A couple weeks back, I shared seven easy tips that's I've been using to help me in my now 135-pound weight loss. Today, I'm sharing seven more. Each one has been SO important in my journey. I didn't implement them all at once, I've slowly worked up to where I am now. There are still many more tips and tricks I use, the first list and this one are just the biggest ones that have made the most difference for me.
I can't stress enough how losing the weight has been about a total lifestyle change. That has been hard. Habits are not easy to break. How we look at food is also difficult to change.
I'm not aiming to be super skinny. Quite honestly, I don't have the build for it. I'm aiming to be what my doctor and I agreed is a healthy weight, that hopefully will also diminish, if not totally get rid of, a number of health issues. As I get closer to my goal weight (35lbs. to go now), losing becomes harder and harder. My body doesn't want to give up the fat. It wants to hang onto those extra inches I want so badly to be done with forever. I want to be healthy! In this battle, these tips become even more important to help me keep battling it out.
There is one tip that really needs to be called out specially: Exercise is huge. It's helped me to get into better shape and be healthier. Between the weight loss and exercise, I now actually enjoy moving. Getting all sweaty doesn't bother me. It's not sweat from being so fat I can't actually do what I want so am struggling, it's sweat from being able to move and enjoy what my body can do. I've found simple exercises that I can do at home, without a gym. We got a combination exercise bike and elliptical a few months back (compact and nothing fancy) that is my go-to along with walks when the weather is nice. I am for 30 minutes, 5 days a week, but usually average about 4.5 hours or so total. The days I'm hungry, exercising also buys me those extra calories to stay in my goal range.
Are you on a weight loss journey? I'd love to hear about it in the comments section!
1. Meal plan
I plan out what I'm going to eat for the day to make sure I stick with my calorie goals. If I end up eating extra because I'm hungry earlier in the day, I adjust as I go. On days I'm REALLY hungry, I try my best to get in extra exercise to offset the calorie damage. I never let myself go hungry, though. Going hungry leads to bad choices and binge eating.
2. Avoid fads, quick fixes and anything not sustainable long term
Except for a B12 and multivitamin, I don't take any supplements. I use no shakes, wraps or products of any kind. No paid trainers or exercise programs, either. If it costs money, I don't do it. First off, I can't afford it. Secondly, and most importantly, I want my weight loss to be healthy and sustainable. I'm in it for the long haul. If I end up reliant on something, once I don't use it anymore, the weight will come right back. Fads, gimmicks and quick fixes aren't healthy, either. Our bodies need balanced, nutritional foods without cutting out total food groups.
I've lost all my weight without any of these, which just goes to show it's all really not needed. It's totally possible to lose large amounts on your own, provided you don't have health issues complicating matters. I've got a bum thyroid, once I started taking meds to help it, losing weight wasn't quite as hard. My thyroid still has the possibility to throw a wrench into my weight when I eventually have to get it removed. Even after, should I need to lose weight again, I plan to do it the same way.
3. Stick with it
Weight loss is a roller coaster of ups and downs. Sometimes no matter what I do, the weight doesn't want to come off. I stick with it anyway, knowing that going back to how I was before won't accomplish anything. Neither will giving up and accepting the weight I'm at, which isn't my goal. There are days and even weeks where I slip up and don't eat as well or excise as much as I should. Vacations and holidays do me in. I plan for that and start right back up again. Even during those times, I try to keep myself in check and not fall totally back into my old habits. That's not who I am now, this is a lifestyle change. I am determined to stick with the changes I made, even when those stumbles try to get me down.
4. Drink plenty of water
I'll admit it, sometimes I don't drink as much water as I should. When this happens, the scale doesn't like me. It is so true that the more you drink, the less you retain. Being well hydrated helps so much with weight loss. Dehydration makes me hungrier, less likely to make good choices and leaves me bloated. A whole lot of yuck I don't want. Sometimes, I pitch in a lemon or lime slice. When I get sick of water, I drink tea without sugar or milk.
5. Eliminate empty calories as much as possible
Juice, soda, hard candy, junk food, condiments and the like add up to a ton of extra, empty calories. I eliminate them as much as I can. Every day, I do allow for a little treat in my calorie count and meal planning for the day. But I try to stick to nutritional, filling foods and 0-calorie drinks that won't tip the calorie count while still leaving me with a grumbling stomach.
6. Brush your teeth
After dinner, I floss and brush my teeth then finish with mouth wash. After I go to all that trouble, plus with the minty taste in my mouth, I don't want to eat any more. Even when I'm tempted, the taste in my mouth reminds me I'm done eating for the day. At night when I'm tired, drained and done, I'm most likely to give in to cravings. Even when I'm not even actually hungry, just craving. Brushing has saved me from SO many slips ups. Plus, it helps me keep up good oral hygiene so yay!
7. Skip the fast food, limit eating out and make healthier choices when you do
We all know fast food isn't good for us. Even small servings hold a ton of calories. Those salads they sell aren't all they're cracked up to be, either. I skip fast food. At this point, it pretty much all grosses me out. When I think of fast food, my next thought is YUCK. When I do indulge a couple times a year, I get the smallest portion (and then remember why fast food grosses me out). We limit eating out, too. Not only does it save tons of calories, it saves us a ton of money as well. Restaurant food is packed with calories, fat and sodium. Every time I eat out, the next day I gain 2-6 pounds. My body is just that sensitive to salt. I bloat easily and like crazy. On the rare occasions I do eat out, I choose healthier options, stay mindful of calories and take at least half home. Planning for the splurge by balancing out the rest of the calories for the few days before and after also helps keep the scale from hating on me too much.
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Here are some of the tools I've used to help with my weight loss (affiliate links):