Want to Jumpstart Weight Loss? Try These Effective Strategies!

Getting motivated is the first step toward effective weight loss! Once the weight begins to melt off, you'll see how simple dropping weight can be. Learn how to get the ball rolling and jumpstart weight loss today.

Pre Weight Loss Checklist

When dropping weight is your goal, prepare for a new, exciting weight loss journey by using the following checklist:

#1 Go Shopping

There are a few things you can shop for before beginning a new weight loss program to get and stay motivated long term. Examples include:

Foods

Add the following foods and drinks to your healthy grocery shopping list:

• A variety of fresh fruits: oranges, kiwi fruit, berries, bananas, melons, etc.
• Non-starchy vegetables: leafy greens, tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, celery, asparagus, broccoli, etc.
• Starchy veggies: corn, sweet potatoes, peas, beans, lentils, and other legumes
• Whole grains: quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, oatmeal, whole-grain pasta, etc.
• Calcium-rich foods: low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat milk, Greek yogurt, reduced-fat cheese, plant milk, or plant-based yogurts
• Healthy fats: avocados, olive oil, other plant oils, fish oil, nuts, seeds, nut butter, and hummus
• Protein powder for meal replacement shakes
• Coffee and tea (optional)

Avoid keeping junk food in the house and eat at home as often as you can!

Workout Equipment

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on home workout equipment but if you have a few dollars to spare, making a few new purchases can motivate you for weight loss and enhance your results! Workout equipment to consider includes:

• Dumbbell weights
• A mat for sit-ups or pushups
• New or used cardio equipment (optional)
• A weight bench
• A jump rope
• A medicine ball
• A stability ball
• A plyometrics box

While cardiovascular equipment isn’t a requirement for successful weight loss, it's a convenient way to help you burn extra calories. Consider a new or used treadmill, elliptical machine, stair machine, or a stationary bike.

If you can’t afford the equipment right now you can still effectively drop weight.

Outdoor cardiovascular workouts (jogging, rollerblading, biking, etc.) and indoor circuit training work well too!

Clothes

Have a goal weight in mind before you begin a new weight loss program.

Buying new (smaller) clothes you’d like to fit into is an excellent way to get motivated!

Treat yourself, even if you just buy a few new items.

Water Bottles

Drink a lot of water throughout your weight loss journey to enhance results.

Purchase a water bottle(s) to help you reach daily water intake goals.

For women, aim for at least 11-12 cups of water (or combinations of water, coffee, or tea) every day. Track your intake and drink water before meals to help cut calories.

A Journal

Having a journal on hand aids in weight loss for numerous reasons.

You can record and track the following goals and accomplishments during your journey:

• Bodyweight over time
• Waist circumference
• Daily food/calorie intake
• Minutes of exercise
• Hours of sleep
• Emotions/feelings during weight loss
• Other memorable experiences along the way

Take “before” pictures of yourself and place it in the journal. Prepare a space for your after photo too!

#2 Set a Daily Schedule

Create a schedule, or regular routine, for yourself to help jumpstart weight loss. Try the following:

• Set a regular bedtime (aim to get at least 7-9 hours of sleep each night)
• Customize an eating pattern of three meals plus two or three snacks daily
• Set aside time to work out at least 30-60 minutes each day

Once you've customized a schedule, stick with your routine to stay on track with weight loss and achieve your goal weight.

#3 Join a Weight Loss Program

Joining a weight loss program significantly increases your chance of effectively shedding pounds. It offers you the motivational support and guidance needed to achieve your goal weight. The Fit Mother Project 30X (FM30X) is a weight loss program designed for women over 35. It's helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off using:

• Health coaching
• Motivational support
• Meal plans
• Fat-burning workouts
• Social media support
• Much more!

Sign up for the FM30X FREE 3-day jumpstart weight loss kit to get started today!

#4 Set Goals

Before you begin weight loss, set goals! Aim to lose 1-2 pounds weekly and choose an ending goal weight to strive for.

Give yourself plenty of time to reach your goal and weigh yourself often (every day if you can) to make sure you stay on track. Record daily or weekly results in your journal.

Weight Loss Tips that Yield Real Results!

To improve your chance of dropping weight and keeping it off, try the following tips for success:

#1 Plan Out Meals

Planning daily meals and menus helps you stick within your weight loss calorie allotment and ensures meals are well-balanced. Use the tips below to plan out your meals:

• Eat 1,200-1,800 calories daily (depending on how active you are)
• Eat smaller, more frequent meals and snacks
• Fill half of each plate with vegetables
• Fill one-fourth of your plate with protein foods
• Fill one-fourth of your plate with fiber-rich starches
• Choose healthy fats at each meal
• Eat fruit 2 times daily
• Consume 2-3 servings of calcium-rich dairy foods or plant-based alternatives

Use a calorie-counting app or free online nutrition database to track calories. Aim to eat every few hours and choose three meals plus two to three snacks.

If you’d prefer to eat 5-6 meals with the same number of calories each, that works well too!

#2 Consider Meal Prepping

Meal prepping can save you time during the week and helps you eat right when your schedule gets busy.

Cook meals on weekends or a day you have some extra time.

Portion out meals and snacks and place them in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freezer.

Throw away refrigerated leftovers after 3-4 days, but you can keep many foods in the freezer for 2-3 months (up to a year in some cases, depending on the food).

#3 Complete Fat-Burning Workouts

For effective weight loss in women, aim to exercise most days of the week.

