While the full journey of losing weight is never truly easy, there are ways to approach it without feeling like you’re on the Biggest Loser. 

Most weight loss programs are designed to get you to lose weight as fast as possible. It sounds appealing, but fast results are neither easy nor sustainable.

They often require such drastic change from your current lifestyle that your body experiences complete shock.

This isn’t necessary in losing weight. It can be done without drastic and immediate change. It can be done in a way that you barely notice the change.

The tradeoff, however, is that the process takes longer.

Frankly, this is a good thing. If you’re rushing to lose weight as fast as possible, you’re likely doing it for the wrong reasons and you’re much more likely to regain your weight.

Most methods for losing weight fast don’t teach you how to maintain your weight loss or put you on a track that isn’t aligned with how you want to live (cutting entire food groups from your diet or requiring a level of exercise that you never intended to sustain).

You’ll find that slowing the weight loss process down takes the pressure off and makes it much easier and sustainable in the long run.

You’ll actually learn what works for you and what doesn’t and you’ll have the tools you need for a lifetime of good choices.

The Smallest Thing

Every single day you make a ton of decisions. From what time you wake up, to what you eat, and all the way through what time you go to bed, you are making choices.

Every single one of these choices, no matter how small, takes you either a step closer or a step away from where you want to go.

Your weight is largely a result of the decisions you make every day related to what you eat and drink. If you want to start losing weight, you need to adjust your daily decisions.

Think about your typical day. What is a small decision, related to your diet, that you can improve? Do you drink soda every day? Maybe it’s beer or bourbon?

Most of us will have something obvious that we already know is holding us back. For me, it was beer. At my highest weight, I was drinking a beer (or two or three) almost every night.

That was the first decision I made: limit alcohol to one night per week.

It was an easy decision. It required zero effort. Just stop drinking so much. I knew this was a good choice regardless of whether I immediately started losing weight.

Starting today, find that thing that is super obvious and make the better choice. Make the choice that will take you a step closer to weighing less.

You might think of this choice as a rule, a rule to live by. My choice was to limit alcohol to one night per week. This also became a rule I lived by until I hit my goal and felt comfortable expanding to two nights per week.

Stack Your Rules

One small change may not do much, but that’s okay. You’ve made an adjustment for the better and are proving to yourself that you’re capable of more change.

Whatever choice or rule you make for yourself, be proud of holding yourself to it. It’s a big deal and should be celebrated.

Every time you make the right choice or stick to your rule, you’re changing that little voice in your head that often holds you back or leads you down the wrong path.

After a week or two of sticking to your new rule, you might find you’ve lost some weight. But do not get discouraged if you haven’t. 

If you have lost some weight, just keep doing what you’re doing until the scale stops moving. 

When the scale stops moving or if the first small change didn’t move it to begin with, you’re ready to stack your rules.

Stacking your rules means you add a new rule to your existing rules. If you’re currently only drinking alcohol one night per week, you will now add a new rule to take you another step closer to your goal.

Again, it’s probably easy to spot something you can adjust for the better.

Maybe you could improve your snacking or cut added sugars from your diet. You could add a serving of vegetables to your day or eat a protein-rich breakfast.

Make your next choice, whatever it is, and stick to it. If you keep stacking rules every week or so, the results will come.

Celebrate the Right Things

One of the first things we do when we start trying to lose weight is step on a scale to see how much we weigh. 

Then we step on the scale every day to see if anything has changed.

While your weight is a strong indicator of your progress, it’s not the only thing that matters. In fact, I’d argue it’s the last thing you should focus your energy on.

Yes, take your initial measurements so you know where you’re starting from. After that, set your measurements aside for a while.

I’d recommend only checking your weight every other week and no more than once a week to validate progress as you stack rules.

Here’s what you should really be focused on and celebrating: consistently sticking to your rules.

After each day, take a moment to look back and appreciate every time you stuck to your rule and every moment you passed on something you otherwise wouldn’t have.

Seeing the scale move is nice, but it doesn’t always change and it isn’t always in your control. Sticking to your plan day in and day out is in your control and that’s what you should be tracking and celebrating.

Remember, not all weight loss victories are reflected on the scale.

Looser clothing, more energy, and generally feeling better are benefits of the weight-loss process.

Take the time to recognize and celebrate your non-scale progress. That’s what will keep you going. Be proud of what you’re doing and not the number on the scale.

Wrapping it Up

As we talked about before, losing weight isn’t easy. But you can make it easier by accepting a slower rate of weight loss and making small improvements to your lifestyle over time. 

Stacking small improvements can result in massive change.

Making extreme changes to your diet and exercise routines is super difficult. You might get quick results, but you’ll get burned out and, as many statistics show, regain your weight.

You’ll find more and lasting success by focusing on the right things. The number on the scale is a good indicator of progress, but it can be deceiving and shouldn’t be relied upon to be your only metric of success.

Celebrate and be proud of the healthier choices you make. Pay attention to how your clothes fit and the increase in energy you feel.

If you focus on these things, you’ll be more likely to stick to your journey when the scale doesn’t move as much as you were hoping.

Start right now by making your next choice a healthy one!