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The best ways to track weight loss

How to stay motivated and accountable

Whether you’ve got five kilos to lose, or 25, losing weight is tough. Most people experience setbacks on the way to reaching their goal, but while most of us give up then, successful people keep going. The trick is to track your progress and successes along the way. Seeing positive results will spur you on, and tracking can help you see where you need to make tweaks. Try these trackers to keep your eyes on the prize.

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Use a food diary

Picking at the kid’s leftovers, mindlessly munching on chips in front of the TV – most of us eat excess calories without even realising. Recording exactly what you are eating each day shows you where you need to cut back. Jot it down in a notebook or use a food tracking app such as CalorieKing or Lose It! To do it successfully, write down the foods you eat for every meal and snack and drink, plus the portion sizes and calorie count, to make sure you are staying within limit.

See your GP

Your GP can help ensure you are on the path to weight loss success by measuring your weight and height to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). They can also check for any underlying health issues that might make it harder for you to shift weight.

Weight Loss
(Credit: Getty Images) (Credit: Getty Images)

Invest in a scale

Weighing yourself on a bathroom scale once a week or once a month will tell you if you’re going in the right direction.  Don’t weigh yourself every day though, as your weight will fluctuate depending on the time of day, water retention, and if you are menstruating.

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Keep an eye on how your clothes fit

Probably the best motivator is the feeling of looser pants or the sleeves on your favourite shirt feeling less tight around your arms. All of these signs tell you that you are losing body fat. Keep going!

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