The only thing that will decide if you really want to lose weight right now is your perception of your body. Here’s a little test to help you determine if your reasons for starting to lose weight are powerful enough:

Do you feel comfortable in your skin?

Can you confidently undress in front of your man without worrying about sagging spilling out?

Can you confidently dance in a club with a carefree attitude?

Do you usually buy clothes?

If so, is your first reaction to seeing yourself in new clothes critical or approving?

Finally, do you FEEL HAPPY to be the way you are NOW?

Honestly, I don’t need to give you an answer because while you were taking that test, your mind had already determined if you were ready or not.

If you are still reading this, you are more than ready and even a little motivated. Here, at this point, I will only tell you one thing and with one hundred percent faith and confidence: if you manage to stay consistent and self-motivated for the next 2 months, you will lose about 5% of your body weight.

Understand that each person’s requirement is different. Some people are struggling to lose that last stubborn 10 pounds, while others might just be starting out. Also, how your body reacts and the amount of effort you put directly influences the final result, therefore I did not say that you will lose that many pounds at the end of 2 months. That goal number has to be set by you.

How do I determine my short-term weight loss goal?

There are three factors to consider when calculating your 2-month goal

• Current Weight and Measurements.

• Daily caloric requirement

• How many hours of exercise can you do throughout the week?

Actual weight

Keep a weight loss journal with weekly updates, motivational quotes, etc. Take your weight first thing in the morning after you have used the bathroom. Make sure you weigh yourself naked or just inside.

Measure your chest, upper and lower waist, hips, each thigh (at its widest part), and each arm. Write it down in your weight loss journal in an organized way.

Now, if you think you are someone who starts to tear their hair out at no change on the scale, then I advise you not to weigh yourself before 2 months. However, if your diet and training aren’t affected by the number on the scale, then weigh yourself weekly to monitor it.

daily caloric requirement

BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate is the rate at which your body would burn calories even if you lay in bed all day. When people want to maintain their current weight, they are advised to consume calories limited to their BMR.

However, since you are trying to lose weight, you need to create a deficit between BMR and calories consumed. Consider its body similar to a water balloon (pardon the pun), the balloon needs a certain amount of water to reach its maximum size, now if you keep reducing the water content by 1 teaspoon the balloon will eventually start to shrink of size.

Similarly, by consuming less than the allotted caloric value (which is the BMR), you are creating a deficit and therefore burning fat faster, but remember that at any one time you should not eat less than 1200 calories plus minus 75 units of calories.

Your BMR is calculated based on your weight, age, gender, and height.

working out

As the old adage goes: eat less, burn more! Exercise is not just limited to the gym; the idea is to be active. If you can’t afford a gym membership or don’t have time, be resourceful: run up and down the stairs or dance while you cook.

You know you’re really exercising when you start sweating profusely and your heart rate picks up; walking at 2 mph for 30 hours is not enough if you want to lose about 2 pounds a week.

A good workout, no matter if you do it in the gym or in your backyard, is one where you can feel the burn.