Top tips for successful and sustainable weight loss

You've spent weeks working towards a happier, healthier you only to end up feeling drained, discouraged and defeated at a lack of results. 
If you're struggling to lose excess weight and can't help but question whether it's even worth the lifestyle change, the following tips will prove invaluable throughout your weight loss journey and give you the motivation you need to persevere:

• Be realistic - gruelling exercise regimes and strict dieting aren't realistic nor sustainable. Long-term results stem from lifestyle changes that can be maintained and incorporated into daily life.

• Be patient - you didn't reach your current weight over night nor will you lose it in the same timescale. Be patient, don't beat yourself up if things take a little longer than planned and most importantly, don't give up.

• Be persistent - weight loss is far from easy. In fact, it resembles a roller coaster of emotions and on occasions, the overwhelming urge to quit, but every blister, tear and ounce of sweat is taking you one step closer to your goal. Push through, persevere and you WILL get there.

• Eliminate temptation - if food is your weakness and willpower your downfall, remove every source of temptation from your fridge, freezer and kitchen cupboards. You can't binge on something that isn't there and by the time you've reached the shops to stock up on tasty treats, your craving would have subsided and your logical side would have kicked in.

• Have a reason - be it a holiday, wedding or to improve an existing medical condition, having a reason to lose weight will act as your motivation and focus when times get tough.

• Diminish deprivation - deprivation, limitation and restriction all have one detrimental thing in common - they intensify your cravings and make you want the one thing that you've told yourself that you can't have, regardless of whether you actually want or need it at all. Don't deprive yourself of tasty treats or attempt to follow a limited and restricted food or caloric intake - this is a recipe for disaster and will have a significant impact on the likelihood of weight loss success.

• Think small - setting small, attainable goals and taking one day at a time will not only increase the likelihood of success, but allow your body and mind to adequately adapt to your new lifestyle changes on both a physical and psychological level.

• Be prepared - weight loss isn't referred to as a journey for no reason so prepare yourself for a bumpy ride with some unexpected obstacles along the way. You will get injured, you will have moments where you feel drained and defeated and life will be life, but don't use these common obstacles as an excuse to ruin all your hard work. Adapt things accordingly and be prepared to tackle unexpected challenges.

• Change - your body won't go where your mind doesn't want it to. Changing your psychological approach to health, diet and fitness will allow your mental strength to increase and a healthy mindset to develop. Can you do this? Yes you can. The human body is a fascinating machine capable of incredible things, it's your mind that requires the attention vital for change. Never underestimate what you are capable of achieving with a positive mindset and the right determination and self belief. Positivity really is power.

• No more numbers - scales, calories and carb counting can all lead to one lethal thing - the rapid development of an obsession that's both difficult to break, and detrimental to weight loss. Your body is the most realistic and reliant tool for tracking progress and counting carbs and calories - use it. It will tell you when you're not eating enough and need more energy i.e. carbohydrates, and will allow you to see and feel when you're losing or gaining weight - how your clothes feel will also act as a reliable indication in terms of the progress you are or aren't making.

• Pace yourself - although it can be tempting to jump in at the deep end, don't let desperation be the death of success. Pace yourself by reducing your caloric intake gradually and increasing your physical activity over a prolonged period of time. The aim is to ensure long-term results and a healthy weight loss of 1-2 lbs a week. Not rapid results that are both dangerous and short lived.