#1 Thing To Help You Reach Your Health and Weight Loss Goals

"Accountability" is when you take responsibility for your actions. When you "own" them. And it's key to improving your health and wellness. Do you want to reach your health and weight loss goals? Did you know that this is the key to reaching your health and weight loss goals?

Have you ever bought a book or program with the absolute best intentions of following it to a "T?" Likewise, have you ever not followed it completely?

Life gets in the way. We get too tired or busy, and let a day or two slide. Sometimes, we completely fall off the bandwagon.

This happens to the best of us - yes, even to me! You can have all the right information, but the implementation is the hard part.

So, to achieve your weight loss goals, you must have some accountability.

Accountability is more of the "doing" than the "knowing." It's when you already know what you should be doing; but, doing it doesn't always happen.

And accountability, when you know someone is measuring or checking your actions, makes you more likely to do them.

What are Some Options for Wellness Accountability?

Here are a few simple ways to stay accountable with your weight loss goals. These tips will help you achieve your weight loss goals in a much easier way.

 1. Start An Activity Journal

Simply writing down the amount of exercise you do each day can increase your accountability. You can use a calendar or blank notebook. For each day record:

• Time/duration.
• Which exercise is done?
• Distance or repetitions.
• Intensity (easy/moderate/vigorous).
• Notes or comments (what improvements you can make for next time).
• How you feel afterwards - Use this last item to motivate yourself to capture that feeling again.

Bonus points for logging what and how much you eat daily. That will help keep you accountable on the nutrition side too.  I like the MyFitnessPal app for this, but there are plenty of others.

2. Use A Fitness Tracker To Reach Fitness Goals

Would you believe a study of fitness habits in postmenopausal women showed that a fitness tracker increased the amount of exercise they did?

Two groups of women were advised to walk 10,000 steps each day and get 150 minutes of moderate/vigorous physical activity each week.

One group was given a pedometer. The other was given a pedometer plus a fitness tracker.

Guess how much more activity the fitness tracker group increased each week? Thirty-eight minutes! Yes, simply having a fitness tracker increased activity, while the pedometer-only group had no change.

So, the conclusion? The key to reaching your health and weight loss goals is accountability. Having the tracker increases your accountability, measurement of the activities, and motivation to do them.

I like using a Fitbit, but there are now a ton of options, so find one that fits your needs and budget.

 3. Get An "Accountabilty Buddy"

Find a workout buddy to help you reach and achieve your weight loss goals. Someone with whom you can go for walks or to the gym. If not, ask someone you trust to follow up with you every few days on your tracked activities.

Make sure they know your "why" and can remind you of it when you need it. Have them spend a few minutes reviewing your journal/tracker and give you some "tough love" from time to time.

 4. Hire A Nutritionist

I love supporting people on a path to better health. The main reason for creating this website is because I want others to learn ways to eat healthier and begin a lifelong wellness journey.

If you need help learning how to eat healthy, contact me and send me an email to get started today.

Where to Start to Reach a Health or Weight Loss Goal?

You don't need to exercise like crazy to improve your health and lose weight. In fact, you just need to do it regularly.

Here are my recommended steps:

• Talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program.
• Start from where you are and do a bit more daily.
• Always remember your "why."
• If you need accountability, decide whether you'd prefer an activity journal or a fitness tracker. And use it daily. Track your exercise and what you eat and drink too.
• For instance, if you need an accountability buddy, ask a trusted friend or family member.

You can read more about health and weight loss goals by reading how much exercise is really necessary? Similarly, this article discusses how much exercise you need to reach your health and weight loss goals.

Let's Discuss Ways to Reach Your Health and Weight Loss Goals!

I would love to hear what ways you reach your health and weight loss goals. Let me know how these tips helped keep you accountable for your wellness goals. Email me if you also need more help reaching your weight loss goals.

You can also connect with me @EatYourNutrition on Instagram. I love seeing your photos. #EatYourNutrition #LauraVillanueva

Are you ready to feel more energetic by nourishing your body with the proper foods to fuel you on your health journey? Join the Fresh Start Healthy Weight Loss Program today.