Lately, I have seen many people jumping into action to lose weight with their New Year’s resolutions without knowing how to measure their success. Today I would like to share how my sisters and I have been vigorous in our approaches and how we determine our progress. I find it challenging to find what works best to lose the weight I am looking to get rid of as all of our bodies are different. Since my sisters and I all have different body types, I want to give you the inside details of what seems to be working best with all our different body types.
For years now, the United States has struggled with obesity. The BMI (body mass indicator) scale was developed in the 1830s by Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet, who was a Belgian astronomer, mathematician, statistician and sociologist. Since the 1830s, society and technology have changed dramatically, however, the scale has not changed leading to it becoming very outdated. When I used to look up my BMI when I was younger, I felt terrible about myself and my self-perception suffered.
For this reason, I think society has experienced a mindset change to measure how you feel and how your clothes fit instead of relying solely on scales and measuring indicators. As I lose weight, I look where I am on the chart since most health professionals use it. However, I adjust my goals of where I would like to be on the chart based on my body type.
I have seen this mindset change happen in my family as we measure our progress differently while losing weight is our ultimate goal. Three of my sisters purchase meals through Optavia and receive coaching to help with quick weight loss. Currently, no exercise is recommended during the first phase of this diet plan and I have seen how successful this strict plan can be for those who can follow this type of diet and while affording it. Another sister of mine uses ’30-day challenge apps’ to increase her activity. The apps she uses include 30 Day Fitness, MyFitnessPal, Daily Yoga, and Yoga. With her body type, by moving more daily she has made great strides in losing weight already this year!
For me, I try to be more conscious of what I eat along with portion control. I meal prep all my meals for the week, so I don’t go out to eat as often helping me eat healthier. My workout regimen consists of weights twice a week and swimming for cardio on the weekends. I use a water app that reminds me every two hours to drink water. Although I always record my water intake on the app, it has helped me drink more water throughout the day.
Many people I know, including my sister, use MyFitnessPal to track their calorie intake. I have used this app a few times, but I have not been successful logging every calorie. However, it has helped me check labels and become more aware of what I eat.
So many options exist to help you lose weight and become healthier, but you need to find the right solution for you! Simply set a goal of where you want to be or how you want to feel, then find the best path to make that goal a reality. I would love to learn what has helped you the most in the comment section below!
Keep smiling,
Melissa