How to Lose Fat and Keep It Off

1 Know Your Why

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This is probably the most important factor of all. Know your why. Have one enormously personal reason you want to lose weight that resonates strongly that is bigger than your excuses and keeps you motivated no matter what. Thinking "I want to be there for my family" is sure to be more effective than "I want to look good in my jeans."

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2 Start Off Small

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If you've tried losing weight in the past, chances are you went all in and changed everything at once. The answer to staying committed for the long haul is to start small. Make one positive shift every week, such as eating veggies at every meal, as registered dietitian Leslie Langevin suggests. Instead of overwhelming yourself with a bunch of changes at once, gradually add more changes and habits as you're ready.

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3 Find Healthy Foods You Love

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If you come from a background of eating junk or processed foods, explore the vast array of whole, healthy foods. If spinach smoothies aren't your thing, maybe chia pudding is. Despise all things cauliflower? Maybe broccoli will be your fave. Instead of mourning the foods you shouldn't eat, take this as a fun opportunity to explore all the foods you can.

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4 Don't Eliminate Your Favorite Foods

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Pasta, bread, french fries, cookies, ice cream, and WINE! In order to maintain your weight loss, you need to find a balance of eating nutritious foods while still including the foods you love. Autumn Calabrese recommends the 90/10 rule, where you eat healthy and on track 90 percent of the time, then maybe one meal a week you splurge. Allowing yourself the foods you crave can help satiate your need for them and prevent all-out binges later.

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5 Have a Modest Calorie Deficit

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A modest calorie deficit is key here, not a substantial one, because this needs to be a daily calorie amount you can sustain. If you cut too many calories, you'll be too tired to work out and will feel hungry all the time, constantly thinking about food. What's worse is that you'll be more likely to give up.

You can calculate your calorie deficit by multiplying your bodyweight by 10 to 12. Your caloric intake should fall somewhere within these numbers. Another way to calculate your calorie deficit is to figure out your TDEE (total energy expenditure, which is the number of calories your body burns each day) and subtract 500 calories. Make sure you're always eating more than 1,200 calories each day, even more if you're working out regularly.

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6 Do Workouts You Love

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Hate running? Skip it. Feel self-conscious in a huge gym? Work out at home. Find a way to exercise that makes you feel excited, energized, and confident, something that challenges you and makes you want to keep doing it. This may mean mixing up your workouts every day to beat boredom or branching out and trying new fitness classes or workout styles. Maybe this is the year you try CrossFit or Orangetheory or BBG. You won't exercise if it doesn't fit your lifestyle, but more importantly, if you don't enjoy it.

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7 Make Health and Fitness a Habit

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Strive to eat healthy and exercise on a regular basis. Do it in a way that's manageable for your life and your goals, and it'll become second nature. Some days you won't feel like getting up at 6 a.m. to hit the gym. Some days you'll want to throw out your kale salad for a cookie. Committing to a healthy and fit lifestyle may mean doing things you don't feel like, but you'll do them anyway because you know you'll feel amazing and proud afterward.

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8 Plan Ahead

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Whether you're going on vacation, you have your friend's birthday party this weekend, or you know next week is going to be hectic with work, planning your meals and workouts ahead of time is key. Know when you want to indulge so you can focus on eating healthy the rest of the time. Be aware of when cravings are toughest so you can have high-protein snacks ready. Meal prep on Sunday so dinner is set on nights you know you'll be home late. Staying proactive will help you stay on track.

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9 Keep Setting New Goals and Celebrate Them!

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As you're evolving and progressing on your weight-loss journey, your goals have got to keep up! Aim to run a certain number of miles per week or get in a certain number of weekly strength-training sessions. Keep track of how much weight you can deadlift and celebrate every time you add 10 pounds to the bar. When your waist gets smaller, go out and buy a new (workout) outfit. There's so much to celebrate beyond the number on the scale, and setting specific and personal mini goals will keep you excited and inspired.

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10 Be Consistent!

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If you can't make it to the gym or you eat a pan of brownies, don't feel defeated and give up. Get right back on track the following day by hitting a workout or eating a healthy meal. We all have moments where we fall off the healthy train — it's normal! But it's how you handle it that will make all the difference in your progress. Aim for consistency, not perfection.

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