5 Stages of Weight Loss: Your Weight Loss Journey

As a person trying to lose weight, you will nod in agreement when someone says the process involved in weight loss can be frustrating and challenging. The journey of weight loss consists of staying committed with persistence and dedication while having an excellent understanding of each weight loss stage. Every weight loss stage is unique and can be a learning experience while trying to achieve your health goals. During each stage, be ready to witness slight, rapid or no transformation in your body, which might be surprising.

Learning more about these 5 stages of weight loss will help you manage effectively in the long run. While traversing through these weight loss stages, your body will also go through various stages of transformation. Read on to learn more about weight loss stages, which will help you stay in tune with your fitness goals while being driven by positivity and motivation.

Why Is It Necessary to Maintain Healthy Body Weight

Maintaining a healthy body weight is not just about losing excess pounds but fulfilling your commitment to stay healthy and lowering the risk of developing chronic medical conditions. By maintaining a sustainable body weight, you can enhance your overall health, maintain healthy cardiovascular function, and enjoy a high level of energy. The parameters listed below will help you determine whether you need to lose weight to stay healthy [1]. They are:

• More than 25 BMI range [2]
• Waist circumference exceeding 40 inches if you are a male and 35 inches if you are a female
• If your waist-to-hip ratio is over 1.0 for males and more than 0.8 for females [3]

Trying to lose at least 10% of your body weight will help you achieve a healthy blood sugar and blood pressure range. A moderate weight loss will also boost your self-confidence and enhance your mobility.

Stages to Set Realistic Expectations and Strategies

Losing weight is a never-ending fight, especially when eating healthy, performing regular workouts and staying focused on your fitness objectives [4]. To make your weight loss efforts successful, it is important to have a thorough understanding of the five different stages to stay consistent and dedicated. The five stages of weight loss play a vital part in helping you experience a memorable transformative journey, and understanding your weight loss needs to create awareness in the first stage. These stages in your weight loss journey ensure your fitness strategies are effective and attainable.

Setting realistic health goals prevents you from getting demotivated and helps maintain a sustainable approach. Complementing your weight loss routine with a healthy diet and making well-informed choices helps nurture a positive relationship with balanced food. The weight loss stages will keep you motivated when facing a plateau, face challenges confidently, and maintain healthy eating habits for maintaining a sustainable body weight in the long run.

1. Getting Ready For Weight Loss

If you have deciphered your BMI range and waist-to-hip ratio and are unhappy with the numbers, it’s time to realize the need for change. Now that you are ready to change how you look by shedding those extra pounds backed by sheer determination, the first step would be getting mentally prepared for the process. Before embarking on a weight loss journey, you must figure out how much weight and body fat you wish to lose as the initial stage of weight loss. Based on your weight loss expectations, make changes to your lifestyle, like adjusting your diet with low-calorie foods and following better sleeping habits [5].

A quick way to manage your calorie intake for weight reduction is by focusing on adding fresh fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and wholesome foods instead of processed foods [6].

Incorporate lifestyle changes one step at a time to adapt them permanently in your weight loss efforts. Setting realistic and smart weight loss goals is essential, as it will be possible to achieve them quickly. These realistic goals will help you achieve them gradually and keep track of your small progress. Break your goals into short-term milestones to achieve long-term weight loss goals by maintaining steady progress.

You can also seek support from your family and friends to motivate you as you begin your weight loss expedition. To get a clear-cut idea about what to expect in each stage of weight loss, you can also approach a professional to know the lifestyle changes you need to make for effective results.

2. Initial Changes during Weight Loss

During the 2nd stage of weight loss, you must focus on making some initial changes to your dietary habits and improve your workout regime by adding a couple of heavy workouts to see visible changes. You will experience quick loss in body weight within the first 3 to 6 weeks of initiating the weight loss regime [7]. It occurs when your body uses up all the accumulated glycogens present in your muscles and liver and then, it will begin burning the fat [8].

Diet modifications like adding more proteins to your plate than carbohydrates will help in managing your calorie intake and will be helpful to preserve muscles [9].

To achieve excellent weight loss results, following the 80/20 rule, 20% workouts and 80% diet is essential. Ensure you allot some time in your everyday schedule for workouts and make it a routine. Include more strength training workouts to build muscle mass and enhance metabolic rate to burn more calories. You can also opt for aerobic exercise like cycling, jogging, and moderate-intensity walking for 30 minutes to lose weight. Resist the temptation to see immediate results like drastic transformation or a high amount of inch loss. Keep a record of all the sustainable changes, which will go a long way in achieving complete weight loss.

