So you want to begin your weight loss (or macro tracking) journey, but you just don’t know where to start! You have one friend telling you to follow this, a coworker telling you to follow something else, and lots of companies trying to market and sell you their latest diet pill, detox, or other weight loss product. You feel lost and confused and you’re not sure which information to follow or what step to take first.
Here are three things you can begin doing today to start your journey in a non-overwhelming and comfortable way. Remember that small changes will lead to big changes over time, so starting somewhere is always better than not at all!
Track Your Intake
You want to begin by downloading a macronutrient tracking app and tracking your intake for 2-3 days. Don’t change anything about your intake. Just track what you normally eat in a day to see where you are at. Without getting a baseline of where you are starting, you won’t know what to work on or what needs to change. After tracking for a few days, you can see what you eat, how much you eat, and even when you are eating. This is important information to have from the beginning of your journey. The goal is also to get into the habit of tracking and by starting off for a few days you can get a feel for it.
Begin a Hunger Journal
Another important thing you can do when beginning your weight loss journey is to keep a hunger journal. Begin by having a place to write down how you feel after you eat meals and snacks, even as specific as certain foods. Do you feel hungry? Do you feel full? Do you feel stuffed? Are you satisfied? Do you enjoy the foods that you are choosing to eat? This allows you to see what foods are properly fueling your body and which may leave you feeling not as great. You may have never brought awareness to this before, but doing a hunger journal will allow you to begin to notice these feelings.
Make One Small Change First
When beginning your weight loss journey, it may feel overwhelming to think about making lots of changes to your diet or even day-to-day life. By having tracked your intake for a few days and seeing how your current diet makes you feel, you can find one small thing to change. Perhaps it’s deciding to pack a lunch one day of the week, increase the amount of water you have, or add a snack into your day. Once you focus on making one change, you are closer to making this a habit. This is a non-overwhelming way to take one small step toward positive changes and a great way to start off your journey.
