I am undertaking a 28lb weight loss challenge and I hope to complete it by my 50th birthday. I have a friend who is running a virtual marathon to raise funds for research into pancreatic cancer. I have promised her for each 1lb I lose I will donate £10.
So far I am 3lb down and £30 lighter but I have a long way to go to hit my aim.
I have been wondering what I can do to meet my weight loss challenge and have been exploring some options.
Things that may help a weight loss challenge
I know I just need to eat healthily and reduce my calorie intake down to about 1400 a day in order to lose weight. I know this because I have been reading about diets for years and ultimately I know iit works. However I want to speed up my weight loss challenge this time so I have been looking at ways I haven’t really explored before.
Weight loss capsules for a weight loss challenge
I have never tried medicine to help me lose weight before but it is something that has crossed my mind recently as I know I need a boost to keep going. Have you tried them?
At the moment with Covid and reduced surgery appointments this is not something I would bother my GP with. So instead I had a look over at the Best Online Chemist where a variety of weight loss capsules and medicines are available with or without prescription.
Weight loss capsules generally work by preventing a percentage of the the fat in your meals from being absorbed
The online chemist has a team of doctors to provide advice if you should so need it and a consultation form you can fill in. As a vegetarian I found it incredibly helpful that a full list of ingredients were given and possible side effects were also well documented.
It might well be worth giving them a try.
Drinking more
I have been reading about the benefits to my weight loss challenge of drinking more. Not drinking more alcohol obviously – it is calorie laden! but drinking a lot more water.
So many people have told me this it must be true.
According to Healthline
Water can be really helpful for weight loss. It is 100% calorie-free, helps you burn more calories and may even suppress your appetite
I can totally see how filling your tummy before you eat would make you eat less so I am going to give this a good try. It is a simple and easy solution if it works.
I currently drink very little water and tend to fill up on diet coke which makes me crave sugar so it has to be an improvement on that.
Tracking my losses
Do you track you weight loss?
There are so many ways to do it aren’t there and lots of technical and fancy apps these days – perfect for a weight loss challenge.
Currently I write my weight in the top of my diary every day but for the purpose of this weight loss challenge I have gone old school. No fancy app for me. I have drawn 28 circles with the numbers 28 down to 1 inside. Each time I lose a pound I colour off the circle. I am currently on 24. I cannot wait till I hit the zero.
Visual prompts and little records of success give me momentum, drive and a little dopamine hit and it helps me feel good about my progress which spurs me on.
Mental mindset and a weight loss challenge
Challenges work for me. I really thrive on clear targets and defined goals having something concrete to aim for helps me stay focussed.
“You must not only aim right but draw the bow with all your might.” (Thoreau)
I know it isn’t just about having a clear goal though – I really do have to throw everything at it. I am all in and focussed and I am trying lots of interesting ways to keep my weight loss on track. I really want this and I know that mindset and desire go a long, long way towards success.
Exercise
As I said earlier I do know that weight loss challenge success is down largely to calorie defecit but I also exercise can help that happen so I am stepping up my exercise game this summer.
What do you do for exercise?
At the moment walking, tai chi and a massive house declutter are my exercise choices with the occasional 15 minute blast on my indoor exercise bike. I don’t think it is enough so I have been looking over at the NHS couch to 5k programme. I have never really run before but I love that it takes things step by step and think think it could be for me.
So there are a few ideas I am going to try to pull off this 28lb weight loss challenge – wish me luck!
Over to you
Have you ever undertaken a weight loss challenge? If you have I would love to hear your story and find out what worked for you? And most importantly did you keep the weight off?
All photos sourced from Unsplash
28lb Weight Loss Challenge is a collaborative post