The Only Way to Know What Works Is to Change One Thing at a Time.
When your weight gets insane, you are tempted to do your best: eat less, move more, sacrifice a goat, and so on. If it works, it works, but you don’t know what actually worked and what didn’t. The best way to know for sure is to make only one change at a time.
The most common response to slower progress is to cut calories further and add more to your existing exercise regimen. Sure, this can get things off the ground for a little while, but your physical and mental health can be hurt in the long run. I mean, if you keep going down this path to just eat less and less and move more and more , just think about what you need to do when the scale stops moving again? And again? No bueno.
Instead of tinkering with your diet and exercise at the same time, take an honest look at what you are already doing and make one small change to one (but not both). For example, if you are already consuming 1,700 calories and are training hard 3 days a week, try adding another day of exercise while keeping the calorie intake the same, since it is psychologically easier for most people to add something (exercise) than subtract it. (calories). Check your progress at least two weeks in advance before calling again.
If this small change worked, great! This means you didn’t have to do anything drastic, but this method takes patience . If that doesn’t work, you can change another controlled variable: diet, sleep, daily stress, and those little habits that add up (for example, do you lick peanut butter off a spoon every day?).
Whether you’re trying to lose weight or even fix someone’s computer, set constants and manipulate very few variables. This will help you figure out what you need to do without overdoing it or raising your hands in the air (and swinging them like you don’t care). It’s a slower process, but your sanity and body will thank you.