning so that you can adjust your calorie intake accordingly.

Remember to stay consistent and be patient with yourself. With patience, determination, and dedication you will be back on track with your weight loss in no time!

If you are looking for easy ways to boost your daily calorie burn, check out this article.   

6. Seek Support from Friends, Family, or Online Communities for Accountability & Encouragement

Seeking help from your friends, family or even people online can help you get back on track with losing weight. They can encourage and support you, and hold you accountable so that you keep trying to stay on track with your goals. It is important to have someone who will cheer you on and motivate you to reach your goal. They can also give advice if something isn't working for how to try something else.

Finding groups who are pursuing the same goals as you can be very motivating. Online support groups are a great place to find how other people have achieved success. You can find a Facebook group for just about any diet or exercise program that you are on and participate in discussions on how to tackle common weight loss issues.

I am a part of many facebook groups for vegan and high carb low fat dieters.  These are great ways to connect with others on a similar path.  You can also often get recipe ideas or tips from people who are on the same journey as you. It is a great way to get motivation and stay encouraged throughout your process of getting back on track with weight loss.

By having the right support system, you can find the inspiration and motivation needed to stick to your goals and reach success!

7. Don't Give Up! One Meal or Day Will Not Make or Break a Diet

It is important to remember that one meal or even one day will not make or break a diet. Even if you have an off day and do not stick to your plan, it does not mean that all your progress is lost. Instead of feeling guilty and giving up, take the time to assess how you can get back on track. After a slip-up, it is important to remind yourself that you are still in control and can start fresh the next day.

It is also helpful to focus on how far you have come instead of how much further you have to go. Celebrate small milestones such as losing five pounds or sticking with your diet plan for one week. These little successes will make the journey much easier and more enjoyable.

No matter how many times you slip up, don’t give up! With the right attitude and determination, you can definitely get back on track with weight loss! The most important thing is to keep going and stay focused on your long-term goals. With consistent effort, you can reach your goals in no time! Good luck on the journey ahead.

Conclusion

Getting back on track with weight loss can be a difficult process, but it is possible. By making small changes to your diet and lifestyle, you can slowly work towards reaching your goals.

Setting smart goals and rewarding yourself for accomplishing them can be a great way to stay motivated on your weight loss journey. It is important to set realistic and achievable goals that you can work towards, such as drinking more water or exercising five days per week. When you reach each goal, reward yourself with something small and visible. Additionally, seeking support from friends or online communities for accountability and encouragement will help keep you motivated throughout the journey.

Remember that one meal or even one day will not make or break a diet - stay positive and focused on how far you have come instead of how much further there is to go! With patience, determination, and dedication you will soon reach success in getting back on track with weight loss!

This post was all about getting back on track with weight loss!