Complete various different workouts and change up your exercise routine often.

Combine strength training with cardiovascular and flexibility exercises, and consider high-intensity training (HIIT) or circuit training to drop inches, build muscle, and boost your metabolism.

FM30X offers fat-burning workouts that yield real results in as little as 30 minutes a day.

Sign up for the FM30X 3-day jumpstart weight loss kit and receive a FREE fat-burning workout for women to get started on your weight loss journey!

#4 Sit Down Less

Regular exercise is just one piece of the weight loss puzzle. Your overall daily calorie expenditure consists of the following components:

• Your basal metabolic rate (the calories you burn at rest)
• The calories you burn exercising
• Calories you burn doing other daily activities

Shopping, doing house chores or yard work, and walking the dog are examples of activities of daily living that burn extra calories – even on the days you don’t work out.

Sitting down less is an excellent way to boost your overall calorie expenditure for weight loss.

Get moving every chance you have, even if it means using a standing computer desk instead of a traditional desk or taking the stairs instead of an elevator.

#5 Eat Out Less Often

Cook at home when you can to increase your chance of successful weight loss.

Doing so makes it easier to track calories, use healthy ingredients, and keep portion sizes small.

Restaurant foods often contain hidden ingredients, extra calories, and portions that are too large for effective weight loss.

Dining out every now and then is perfectly fine but avoid overdoing it to jumpstart weight loss.

#6 Try Intermittent Fasting

If you struggle with reducing your calories for weight loss, consider intermittent fasting to make calorie reduction easier.

Try skipping a meal or only eating at certain times of the day (during an 8-hour window, for example) to reduce calories and reach your goal weight.

Avoid fasting for long time periods to steer clear of unwelcome side effects of starvation.

#7 See a Doctor for Routine Checkups

Seeing your doctor regularly is a good idea for several reasons.

Your provider can monitor hormone levels to make sure they stay within a healthy range.

Unbalanced hormones can cause changes in your appetite and metabolism, making weight loss much more difficult.

Your doctor screens you for disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar, and treats health conditions before serious problems arise.

If you have a chronic disease risk factor like high blood pressure, weight loss often improves your numbers to reduce or eliminate the need for medications.

#8 Give up Alcohol

You'd be surprised at how easily weight can melt off after giving up (or drastically reducing) alcoholic drinks.

Some alcoholic beverages contain 100-500 calories in just a single drink, and alcohol calories don't nourish your body or give you energy.

In fact, just the opposite is true in many cases. Opt for energy-boosting caffeinated drinks instead, such as black coffee or green tea!

#9 Get Organized

If your life feels too busy or unorganized, stress can alter appetite hormones and hinder weight loss. To reduce stress in your life and become or stay organized, try the following:

• Clean your house
• Manicure your yard
• Get caught up on bills
• Make a to-do list
• Catch up on laundry and dishes
• Say no to excessive extra-curricular activities
• Make time to relax and de-stress
• Clean out your cupboards
• Organize your fridge and freezer

Organizing all areas of your life can give you the motivation needed to jumpstart weight loss and make it successful! Having a clean, organized kitchen makes weight loss meal prep easier too!

#10 Boost Confidence

Find ways to keep your confidence high before, during, and after weight loss.

In addition to buying new clothes (if it’s in your budget), consider getting your hair done, splurging on a manicure or pedicure, trying new make-up, or using tanning lotion give you the boost of confidence about your physical appearance you deserve.

#11 Love Yourself

Because confidence doesn’t just come from your outward appearance, make changes in your thought patterns to improve the way you feel about yourself.

Talk with your doctor about treatment options if you suffer from depression.

Become more spiritual, focus on improving relationships with close friends and family, adopt a positive attitude, and remove toxic relationships in your life that make you feel less than confident.

FM30X offers you the motivational and social support needed for self-love and improvements in your emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical health!

#12 Remove Stressors

Whenever possible, eliminate stressors in your life that can hinder weight loss.

If you’re overwhelmed with your job or taking care of the kids, don’t be afraid to ask for help so you can de-stress.

Spend time outdoors, exercise regularly, try yoga or tai chi, and avoid overbooking your schedule.

Don’t feel bad about taking a day off to relax at home.

Your wallet and waistline will thank you!

Ways to Keep Lost Weight Off!

Once you’ve reached your goal weight using FM30X, your weight loss efforts aren’t over! About 90% of people who lose weight eventually regain it. Why?

Keeping the weight off can be just as difficult because a smaller body requires fewer calories.

Maintaining a smaller figure means making changes you can stick with for life, and many people who diet do so temporarily instead of adopting permanent lifestyle changes

Jumpstart Weight Loss Today

The last phase of Fit Mother Project 30X gives you the tools necessary to maintain your goal weight for life.

The weight maintenance phase offers the same resources as the FM30X weight loss phase, such as healthy meal plans, workouts, recipes, newsletters, and social and motivational support.

When you’re ready to jumpstart weight loss and drastically increase your chance of long term success, sign up for FM30X today or try the FREE 3-day jumpstart weight loss kit! You won’t be sorry you did!

Erin Coleman, R.D.
Writer, The Fit Mother Project

Erin is a registered dietitian who earned a nutritional science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she worked as a health educator for the department of internal medicine.

Her published work appears on hundreds of health, fitness, nutrition, and medical websites – including doctors’ offices, rehab centers, urgent care clinics, and hospitals.