The impetus for most new workout habits for women can be distilled down to two simple phrases; “Lose Weight, Look Good”.
Those four words have probably propelled more magazine sales and purchases of gym memberships than any others, and for good reason--they represent two common goals for busy women who are trying to balance several aspects of modern life.
The desire to like what you see when you look in the mirror is not a bad one, but the key is looking at the current you with love, while still understanding that some changes might be good. If you feel that it would improve your health and outlook to lose weight and look good, then there’s a good chance that’s exactly what you need to do.
How do you balance striving for physical change with keeping a healthy mindset, and keeping your “lose weight, look good” path one that’s doable and stable? Engaging a conscientious trainer is one way, and utilizing workout plans that are designed to keep your progress going at a moderate rate is also an option that might forestall both giving up and going too hard.
Byproducts of a “lose weight, look good” protocol may very well be that your self-esteem skyrockets and a few other things fall into place in your life. But be wary of associating feeling better about yourself too closely with appearance. Consider that the increased energy from a workout program yields a lot of benefit in other areas, and a jump in physical strength--like what comes naturally from weight lifting--often results in a psychological boost in endurance and belief in yourself as well.
In other words, when you decide to “lose weight, look good”, and start using a training program that will build your physical strength as it burns fat and helps you slim down, you’ll get benefits...but the method may be as big of a part of that (if not more) than the result.