More than a third of adults in the U.S. are classified as obese. With extra weight, there comes a host of related health conditions that should be taken seriously, including heart disease, diabetes, and stroke among others. For this reason, maintaining a healthy weight is very important. Weight loss is something that many people think about – usually around the summer months or at the start of a new year. Unfortunately, many times after that initial jolt of motivation, they abandon their resolve towards improving their lifestyle long term. Sustainable weight loss is something that is achievable and having a smart scale to help along the way makes it even easier to stay healthy. Here are a few tips to get started!
Set a goal
Usually there is a reason for why someone starts on their weight loss journey. Maybe it is to get back in shape to run a race, lose weight for health reasons, or fit into a dress for a special occasion. Quantitative goals (such as aiming to lose 15 lbs in 6 months) are important and help motivate someone to stick with their goal by tracking their progress. A great way to do this is with the help of a smart scale! With QardioBase, our smart scale and body analyzer, users can measure weight, BMI and full body composition (body fat, muscle mass, water, bone). They can even set goals on the free companion Qardio App and see their history over time as they work towards their goal. Having access to full body composition analysis allows users to track their fat, bone, water and muscle percentage, offering a much more complete picture and supporting sustainable weight loss. This is great if your goal is to lose fat and gain muscle, for example.
Create a routine
While it is possible to lose weight from diet alone, to maintain weight loss it is highly recommended to incorporate physical activity into one’s daily life. The best way to incorporate this is through a routine. Try a few exercise classes or different workout programs to see what works best and you enjoy the most, then schedule your workouts or gym sessions for the same time each day. This will “train” a person’s body to get accustomed to that routine – whether it’s an 8am yoga flow, or a lunch break HIIT class.
Monitor regularly
A CDC study reported that people who weigh themselves once a day are twice as successful at keeping off lost weight as those who don’t step on the scale as often. It’s not just the act of weighing oneself that’s important, but creating a plan of action if what you see on the scale isn’t what you expected. If you see the numbers start to move away from your goal, take action in response. These can be simple adjustments, like cutting back on portion size or adding an extra day at the gym each week. With QardioBase, users can easily set reminders through the Qardio App to prompt them to jump on the scale. You can even add notes to measurements to for greater contextual understanding of what works best for your goal of sustainable weight loss.
Find a support system to stay motivated
Another great (and fun!) way to maintain weight loss is to have a friend join someone on the weight loss journey. Having a support system to motivate you or push you with a little bit of friendly competition is a great way to stay accountable. Setbacks are bound to happen and that’s OK, what’s important is jumping back on course as soon as possible. QardioBase is a great motivating companion itself with its Smart Feedback mode that replaces numbers with smileys as you work towards your goal. This way you don’t have to worry about daily fluctuating numbers and can focus on maintaining your weight in the long run.
Eat breakfast
A great way to start your day out on a healthy note is with a hearty breakfast. The National Weight Control Registry Survey, said “women who regularly ate breakfast were more successful with long-term weight loss than those who skipped the first meal of the day.” Try incorporating greek yogurt, fresh fruit or avocados into the most important meal of the day. If you need some ideas to get you started, check out our Healthy Heart Blog with tips for a happy heart diet, found here.
Start maintaining your sustainable weight loss today with QardioBase, the smart scale and body analyzer that was designed to fit everyone’s needs. It is the perfect weight loss companion, fitness buddy and weight tracker to help you stay on track of your fitness and health goals!
Sources:
WebMD
Everyday Health
