Find your best workout for weight loss – how to build habits that last

Creating new habits is like carving a path through a dense, untouched forest. At first, it’s hard to know where to go — the way is tangled and full of obstacles. It takes perseverance and courage to keep moving forward. It might be hard to find your direction, and at times, it can feel like your progress is slow or insignificant. But the more often you return, the clearer the path becomes. That’s exactly how it is with exercise and weight loss — the first steps may feel tough, but over time, the journey becomes more natural.

Weight loss – lifestyle changes for better health

Many people want to lose weight, but it can feel like a big challenge. Weight loss isn’t just about counting calories or seeing a lower number on the scale — it’s also about feeling better, having more energy, and improving your overall health. To successfully lose weight, you need to understand how your body works and how exercise, diet, and recovery all influence the results. It’s important to remember that losing weight takes time — it’s a journey where small, gradual changes in your daily life can make a big difference.

Keys to sustainable weight loss

What determines whether fat is stored or burned is mainly the body’s energy balance — that is, whether you consume more or fewer calories than you use. When you’re in a calorie deficit, there’s a risk that your body will lose muscle mass in addition to fat. However, the amount of muscle mass is also influenced by physical activity (especially strength training) and adequate protein intake through your diet. Therefore, strength training and a protein-rich diet can help prevent muscle breakdown during weight loss. This builds a stronger foundation for long-term health (1,2).

Effects of exercise

Regular strength training helps maintain a healthy balance between fat and muscle. Because muscles burn more energy than fat, they support long-term weight stability. Beyond energy metabolism, muscles play an essential role in regulating blood sugar, supporting the immune system, and enabling movement. Exercise in general also promotes key aspects of health, such as cardiovascular fitness, better sleep, increased energy, and improved mental well-being (1,2). 

Difficult emotions about exercise

It’s common to feel overwhelmed or experience resistance and uncomfortable emotions when starting to exercise (3). This may stem from uncertainty about how to perform exercises correctly, a lack of energy or motivation, or worries about what others might think — even fear of injury. Getting the right support can help you start safely and effectively. You can find some tips on how to influence your experience of exercise here. The most important thing is to start at your own pace.

Find your path to movement and exercise – every step counts

There are many ways to take the first step towards moving more. One way is to build on the movements already in your daily routine — for example, taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking or cycling instead of driving or taking the bus. Other options include going for shorter walks or starting strength training by doing a few simple exercises at home. Andra bra och skonsamma sätt att komma igång kan vara vattengympa, cykling eller crosstrainer - aktiviteter som avlastar lederna. 

Increase the intensity gradually

As you begin to feel more confident and comfortable, you can gradually increase the intensity, load, and amount of exercise. Muscles constantly need to be challenged beyond their usual level to be maintained and developed (2). In strength training, resistance can be increased over time by using resistance bands, heavier exercises, or weights. The intensity of cardiovascular training can be developed by adding longer or more frequent sessions, interval training, or even HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training). Gradual progression increases the likelihood of staying motivated and reduces the risk of injury.

Build consistency

Research has shown that the most important factor for creating a new habit or changing a behaviour is repetition and consistency (4,5). Each time you perform the new behaviour, you reinforce the habit. Regularity is key to making it feel natural and self-sustaining. Plan when and how you will do it — it can help to schedule your exercise week by week to increase your chances of success. Design your activity and goals so that they feel achievable and enjoyable. Let your first milestones be slightly too easy to reach so that it becomes simple to follow through and repeat them. The more concrete an activity is, and the more it is tied to a specific time and place, the easier it becomes to make it a recurring part of your routine.

Connect a new habit to an existing routine

It’s often easier to build consistency when you attach a new habit to a routine you already have. For example: take a walk every day around lunchtime. Combine it with an existing routine — perhaps by going for a 10–15 minute walk before eating your packed lunch, or by taking a slightly longer route to the restaurant. Compare that with trying to establish a habit that happens less often, such as a long countryside walk — that kind of habit is much harder to sustain.

You can also use some form of “reward” during or after the activity (for example, listening to your favourite music). It’s not about being perfect — it’s about doing something, even when it feels difficult. Every small step forward counts. Once the habit is established, you can gradually make your walks longer and your workouts more challenging to further support your health.

Start! Don’t wait for motivation

It’s easy to think that change requires motivation — as if you need to wait for the right feeling or the perfect moment. But motivation is fleeting and ever-changing — it comes and goes.

