The key is consistency

I found the precise formula that takes care of my weight in the best way possible for me. My approach is based on healthy foods and a few simple strategies.

The key is consistency. Almost every day I eat well, in a way that allows me to maintain a healthy weight. And when I fail to make proper nutrition choices, I just get back on my eating program the next day.

I am following what can be called 90/10 rule of weight management. I maintain healthy eating habits and activity at least 90 percent the time.

I mentioned 90/10 or when I travel it’s probably 80/20, because I lost weight already, and eating real food and staying away from processed food is a part of my lifestyle since my transformation. However, if you want to achieve weight loss, and especially, if you want to lose weight fast, the closer to 100 percent you get the better your chances of losing weight.
 
Achieving weight loss does not require magic formula or secret ingredients. Your body knows how to lose weight. It’s simply focusing on what works versus what doesn’t work.  It’s a matter of trying out approaches, observing your body’s responses, and monitoring how you feel until you find an approach that works.

Than you tweak it so it that it fits you. When you know what works, then it’s your choice and commitment on following through each week on your best actions, until they become second nature.

If interested in what works for me please visit ilostweightyoucantoo.com and click on the Eat like Me link on that page.

Guest Post: Never Giving Up

5 years ago, I hit rock bottom.  I was fat, miserable, depressed, and sick. I just didn’t care about myself.  Today, I'm still fat but I'm not miserable, depressed or sick any more.  I finally broke free of the vicious cycle I was in.

3 years ago, I started to teach myself how to eat.  Seriously.  I thought I would be even happier if I was skinny. I learned about counting calories and understanding that you must expend more calories than you take in to lose weight.  I found there are two ways to reduce your calorie intake.

Artificially, by eating reduced calorie processed foods or by eating naturally low calorie foods such as fruits and veggies.  Not wanting to give up the things I love, I started out with reduced calorie versions of all those yummy things.  They turned out not so yummy.  Did I lose some weight?  Yup.  But then I discovered I got more bang for my buck eating naturally low calorie foods.  Even better, I discovered that I felt better, both mentally and physically, when I ate unprocessed foods.

Five years later, it’s 2013.  I feel pretty darn good.  Many of my previous health problems are non-existent.  Have I lost weight? About 55 pounds and counting.  But on this journey, I discovered a few things I wasn’t expecting…

•Skinny does not equal healthy.

•Healthy food does not equal low fat, low calorie

•There are lots of weird, scary things in processed food

•When I feel good, I actually enjoy physical activity

•My taste buds are trainable

•When I feel good about myself I don’t care what other people think about me

I still struggle every day.  2013 has been particularly difficult for me as I try to deal with some digestive issues since getting a stomach virus over 6 months ago.  I haven't lost any weight. There are points where I want to give up and go back to my old ways.  Trying to be as healthy as possible can be exhausting at times.  Sometimes I wish I could hit up the closest fast food restaurant rather than spending an hour in the kitchen cooking a meal. However, I know I can't quit.  Quitting means returning to the life I left behind.  Quitting means getting sick again. Quitting means being miserable.  I won't go back.

There are so many ups and downs when you take the first steps to getting healthy.  In the end, the ups are WAY better than the downs.  I may take a few steps backwards every once in a while but I will always make sure I have more steps forward in this journey.

Mandy

Website: fatgirlgonehealthy.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/findvitality

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fatgirlhealthy

Instagram: http://instagram.com/fatgirlhealthy

 

Weight is an issue for almost everyone

Weight is an issue for almost everyone. If you are reading this blog, you are probably overweight. And most likely you have already tried to do something about. If you still trying, because you haven’t had much success I want to tell you that being in control of your foods choices is the “secret” to weight loss.  

It is always your choice. You can chose the type of foods you eat. And you can make some better choices. Achieving weight loss does not require magic formulas or specially purchased ingredients. It is focusing on what works versus what does not work.