3. Facing Challenges in Your Weight Loss Journey

As you progress in your weight loss journey, you will enter the 3rd stage. This phase is filled with several challenges you must endure to get the desired weight loss result. You might be tempted to go back to your old eating habits, as you would have hit the weight loss plateau [10]. You will not lose weight as expected or even gain more weight [11], irrespective of your mindful eating and doing workouts regularly. You might have to deal with cravings for fried snacks or sugar-filled sweets. However, the key is maintaining healthy eating and doing workouts regularly while keeping yourself motivated.

Ensure you don’t give in to social pressure, such as consuming calorie-loaded foods when attending a party or special occasion. Remember, even if you have calorie-rich food as a snack, it can ruin the development you achieved in the earlier stages, which is essential for sustainable weight loss. Staying relaxed is essential in this challenging weight loss stage.

4. Establishing Consistency during Weight Loss

During the 4th stage of weight loss, your healthy habits might have become a part of your lifestyle so that you will not feel forced to follow them. Stay consistent in your efforts, such as maintaining healthy habits, a perfect lifestyle, and a regular exercise routine, as they are the keys to achieving your long-term weight goals. Plan your weekly meals to avoid choosing snacks or junk foods [12], and incorporate variations in workouts to make your sessions more interesting.

Also, identify the right measures to stay stress-free, like practising yoga or a digital detox. Following these strategies will help you stay focused and progress to the next weight loss stage. Tracking your progress from the first to the fourth stage while feeling happy about the changes in your body will keep you more focused on your fitness goals.

5. Maintenance and Adaptation

Now that you have reached the fifth stage of weight loss avoid the feeling of complacency, as it might prevent you from maintaining the ideal body weight [13]. You can now change your workout schedule based on your professional life and incorporate a few maintenance workouts, focusing more on core workouts and strength exercises. You can also indulge more in activities like swimming, trekking, or running based on age and maintain a diet that will not put on weight.

Your new schedule should rightly balance between having an enjoyable life, eating high-protein snacks in controlled portions [14], having an active lifestyle, and seeking support when required to achieve long-term success [15]. Remember, the success of a weight loss journey doesn’t end as soon as you have achieved the ideal body weight but in maintaining it in the long run.

Tips For Navigating Each Stage Effectively

Following some tips will help you get through each weight loss stage successfully.

• Keep Some Healthy Foods Handy: The food that you see often is the one that will tempt you to eat. So, choose healthy foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, and nuts and place them near you [16]. You can also make bite-sized pieces of fruit or a vegetable salad and place the bowl in the refrigerator. These grab-on snacks will keep you satiated and help avoid cravings [17].
• Improve Protein Intake: Protein always keeps you fuller and prevents the need to choose an unhealthy snack to munch on. Protein-rich foods also aid in weight loss [18].
• Monitor and Track: Maintain a journal to keep track of the workouts and their effects on your body. It will help you understand how much they aid in your transformation and the changes in your body since day 1 of your weight loss journey.
• Keep Moving: Sitting idle will not contribute to weight loss, which is why you need to keep your muscles moving [19]. Whether it is a dance class, a yoga session, a gym workout, or a stroll along your lanes, choosing any activities will help you maintain your ideal body weight.
• Stress Management: Stress plays a vital role in affecting your weight loss results or weight management plan [20]. When stressed, seeking solace in comfort foods high in fat or carbs is natural. You can find healthy ways to handle stress, like meditating or playing with pets or kids to improve mental health [21].
• Don’t Lose Sleep: Lack of Sleep will make your body crave too long for quick sources of energy like sweets and high-carb foods [22]. Also, lack of sleep will lead to weight gain[23].

Summing Up

Remember that weight loss is non-linear, so facing setbacks in each stage is normal. When you are consistent, have realistic goals and expectations, and are open to changes, emerging successfully is no longer a dream. Always celebrate small achievements in your weight loss journey, as it can go a long way in making you a healthy individual. Opt for calorie-deficit food choices that are tasty and filling to overcome cravings. When feeling low while facing a weight loss plateau, speak to your friends or loved ones to keep up your motivation. Schedule a consultation with Kolors Healthcare to get more information about the stages of weight loss to stay healthy and feel confident.

Reference Links:

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