5 Strategies Moms Needs to Lose Weight and Stay in Shape

Last night I spoke to a young mom who showed up at my weight loss seminar. She told me that she had been doing the same thing with her diet and exercise program for the past two years. The first year she lost an amazing 40 pounds and she could be proud of that. However, the second year she lost nothing! Ouch! By the end of our talk I had given her several suggestions that I feel sure will jumpstart her progress again. Remember this simple rule:

1. If what you are currently doing isn't working, stop doing that.

Here are 4 more ideas:

2. Have a compelling goal. Think through what you hope will change or improve because of your efforts. Get a clear picture in your mind of how you will both look and feel. Savor this picture of this future, successful you.

3. Understand your obstacles. Get help from a doctor or personal trainer if you have trouble discerning what your weight loss enemies are. They can be physical like hormones or allergies or psychological like emotional eating for comfort or entertainment or even environmental like a compromised liver due to exposure to toxins. Take some time to reflect on all the possibilities.

4. Plan your attack. If you are stuck in a rut get the assistance of an expert to give you fresh ideas that are customized to you. Address each obstacle as part of your plan. Identify what you will do when, whether it's a trip to the farmer's market or twenty minutes of high intensity density workouts.

5. Be accountable. You can do this with yourself via a journal or rely on a friend or on your trainer. The point is to assess where you are and see if what you are doing is working. Remember rule number one and make adjustments if you don't see results. Following a strategic program like Exercising Values can help. Alternatively you could get the help of a personal trainer.

It is possible to get rid of those pesky last 5-10 pounds but your strategy will need to be fine tuned. The first pounds come off more easily than the last but small tweaks to your routine can yield big results. If we wanted to add idea #6 it would be: don't delay in getting started. Now is always the best time to act in your own best interest where your health and fitness are concerned. If you do get stuck, feel free to leave a question or comment and we'll figure it out together.