Creating Structure to Succeed in Weight Loss

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Valerie Consoli, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

(I had written this previously, and have lost a total of 40lbs, I hope this will reach someone out there and help them as it helped me!)
Many times people think that because I am a Life Coach, I am immune to the everyday struggles. I wish it were so! True, I have the tools, but just like anyone else, I need to work at applying them each day and of course some challenges are more of a struggle for me than others.
This summer, the challenge I chose for myself was weight loss and getting into better shape. I turn 40 next year and I would like to look and feel my best. That means a lifestyle change for me. Basically, eating better and getting into the habit of exercising.
Oh the description sounds deliciously simple…as many of us know first hand, it’s not.
I floundered for a couple of weeks, trying to create a system for myself-a plan. Something that would work. But everything I tried felt very unorganized, unstructured. If there is one thing I have learned from coaching, it is the importance of structure when you are working towards a goal! Structure is the foundation and the glue that holds any plan together. It gives you a way to stay on the path and reach your goal with success.
So, a good friend had mentioned she was using something called Sparkpeople for her diet. I had never heard of this but after hearing her mention it a few times, I went and took a peek. Wow. Here at last was the structure I had been searching for! In brief, Sparkpeople is a free online service that allows you to set and track weight loss, fitness and other goals. When I put in my information and tentative goal, the site gave me the structure I needed. How many calories per day, grams of fat, how much exercise and so on! Hooray!
Now, I am on my second week and already seeing progress. My weight is beginning to drop and I can chart my progress in each area every day to see how I am doing, and if I need to make any changes. Granted as with any process, some days have been better than others (this is normal, so when working towards a goal, expect yourself to have “off” days. A goal cannot be reached without those “off” days, they are just as important as the “on” days as they are a natural step.)-but I am progressing and it is exciting to see!