Millions of people around the world make it a goal to lose weight every year. If you’re reading this article, then chances are pretty good that you have had that goal before, or have made it your immediate goal to lose weight fast.
Whether you’ve previously lost weight or are currently working your way through a transformation challenge, we can all agree that losing weight and, more importantly, keeping it off can be a challenge.
And, while your motivation is undoubtedly high at the start of your weight loss journey, the deeper you get into it, the more challenging it may become to see your way through to the end and get the results you’ve always wanted.
To fuel your progress, motivation, and success, here are 10 evidence-based tip for successful weight loss transformation.
10 Best Tips for Successful Weight Loss Transformation
#1 Establish Your “Why”
We all have different motivations for wanting to lose weight.
For some, it’s wanting to look better for an upcoming event like an anniversary, wedding, reunion, or vacation. For others, it’s wanting to improve their overall health and quality of life and add years to their life.
Whatever your reason, it’s important that you have one.
Research shows that when an individual’s goals come from within, their motivation, determination and success is greater than if someone tells them what to do.[1]
In other words, having your mom, dad, best friend, or spouse tell you to lose weight isn’t likely to result in much success. Let’s be honest, nobody really likes being told what to do.
Losing weight and keeping it off has to come from within you. Figure out why you’re embarking on this transformation challenge, write it down, and constantly remind yourself over the coming weeks why you want to lose weight.
#2 Set SMART Goals
Goal-setting is an important part of success in any facet of life. It gives you something to aspire to and a target to aim for.
However, by setting SMART goals, you’ll significantly increase your chances of sticking to your goal and achieving it.
So, what are “SMART” goals?
SMART is an acronym that stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-Bound
Applied to your weight loss transformation, SMART goals could be saying:
“I want to lose 15 pounds over the next 12 weeks.”
This goal is:
- Specific -- 15 pounds
- Measurable -- you can track your weekly rate of weight loss
- Achievable -- 15 pounds in 12 weeks is very reasonable rate of weight loss
- Relevant -- you want to lose weight (see #1 above for establishing your why)
- Time-boung -- you have 12 weeks in which to accomplish your goal
Too frequently individuals embarking on a weight loss transformation simply say they want to “lose weight.”
This goal is amorphous, generic, and unlikely to be realized.
They have no plan for how they’re going to accomplish it, how fast they should lose weight, how long they plan to take to lose the weight, etc.
Follow the SMART system, and you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of others who attempt to lose weight but never fully realize their goals.
#3 Choose a Sustainable Approach
Embarking on a weight loss transformation involves a transformation not only of your body and mind, but also of your lifestyle habits.
Far too often, when people try to lose weight fast, they undertake some cockamammy fad diet and couple it with an exhaustive exercise program, under the belief that the more intense their program is and the more they suffer, the better and faster their results will be.
Unfortunately, taking such an extreme approach to diet and exercise, almost always results in people giving up due to the simple fact that the approach they selected wasn’t sustainable.
When deciding on which diet and/or exercise program to follow during your transformation challenge, make sure it’s one that you can stick to in the coming weeks.
Feeling a little bit tired and/or hungry is perfectly normal when dieting for fat loss. You shouldn’t feel so tired, sore, or famished that you feel like you’re being punished or held captive.
In order to be successful, you must choose a sustainable approach.
For example, if you like eating carbohydrate-rich foods like rice, pasta, potatoes, etc., then don’t choose a diet that overly restricts or eliminates carbohydrates like keto, carnivore, or paleo. It’s entirely possible to lose weight without eliminating carbohydrates entirely. Research confirms this.[2]
You may just have to reduce how much of them you eat.
Along those same lines, if a particular exercise program calls for you to be in the gym 6 days per week, but you can realistically only make it to the gym 3 or 4 days per week, you need to find a training program that jives better with your schedule.
#4 Remember Weight Loss is a Journey, Not a Sprint
Successful weight loss transformations aren’t just about losing weight (though that is a huge perk!), they’re also about reshaping who you are, the decisions you make, and the lifestyle you lead.
As such, it’s important to keep in mind that your weight loss transformation is a journey, not a sprint. You didn’t get to where you are overnight. You got there over the course of weeks, months, and years.
Undoing the results of your previous decisions will take time.
But, if you stay the course, follow your diet and exercise program, and use the right supplements (more on that in a bit), you will get the results you want!
#5 Keep a Food Diary
One of the most important factors (perhaps the most important factor) in losing weight is maintaining a calorie deficit. Without one, you will not lose weight and get the results you’re wanting. It’s simple thermodynamics.
The only way to know with reasonable certainty that you are actually in a calorie deficit is to log your food using a food diary or app, such as MyFitnessPal or FitDay.
Research shows that most people tend to underestimate how many calories they eat as well as overestimate how many calories they burn when exercising.[3]
Harkening back to point #2, part of setting SMART goals is setting ones that are measurable. A key part of measuring your rate of weight loss is measuring (or tracking) how much food you’re eating each day.
Studies show that individuals who track their food intake are more likely to have long-term success managing their weight.[4]
Find a way of tracking your food that works best for you.
Some individuals like to track only calories, while others like to track macros, and still others love to be meticulous and track everything down to the gram.
Additionally, some people like to use apps to track their food intake, while others prefer the old school approach of logging with pen and paper.
Like we said in point #3, find an approach that is sustainable and be consistent with it.
#6 Get Support from Like-Minded People
Having support can be a huge benefit during your weight loss transformation challenge.
