Here's what I'd do if I wanted to shift at least 10-25 lbs…

First of all:

Like any business, I'd get clear on what my mission is [aka, the goal].

Is it 16 lbs, 20 lbs, 36 lbs…?

I'd get specific.

I'd not only write down how much I wanna lose.

But I'd write what clothes I'd wanna fit into, what trouser size I want to start buying, and what I want to be more capable of doing - physically & mentally.

And adding to that, I'd give myself a reason for all of this. WHY am I doing this?

What do I want to feel, who do I want to make proud of me, what will it mean for my future, my family, my work, my health?

How will I perceive myself when I look in the mirror Vs how I perceive myself now?

I'd get this all out on paper or a document.

Secondly:

I'd decide how slow or fast I want to go.

So if my mission is to lose 28 lbs…

Do I want to lose 28 lbs across 14 weeks at 2 lbs / week?

Or do I want to lose 28 lbs across 20 weeks at 1.4 lbs / week?

All in all, I'd aim between 1 - 2.5 lbs / week generally speaking.

And I'd use an app or a tracker like this one ????

'Monitor Your Weight' App - Apple

'Monitor Your Weight' App - GooglePlay

And with this tracker instead of looking at the BIG scary end goal, I'd focus on 'how can I lose 1-2.5 this week only?'.

I.e. if I set myself 20 lbs in 16 weeks, all I need to focus on right now is losing around 1.25 lbs to hit the weekly break down goal.

Thirdly:

I'd look at the data already in front of me. And collect some more.

I'd look at 2 things initially:

1. What's my average step count for the past 1-6 months - we all have phones and watches on us that does this without us asking. Unless you're ancient. It's free effortless data!!

This 1-3 month average activity level or step count would become my baseline.

1. And I'd look at my calendar and think where can I fit more activity in - be it standing at my desk or taking a brisk 30 minute lunch walk or pacing on Teams & phone meetings. Or a mix of above and similar.

My only aim here in week 1 would be to beat my baseline.

But I'd also wanna know "what am I actually consuming?"

So I'd capture what I eat & drink in a nice simple collection of photo's for 3-4 days. Nothing complex, just snapping photos of everything.

And after looking back at the photos, I'd ask:

1. Do I always have the same daily meals or not? I.e. do I always have breakfast or sometimes miss it?
2. How can I prioritise getting more protein to keep me satisfied sooner & for longer?
3. What do my portion sizes look like? I.e. did I eat the entire portion because it was on my plate or would I have survived if it was slightly smaller here & there?

With that review using these questions, I'd decide to make one basic dietary change which I feel confident I can consistently do for the next week.

Last of all:

I'd not wait around, I'd implement.

To summarise:

• I'd have mission and a very clear reason of why I'm doing this.
• I'd have a desired time bound mission outcome broken into weekly outcomes.
• I'd use the data I already have, and I'd be a more active in smart ways without using too much precious time.
• And lastly after a simple photo collection, I'd complement that with my very simple nutritional change.

There's my first 1-2.5 lbs of fat loss in week 1.

In week 2 and beyond I'd run through the same principle of 'review and improve' slightly while considering how to save time & energy so that it's more likely to happen.

And voilà, I'm on my way to 1.5 lbs of sustainable weight loss / week.

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I hope you find this helpful.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Shout if you need any extra guidance.

- Ryan