If you are serious about wanting to lose weight, then it is absolutely essential that you provide your body with the best fuel possible. Your body knows how to lose weight; it is just a matter of trying out approaches, observing your body’s responses, and monitoring how you feel.

When you know what works, then it is just a matter of commitment on following through each week on your best actions, until they become second nature.

Defeat negative thinking

I know that negative thoughts are part of our life no matter whether we want it or not. Life is a little bit more complicated than just being happy and positive. Negative thoughts are normal — everyone has them, but, left unchecked, your mind may pull you into a self-amplified process.

The danger with negative thoughts is that the more you have them, the more they stick around. Our negative thinking leads to inaction, which leads to no results, which confirms and reinforces the negative thinking.

You can redirect the energy you spend on negative thoughts into planning and setting goals for yourself. Rather than telling yourself “I can never give up the foods I love” turn those thoughts into something positive instead. Think about how losing weight will contribute towards something you desire or help you experience life better. Instead of thinking, “I don’t have the discipline or the willpower” or “I tried that and it hasn’t worked”, redirect that energy into planning something positive and put that energy into taking action. When you take daily action, you’ll find that things more often go your way.

It can also be helpful to remember that thoughts are different than facts. Just because you have a thought about something doesn’t mean it is automatically true.

This may sound like a small step, but it opens up big possibilities. It introduces the potential for success, which can help keep us motivated to continue trying. In the future all things are possible. Where is it written that this is impossible? Others have made these changes. Why can’t we? Sure it will take work, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be able to eventually.

Guest Post: Finding Your ‘Why’

There are countless factors in play when it comes to how we eat. Making a change to diet or lifestyle can be daunting; so much so, in fact, that most of us elect to remain inactive, opting for ease and familiarity rather than challenge or change.

For many, the desire to make a change is rooted in “what things will be like” on the other side. Inaction is the paralyzing fear that the sacrifice, the work, the effort won’t be worth it. That we will fail, or worse, miss out on something good — and that won’t be worth it either.

If these worries are holding you back, consider instead the impact of making this change across our entire life. What will making this change mean for you? What will you gain from it?

Do you want to lose 10 pounds? Do you want more energy? Do you want to prevent disease? Do you want to be able to run up the stairs or pick up your kids or finally rid yourself of digestive upset? You can. You just need that ONE CLEAR REASON in mind to push you forward. What will that change mean for you? What will it add to your life? Moments of envy, frustration, doubt, or desire will be far more bearable when we have a big-picture motivator to keep us moving in the direction we intend.

In my practice, I work a great deal with people looking to overcome emotional eating and rebuild their relationship with food. Changing food habits means we need to get in touch with why we eat the way we do. This means considering why we associate certain foods with certain situations, looking at the connection between food and mood, and tuning into the signals our bodies provide. It can be overwhelming. There is a lot of information there, both physically and emotionally. When we start to look closely at our choices – really give ourselves space to think about why we make the ones we do – we begin to find opportunities hidden in our patterns that will permit us to break through. The key is taking a step off the ledge, acknowledging that we wish to make a change, and choosing to actively do so.

Keeping that goal in the forefront provides constant motivation and a rubric against which we can assess our choices: is this in line with where I want to go and who I want to be? Will this choice guide me closer to that goal? Know that you can make any change you want to, and that your reasons for doing so are valid, strong, and impactful.

If you’re looking for a clear place to start, these five ideas may help to stay motivated when it comes to making changes to your food patterns:

- identify your trigger foods: these are the things you can’t turn down and the ones that usually leave you feeling less than great. Start to make the connection between mind, body, and food.

- find substitutions you enjoy: the more good stuff there is in your diet – and your life in general – the less room there is for the more undesirable stuff. ‘Crowd out’ foods that don’t fuel your body with a variety of ones that do (and ones you enjoy).

- keep your big picture goal in mind: post it somewhere you will see it often (perhaps the wallpaper on your smartphone)

- don’t deprive yourself: when you choose to partake in a treat, allow yourself to enjoy it fully.