You shouldn’t wait for motivation to appear; instead, start with small steps today. It’s important to set goals that feel easy and realistic, as the first steps require both energy and patience. Every time you reach a small milestone, you strengthen your confidence. As your confidence grows, so does your motivation to keep training and gradually push your limits.

Creating new habits means stepping outside your comfort zone — so you’re on the right track, even if it feels uncomfortable at times. The more often you repeat the new behaviour or habit, the less resistance it creates each time.

Small steps lead to big changes in weight loss

You can’t climb a high mountain in a single leap — you take it one step at a time. The same goes for building healthy behaviours: one step at a time. Small steps may feel insignificant in the moment, but over time they lead to bigger changes, even if they seem modest compared with larger ones. Research shows that small, repeated changes over time are the most effective way to build sustainable habits (4,5).

Three important things to keep in mind for success with small steps:

• Small steps are just as important as big ones when it comes to creating lasting habits.
• Don’t give up, even if progress feels slow — consistency is key.
• Small steps contribute to weight loss and long-term results, especially when they become part of your daily routine.

Examples of smaller steps:

• A daily walk instead of a strict training plan (which often doesn’t happen).
• Doing a few simple strength exercises at home instead of a full gym session if you don’t have the time or desire to go.
• Leaving the car and cycling instead, to fit cardiovascular exercise into your day (instead of, for example, going to a spin class at the gym).

Success isn’t about doing everything at once or making big changes; it’s about doing small things consistently. Once a habit is established, you can build on it — for example, by adding strength exercises to your lunch walk. The real strength lies in never giving up, no matter how small the steps are.

Setting goals that are too ambitious can lead to feelings of failure, all-or-nothing thinking, and procrastination — for example: “There’s no point in starting to exercise if I don’t do those really tough gym sessions.”‍

Support for weight loss

Many people find it easier to stay motivated when they have someone to share the journey with — it could be a friend, a family member, or a group of like-minded people. There are also many digital tools and apps that can help you track your progress, plan your workouts, and keep an eye on your eating habits.

It’s important to remember that weight loss takes time and that it’s completely normal to experience ups and downs along the way. If you ever lose motivation, remind yourself why you want to lose weight and what you’ve already achieved. Asking for help is a sign of strength — and together, it’s often easier to succeed.

Successful examples

There are many people who have succeeded in losing weight and transforming their lives by combining exercise with healthy eating habits. What most of them have in common is a positive attitude, patience, and the courage to ask for support and help when needed. Many stories highlight the importance of setting small, realistic goals and not giving up — even when results take time to appear.

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Having someone to share the journey with — such as a friend or a weight loss group — has also been crucial for maintaining motivation. By drawing inspiration from others experiences and reminding yourself that every step counts, you too can succeed in losing weight and improving your health. The most important thing is to believe in yourself and dare to take the first step — the rest will follow with time.

Take your first next step today!

It’s not about being perfect — it’s about starting, and keeping going. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but every day you make an effort, you take one step closer to your goal.

Summary – 5 tips to get started with exercise when losing weight

• Set achievable and realistic goals – Reaching your goals builds confidence to keep going.
• Increase gradually – Stay injury-free and motivated by increasing the amount and intensity of your training step by step.
• Find your own way to do strength training and eat a nutritious, protein-rich diet – get support to find the exercises and foods that work best for you.
• Make use of everyday movement – Take the stairs instead of the lift, walk or cycle instead of driving or taking the bus – every step counts.
• Find joy in movement – Try to find something you enjoy; it increases the likelihood that you’ll keep it up!

References:

1. Conte C, Hall KD, Klein S. (2024) Is Weight Loss-Induced Muscle Mass Loss Clinically Relevant? JAMA.
2. Egan B, Sharples AP. (2023) Molecular responses to acute exercise and their relevance for adaptations in skeletal muscle to exercise training. Physiol Rev.
3. Rhodes, R. E., & Kates, A. (2015). Can the Affective Response to Exercise Predict Future Motivation and Physical Activity Behavior? A Systematic Review of Published Evidence. Annals of Behavioral Medicine.
4. Gardner, B., Lally, P., & Wardle, J. (2012). Making health habitual: the psychology of ‘habit-formation’ and general practice. Br J Gen Pract.
5. van der Weiden, A., Benjamins, J., Gillebaart, M., Ybema, J. F., & de Ridder, D. (2020). How to Form Good Habits? A Longitudinal Field Study on the Role of Self-Control in Habit Formation. Front Psychol.

Disclaimer: This article has been translated with the help of AI. The original Swedish version is the official reference. In case of any discrepancies, the Swedish version shall prevail.

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