Action checklist for weight loss

Before losing weight:

• Get health checkup by doctor. Get advice on nutrition and exercise that is suited to you. Learn to make all the food you enjoy but learn the healthy way
• Check your BMI (Body Mass Index) and waistline to determine your healthy weight range
• Set realistic and healthy weight loss target. Determine how much you want to lose and within what timeframe. Make sure this is realistic and does not prove to be a health risk. Aim for around 1kg (2.5 lb) per week
• Sleep is important in weight management. Get between 6 - 8 hours of sleep daily
• 3 parts to losing weight: emotion, nutrition, and exercise

1. On an emotional level:

• Develop a mindset for success inside your head and around your home. Learn to love yourself and work with your body to achieve your goal
• Be active in your pursuit of a healthier you
• Beyond mere weight loss, set a meaningful goal that is personal to you which will motivate you permanently to keep the excess weight off
• Get family & friends to support you

2. Nutrition:

• Nutrition is THE key to weight loss. It contributes 80% to your weight management. Get this right first
• Stop comfort eating/emotional eating. Realise food is not the solution to deeper emotional problem. Comfort eating will merely add to the problem, not take it away
• Avoid fad diet. Create a sustainable lifestyle. Make healthy eating the default rather than the exception
• Keep a food diary for 5 - 7 days. Find out your eating pattern. This will help you to modify it, if necessary, to develop better eating habit
• What triggers your weight gain? Which food and/or drink puts weight on you? What situation causes you to comfort eat? Find out your fat trigger and bring it under control
• Remove junk food and comfort food from your home. Turn your home into a fortress by stocking it with good, healthy food
• Avoid or reduce food high in fat (especially saturated fat and trans fat), sugar (especially processed sugar), salt, and carbohydrates
• Restrict fast food and take away food completely. Treat yourself once or twice a month at the most
• Eat more lean protein and vegetables (especially green, leafy vegetables)
• Don't skip breakfast
• Drink water first thing you wake up and drink it regularly throughout the day to keep body rehydrated
• Snack on healthy food between meals to re-energise and prevent starvation
• Replace day-to-day unhealthy food with healthier alternative
• Don't eat meal 3-4 hours before going to sleep
• Try 'intermittent fasting' and/or 'time restricted eating'

3. Exercise:

• Combining moderate-intensity physical activity with right nutrition will accelerate your weight loss process
• If necessary, think of exercise as "instant mood booster" and "emotional eating repellent"
• Play sport. Take up an active sport that you love (as long as there's no health risk). Make sure you get a good sweat after doing it
• Do whole body or multi-joint exercises to burn more calories
• Alternate short high-intensity interval training (e.g. 10 minute) with longer moderate-intensity session (e.g. 45 minutes). For interval training work at 80 - 90% of your intensity scale and repeat exercise between 5-10 times. Challenge yourself but do it safely
• Combine both cardio and strength (or resistance) training for optimum workout
• Light-moderate intensity exercise before breakfast can burn more calories. Drink water before starting
• Have healthy snacks and drinks pre-workout, during workout and post-workout
• Drink water regularly to keep rehydrated
• Walk more. Try to walk 1 hour a day. If you can't, brisk walk for 10 - 20 minutes daily
• Diversify workout (e.g. routine, duration, intensity) and/or classes to keep body guessing and motivation high
• Exercise a minimum of 4 times a week
• If you can't attend a gym do exercise at home. If there's no equipment, do a mini but intense circuit (e.g. squats, press-ups, lunges, and sit-ups)

Sample weight loss plan →

Have patience and persevere. Losing weight is not easy - but you WILL do it.