Losing weight and keeping it off doesn’t mean you have to exercise excessively or go on fad diets. It’s about making healthy decisions that allow your body to burn excess fat while building lean muscle. If weight loss tops your New Year’s resolution list, work in conjunction with your local women’s health center to see the results you want.

3 Best Practices For Weight Loss This New Year

1. Check Your Body Mass Index (BMI)

Begin your weight loss journey at the doctor’s office. Get weighed on an electronic scale for accurate results while learning your current BMI, or Body Mass Index. BMI is your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters to measure body fatness levels. A BMI of over 25 typically calls for weight loss, especially when abdominal girth is above 35 and 40 inches in women and men, respectively.

Your doctor will also provide nutritional guidelines, measure your current fitness level to recommend exercises, and offer counseling to help you stick with your weight loss program. Ask the doctor at your women’s health center to help you stay accountable via routine “check-in” visits.

2. Set Realistic Goals

Formulate realistic goals with your physician to feel less overwhelmed and have an easier time managing day-to-day weight loss tasks. Realistic goals also help you lose weight the healthy way, such as losing 1 to 2 pounds a week by burning 500 to 1,000 more calories than you consume daily. Create diet as well as fitness goals, such as walking an extra half mile every day. Mindfulness also pays off in weight loss because it helps you distinguish between actual hunger and eating out of boredom or emotion.

3. Hold Yourself Accountable

Stay accountable by tracking your weight loss progress. A food journal, for example, makes it clear how many calories you are consuming per day. Keep in mind that losing weight isn’t necessarily about eating less, but making healthier choices. Increasing your vegetable intake helps with weight loss because of fiber content that keeps you satiated without the extra calories. Vegetables are nutrient-dense as well.

Fitness trackers and similar devices also increase accountability by providing records of what you’ve done and what you need to do to burn more calories. 

Take charge of your weight loss this new year with nutritional, fitness, and counseling services from Oswego County OB-GYN PC in Oswego, NY. The women’s health clinic has served Oswego County and the surrounding areas since 1960, providing a full suite of services including obstetrics and gynecology. Call (315) 343-2590 today to schedule an appointment or visit the women’s health center online for weight loss program information.