Guilt only exacerbates feelings of deprivation – and that’s not what we’re after! Flexibility and balance will serve you far more effectively.

- surround yourself with people and situations that support you: again, ‘crowd out’ negativity with as much positive energy as you can find. How do these interactions nourish you in ways food cannot?

- be open to new things: embrace adventure and exploration with your food.

- remember that there is not one diet that works for everyone: be open to tapping into your body’s intuition. It will tell you what it needs.

Every action begins with two decisions: the decision to act, and the decision to act in a specific way. Set that big-picture intention, keep it in mind, and let it guide the decisions you make. Then let things unfold as they will and revel in how great you feel for doing it.

Guest post provided by Amy Height.

Amy is a Holistic Health Coach and founder of From the Ground Up Wellness. She works with individuals and families looking to reestablish their relationship with food and build a strong foundation of lasting, healthy habits. She specializes in plant-based nutrition, weight loss, nutrition for children and young families, and managing food intolerances.

A graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Amy combines a breadth of nutritional training – and the concept of ‘food as fuel’ - with her own weight loss and fitness journey to provide motivation and resources to empower personal transformation.

She is certified by the American Association for Drugless Practitioners.

Try out a ten-day plant-based eating plan. www.fromthegroundupwellness.com

Make eating apples part of your routine

Whole apples are convenient snack. The fruit is low in calories. A medium-size apple has only 80 calories. Apples keep you hydrated: 84 percent of an apple’s content is water. This means apples not only satisfy your hunger but can satisfy your thirst as well.

Apples have long been associated with a healthful diet. Fresh apples are high in fiber and immune-boosting Vitamin C. Vitamin C is important for the growth and repair of all body tissues. Vitamin C also helps to heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy.

When I eat apples, I keep the skin on. Eating whole apples with the skin is the most nutritious way to enjoy the fruit. A significant amount of the nutrients and beneficial compounds in apples are located just under the peel.

Apples are loaded with the powerful antioxidant, but is found predominantly in the skin. It has anti-inflammatory and heart-protecting qualities, and may reduce the growth and spread of cancer cells. Google “quercetin” to find out more. In addition, most of the fiber in apples comes from the skin and the pulp. When you remove the skin, you remove about half the fiber.

Apples are good for you. Numerous studies confirmed that apples have disease-fighting nutrients. Make eating apples part of your routine.  Be cool and bring apples to the office. After a few days you are likely to notice that you’re not the only one.

It is never too late to become a better you

If you are like most human beings, you may be stuck in one or more areas of your life or career and want to change. Perhaps to lose weight, eat healthy, become a better parent, or a better, more effective leader? In one word - a better you.

Achieving your change can be difficult, but not impossible. It is so often that initial first step that is so hard to make. We think of a millions reasons not to take it and then look back on a life filled with missed opportunities to grow, learn and become a better person.

It is critical to know what truly motivates you to change. Keeping in your mind a concrete reason will have a tremendous impact as you proceed with your efforts. Focus on the reasons why you want to change.

Motivate yourself daily because every day we make dozens of small choices that determine whether we will succeed. Like everything in life, you will need to commit to it, work hard and be consistent.

It is easier to stay motivated and stick to your intention to change when you see your progress. So, make a small change if that is what is possible. From that small change and success you will gain confidence and you can build upon that to make more and perhaps even bigger changes.

There is always room for improvement. Learn from both your successes and your failures, and then adjust. Eventually you will discover the right combination of tactics to help you achieve your desired change. It isn’t too late for you to improve something in your life that you really want to change. No matter what age you are at.

When it comes to our future success, there are two ways to look at life. We can feel powerless. We believe life just happens to us. It is out of our hands, so we sit back, play the role of the victim and react to everything. Or, we can feel powerful. We believe our choices make a difference in what happens to us. We chose to act rather than react to people and situations. Which one describes you?

Some things in life we can change; some things we can't. Losing weight, eating healthy, trying to become a better parent, are definitely goals that are within our reach. Make an effort to become a better you.