Weight-Loss Tip: Make One Change a Week

When you're trying to overhaul your lifestyle, the whole process can be completely overwhelming. Having to give up all the indulgences that have held you back in the past, finding awareness with your emotions around eating, and working out consistently every week? Chances are, if you've tried to change everything overnight in the past, very few of your best intentions have stuck for good. The answer to staying committed is to start small. Just make one change every week.


You'll be much more likely to stick with the program if it feels attainable. If you're trying to figure out what your first change should be, the answer is exercise. A new study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that, while doing both at the same time is best, you may also see results if you start with exercise first. Once you get your confidence up at the gym and you're starting to see results, making necessary changes to your diet and upping the intensity of your regular workouts will feel like a natural part of the process.

As you continue to make changes and set goals, be sure to celebrate accomplishments beyond weight loss. There's so much more to living a healthy life than the number on the scale! When you feel more comfortable in your clothes or hit a new running milestone on the treadmill, give yourself a pat on the back. Trust the process, and have faith that all those changes that seemed small will result in big breakthroughs with time.