How should I start my weight loss journey?

Start your weight loss journey with weight maintenance to figure out your baseline calorie needs and existing eating pattern first. This baseline is a prerequisite for realistic goal setting and to find sustainable changes in your eating behavior. Hence, essential for successful and sustainable weight loss.

Written by: The Athlete’s FoodCoach, on 19-04-2024

Identify baseline calorie needs: Maintaining your current weight means aiming for an energy balance, where calories consumed equal calories expended. This helps you to establish a clear understanding and experience of your baseline calorie needs.
Identify eating pattern: The maintenance phase allows you to identify eating pattern and habits without the pressure of weight loss, increasing awareness of food choices, portion sizes, and calorie intake.
Set realistic goals: Understanding your baseline calorie needs is a pre requisite to set realistic and achievable weight loss goals.
Set up for gradual adjustments: Understanding your eating pattern is a pre requisite to find sustainable gradual adjustments. This approach provides valuable information for planning a gradual and sustainable weight loss strategy. Preventing sudden shifts in eating patterns that are too challenging and cause feelings of deprivation or low energy.

Calculate your energy needs: Discover how many calories you need to maintain energy balance. You can calculate this yourself or use the FoodCoach app for automatic daily energy calculations.
Experience energy balance: Log your food intake for at least one training day and one rest day while aiming to achieve and experience energy balance.
Gain insights in your eating pattern: After logging your meals, evaluate the food diary to gain insights into your eating patterns. This process can help you better understand your calorie needs and dietary habits.
Capture small changes: Write down small changes you think that might be feasible to your eating pattern and habits that lower your energy intake.
Start setting a realistic weight goal: Use what you've learned to plan a gradual and sustainable weight loss strategy.