In fact, research shows that individuals who partake in a weight-loss program with friends are more likely to complete the program and better maintain their weight loss results compared to those who go it alone.[5]
Thanks to the advent of the internet and social media, finding support groups full of like-minded people is easier than ever. There are no shortage of Facebook groups, subreddits, and message boards dedicated to connecting people who share the goal of weight loss.
Not only do these communities provide support for those occasions when you’re tempted to go off your diet or training plan, they can also be a valuable resource should you encounter various hurdles during your weight loss transformation, such as a plateau.
Speaking of plateaus…
#7 Prepare for Plateaus & Setbacks
As we mentioned above, weight loss is a journey, not a sprint. And, as is the case with every other journey in life, there will be phases where you feel stuck or even slightly regress.
Regarding your weight loss transformation, feeling stuck would translate to a plateau, wherein your weight remains stagnant for a short period of time (1-2 weeks).
“Setbacks” could mean a number of things, but the most common setback you may experience is where you go off plan with your nutrition.
It’s important to understand that plateaus and setbacks are a part of the process, and it would be stranger for you to not have any speed bumps during your weight loss transformation, than if you had one or two.
Having the occasional setback or weight loss plateau is expected. As such, you can prepare yourself for them mentally, so that when they do occur, you don’t feel dejected or hopeless.
For instance, if you go off your diet plan for a meal, don’t dwell on it and beat yourself up. Chalk it up to a one time thing, and then get right back on your diet plan the very next meal.
#8 Create Goals In Addition to Weight Loss
One of the main reasons you’re entering a transformation challenge is to lose weight, but that doesn’t mean it has to be your only reason.
As we just mentioned above, plateaus and setbacks are possible, and if your sole focus is the number on the scale, not seeing it go down can lead you to feeling upset, depressed, or unmotivated to continue with your transformation challenge.
By having additional goals (such as improving blood glucose levels, blood pressure, or sleep), you have other metrics by which to measure progress. So, that if your weight loss temporarily stalls, you can still focus on the improvements you’re making in other facets of life.
Beyond improving health markers, you could also make it a goal to acquire or develop a new skill during your weight loss transformation. For example, you could learn to dance, rock climb, or hike. Improvements in these areas will pay dividends towards your weight loss and cardiometabolic health, but it’ll also help you not focus solely on weight loss over the coming weeks.
#9 Reward Yourself
Setting SMART goals is important for your success over the coming weeks. Still, having one large goal (say, lose 15-20 pounds in 12 weeks) can seem rather daunting.
Breaking that larger goal into smaller chunks (say 1.5 pounds per week or 5 pounds per month) allows you to focus on more manageable tasks, while still working your way towards your ultimate goal.
This same approach is used in the real world with everyday business, construction, and engineering projects.
You don’t erect a skyscraper or bridge in a single day. You do it floor by floor, one step at a time.
The same mindset and process applies to your weight loss journey.
Break your larger goal into several mini-milestones. And, when you achieve those milestones, such as losing the first 5 pounds, reward yourself with something, a new pair of jeans, shoes, etc.
You can also treat yourself to a reward meal or sweet treat that you’ve been limiting during your weight loss transformation.
Also, keep in mind that rewards don’t have to be expensive or even cost money. For instance, if you’ve been grinding hard each day, your reward could be treating yourself to a couple hours of uninterrupted TV or video games.
As you achieve these milestones and earn these rewards, you’ll keep motivation levels high, helping you achieve your ultimate end goal.
#10 Use the Right Supplements
Proper diet and exercise are absolutely essential to your weight loss transformation success. Without them, you will not get the results you want.
That being said, the implementation of the right supplements can make the process more enjoyable and efficient.
We’ve created a pair of powerful weight loss support aids in our men’s and women’s formulas,
Pro Ripped Max and Make Her Lean Max, respectively. Our fat burners are meticulously formulated to help boost feelings of energy and motivation, increase energy expenditure, and enhance the body’s natural fat burning processes, with the ultimate goal of helping you get the results you want faster!
For additional help in keeping hunger and cravings in check, either of our thermogenic fat burners can be stacked with 1UP Appetite Suppressant.
Appetite Suppressant contains research-backed ingredients including Glucomannan and Caralluma fimbriata which are known to help reduce appetite, increase feelings of fullness, and support weight loss.
References
- Teixeira PJ, Silva MN, Mata J, Palmeira AL, Markland D. Motivation, self-determination, and long-term weight control. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2012;9:22. Published 2012 Mar 2. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-9-22
- Johnston BC, Kanters S, Bandayrel K, Wu P, Naji F, Siemieniuk RA, Ball GD, Busse JW, Thorlund K, Guyatt G, Jansen JP, Mills EJ. Comparison of weight loss among named diet programs in overweight and obese adults: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 2014 Sep 3;312(9):923-33. doi: 10.1001/jama.2014.10397. PMID: 25182101.
- Lichtman SW, Pisarska K, Berman ER, Pestone M, Dowling H, Offenbacher E, Weisel H, Heshka S, Matthews DE, Heymsfield SB. Discrepancy between self-reported and actual caloric intake and exercise in obese subjects. N Engl J Med. 1992 Dec 31;327(27):1893-8. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199212313272701. PMID: 1454084.
- Peterson ND, Middleton KR, Nackers LM, Medina KE, Milsom VA, Perri MG. Dietary self-monitoring and long-term success with weight management. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2014;22(9):1962-1967. doi:10.1002/oby.20807
- Wing RR, Jeffery RW. Benefits of recruiting participants with friends and increasing social support for weight loss and maintenance. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1999 Feb;67(1):132-8. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.67.1.132. PMID: 10028217.
