Disclaimer: I am not a Dr. or a nutritionist. The information I have provided in this article is from my personal experience of weight loss. You should always consult with your Dr. when making any changes to your diet or exercise routine. I am not prescribing that you should follow my plan or that it will work for you like it did for me. These are only suggestions that worked for me during my personal weight loss journey.
Losing weight is one of the most difficult things to do because we need food to survive! It’s everywhere, every day in our faces begging us to take part. It’s not like you can remove situations that contain food like an alcoholic can choose not to attend parties with liquor. You have to learn to manage your food intake every day, every meal, every hour, and sometimes every minute.
I recently lost 50 pounds and the three things I learned about weight loss I’d like to share with you if you are on a journey to lose weight naturally. I don’t like the idea of introducing medication if I can take steps on my own to achieve results, so this post only includes natural remedies that you will find in your own kitchens and in your own minds.
The first thing I would do if I needed to lose 50 pounds again would be to plan out exactly what I was going to eat. I’d have a target of protein and fiber for every day and an average calorie count I’d like to stick to. When I’m in a deficit, 1500 calories works best for me. It’s not too low that I’m starving all day, but it’s not too high that I’m struggling to lose weight. If you are a bigger person or are very active this might be too low for you. I would recommend figuring out your daily caloric needs prior to establishing a calorie deficit. There are many online calculators called basal metabolic rate calculators. GymGeek.com is a good place to start.
I would plan out two meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that meet my calorie needs, purchase the groceries and stick to the plan. Make sure each meal contains at minimum, 25 grams of protein and aim for 10 grams of fiber. This gives you a rotation of 2 breakfast choices, 2 lunch choices, and 2 dinner choices that are full of enough protein and fiber to keep your satiety in check throughout the day. This feeling of fullness will ensure that you are not wanting to snack all day. I would also recommend figuring out two snacks with 10-15 grams of protein and a few grams of fiber. So if you are hungry, you have a snack at the ready in a hangry moment so you don’t derail your progress in a moment of extreme hunger. These protein and fiber suggestions are something that work for me but you may require more protein and fiber so plan according to your nutritional needs.
Do not stress so much over calories in the beginning. You will notice as you begin to feed your body what it needs that it will begin to crave less food because the food you are eating contains the nutrients to keep you full between meals. And never skip a meal even if it’s morning and you are not very hungry, it’s important to feed your body in the morning to get your metabolism engine running. Fad diets don’t work because they leave you hungry and pining for real food. Eating Whole Foods that contain healthy amounts of protein and fiber will help keep you full throughout the day. If you don’t believe me, give this a try for a week or two and watch your body change before your eyes!
The second thing I would do is add half my body weight in water and add some necessary supplements. If you are not a lover of water, adding an entire freshly squeezed lemon to 30 ounces of water in the morning can help add some flavor and vitamin C to your daily dose of H20. I also add a splash of organic apple cider vinegar with the mother to ensure I’m getting some gut healthy probiotics with my morning refresh as well. The flavor takes a little getting used to, but I love it now and feel more awake when I drink it. I also have less aches and pains and the extra vitamin C is helpful during cold and flu seasons.
The supplements I recommend are a good multi vitamin, chromium, and vitamin D if you know you are deficient. I live in Minnesota and when I had my bloodwork done I was surprised at how low my vitamin D was even while taking a multi vitamin so I added an additional supplement to ensure I am at optimal levels. I also added chromium because it may support metabolism. It is a supplement, so it is not proven to help metabolism, but I take it anyway in the hopes that it is helping to support my metabolism.
The third thing I would do if I wanted to lose a large amount of weight, is to change my attitude about weight loss. Instead of thinking that it will never happen for me and that I am stuck in this overweight body, I would suggest telling your body that you are going to lose the weight and become healthy. The words that you tell your body matter in how you take action. If you believe that you are capable, you will begin finding ways to make the weight loss possible.
I found that one thing that would help me stay positive towards losing weight, was taking a daily thirty minute walk. The walk serves two purposes. One, it helps me to keep a positive attitude and two, it is helpful to raise your metabolism. Once your attitude about your capabilities has changed, you will find that you want to create more opportunity to add movement into your day. Suddenly walking for thirty minutes is not enough. You may want to add a bike ride or lifting weights to your routine. And the more you accomplish, the more your body will crave that growth. This growth fuels your mindset just as much as the nutrition does, and you will find yourself meeting your goals without even trying.
Adding these three steps into your routine won’t happen overnight, but over the next four weeks try adding one step at a time. Each step can build on your momentum towards weight loss and can easily become a way of life if you add them slowly. Doing everything at once can be overwhelming, and weight loss is a lifestyle choice, not a tourist attraction. You don’t just want a bikini body for one summer, or one vacation. You want to be able to maintain your bikini body year round. Starting with these three steps will help you get to lasting, and sustainable results.
I believe in you!
We got this!
Sandra Alynn
Disclaimer: I am not a Dr. or a nutritionist. The information I have provided in this article is from my personal experience of weight loss. You should always consult with your Dr. when making any changes to your diet or exercise routine. I am not prescribing that you should follow my plan or that it will work for you like it did for me. These are only suggestions that worked for me during my personal weight loss journey.