You must have followed in my last post, how to set real goals that I ended up talking about to be reasonable with yourself. When we're trying to lose weight, we often blame ourselves and end up suffering a lot when the scale's pointer stays in the same place, when we went off the diet on that date with friends, or because we haven't exercised in the past two days.

Here's some loving advice from someone who's been through this before:

• Set a reasonable weight goal:

Check your Body Mass Index (BMI) on here, calculate what your BMI is now and what would be a better weight for your height. BMI is a rough guide (not perfect as it doesn't take into account bone structure, fat percentage, genetics, etc.) but at least it's a tool that serves as a guide. You can't be six feet tall and weigh fifty pounds.

Also, know that your weight is just a guideline. You can gain lean mass (muscle) and lose fat, so the weight on the scale hasn't decreased at all. You can lose measurements and look completely different and not lose an ounce of weight. And it's OK.

So instead of obsessing about the scale, pay attention to how your clothes are wearing and take pictures to keep up with the changes in your body.

• Takes time:

Lasting changes take time. Big weight losses take time. What I mean is that it probably took a while for you to get into the habits you have now. So it will probably take longer than you'd like to reverse all this. You are also likely to relapse a few times. It's understandable. It is not in our nature to act and eat the same way every time.

Allow yourself. And think of it this way: If you change 50% from your feed at the start, it's better than 0%, right?

Be firm with yourself, but don't be extreme.

• Enough physical exercise – but no more than that:

Yes, working out will help you lose fat and gain muscle, but it's not the main part of the equation. Besides, who in their right mind has time to work out so much when we have family, work, leisure, animals and friends who also need time?

So it's best to set some reasonable goals for exercise. If all you can do is 3 times a week for 20 minutes, that's fine. A little movement is better than none!

• Eat your carbs:

Eating refined carbohydrates like sugar and white flour will make you gain fat without a doubt. However, complex carbohydrates are good for our bodies. Complex carbohydrate sources include vegetables and fruits, and these foods have an incredible amount of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in them.

They make your dish beautiful and colorful and add a lot of flavor to the recipes. If you don't eat enough carbohydrates, you can start to feel weak, moody, tired, and even have muscle cramps and sleep problems.

Also, your body will tell you that something is missing. When we completely deprive ourselves of carbohydrates, it is common to have super intense and uncontrollable cravings for processed and high-calorie foods like sweets and pasta.

I hope this information is useful to you! Losing weight is not just a matter of what foods we eat, but also how we feel and think.

If you've been through or are going through it, don't let guilt discourage or discourage you!

Be reasonable and do your best!

Good weekend!

Dr. Marcella

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