How mantra worked for me

What is a mantra? Mantra is a simple word or a phrase to repeat. It is a phrase that, when regularly repeated, becomes a genuinely held belief.

For me, using mantra was very effective, especially when I was about to deviate from my eating plan or engage in emotional eating. I used my mantra and it worked 100% every single day. When I was tempted to eat something that would not support my weight loss goals, I would say to myself “Do you want to have an open-heart surgery?” Asking that question set me straight right away. It refocused my thinking on why I was trying to lose weight.

That mantra was very effective for me. It always worked during the first few months of my weight loss efforts. When facing a challenging situation, it helped me stick to my eating plan and make right choice related to food selection.

Using mantra shifted my mindset when needed. It strengthened my motivation. It was like a life-line for me.

Find a phrase or quote that works for you, then repeat as needed. The act of repeating those words can energize you and positively influence your thinking.  It may give you that extra momentum you need by increasing your motivation, or/and prevent you from making a poor choice when deciding what to eat.

Pattern of weight loss

The pattern of weight loss - how much you lose and when - is not a significant factor for weight regain.

It’s a simple fact that when you stop whatever you are doing to lose/maintain weight, you will start gaining weight back.

Many people lost weight, only to regain it again because they went back to eating foods that made them overweight or obese before. That is the main reason for weight loss/regain cycle.

The pattern of weight loss is very important during weight loss attempts.  When you see the results early in the process, you gain more confidence that what you are doing is working and it will motivate you to continue.

Who do you believe

What we hear today about diet and nutrition is confusing. So-called "experts" offer contradicting, sometimes questionable advice about food and nutrition to promote their agendas. Some formally overweight or obese individuals try to monetize their  tips or advice by selling products or services that offer the highest commission.

The majority of us struggle to accept the fact that a diet composed of real foods is the healthiest. For a diet to be truly healthful, it must contain a large amount of vegetables. When you eat lots of vegetables, especially green vegetables, you meet your body's need for fiber and micronutrients without having to consume too many calories.

Gaining knowledge is important step toward effective weight loss. But knowledge is not enough. You need a conscious effort to change what you eat. Incorporating information about a simple and effective strategy into your life you will help you achieve weight loss and have a positive effect on your health.

What you choose to eat will determine how successful you will be.

Eating healthy while away from home

Eating healthy while away from home can be hard. 

I am in Norfolk, Virginia for a week attending job related training. I like it so far. People in my class are authentic leaders. They are committed to improving everyone around them, just as much as they are committed to improving themselves. They are authentic, they project enthusiasm, and most importantly, they care. 

In the morning my only option is eggs, sausage, toast, and some blueberries in the hotel restaurant. Monday lunch was pizza, but today I found a more healthy option. See the picture above. Chicken breast, green beans, mixed vegetables, and spinach on the side. I had water as it contains no sugar or calories. 

Dinners should be less challenging, as I will not be limited to the area where the training is. 

Figuring out how to eat right while away from your routine can be hard, but it is not impossible.

Found healthy and delicious food yesterday

Eating out, especially when not planned in advance, can create a challenge for those of us who eat healthy.  

I try to eat healthy foods when eating out, or at least not to deviate significantly from the Eat Like Me approach. And, when possible, I also use week-ends to add variety to the foods that I regularly eat.

Yesterday, I had lunch at the restaurant that advertises home-style cooking and genuine, Southern hospitality. The restaurant was relatively new to me.

The waitress opened her eyes a bit wider when I finished ordering. She did not offer any comments, she just went over what I ordered to “make sure that I got it right”. 

I was glad that it was possible to customize what was on their menu, and I ended up having lunch that was consistent with my eating style.

See for yourself.  Grilled chicken tenderloins, brussels sprouts and kale salad, steamed broccoli, cole slaw and turnip greens.

I found healthy food and had delicious lunch yesterday.

Eat Better at Work

Your workplace nutrition habits have a major impact on your weight loss.

Since our food choices are strongly determined by what is readily available, following your healthy weight loss eating plan while at work may be hard.

Almost every day we are confronted with unhealthy food choices like bagels, donuts and sometimes even a birthday cake.

Trying to eat healthier throughout your work day can be very difficult, especially when your only choices are fast food or vending machines.

When food choices are limited, the best way to eat healthy at work is to prepare meals in your home to take to the workplace. I don't cook, so it was a bit challenging for me at the beginning. I realized that the best option for me will be to bring salads to work. I also learned that the salads I bring to work must include protein, so I add chicken breast or turkey breast. It worked and continues to work for me for lunch at work. 

Eating healthy food at work isn't just about lunch; you also need healthy snacks throughout the day. The best snacks are fresh fruits and veggies. Simply wash and bring them to your work place. I bring apples to work and eat them every day.

I am posting above what I typically eat for lunch at work. Romaine lettuce, baby spinach, turkey breast, plum tomatoes, nuts, and no dressing. I drink hot black tea with no sugar, honey or milk in tea. It takes me two minutes to prepare the salad before leaving for work.

The Right Approach to Weight Loss

Yes, you can! You can lose weight and focus on what matters and living your life.

While weight loss is not the key to your happiness and the answer to many life’s problems, it will definitely help with living a meaningful life, a life worth living as you define it.

I want to introduce you to a different way of thinking about your weight and what you eat. It is about eating real foods and not food products. It is about eating without painfully counting calories and measuring food portions. 

It is about knowing that losing weight can be done without feeling hungry. Hunger is the biggest pothole on the road of successful weight loss, and any approach that results in hunger will never be successful. 

The right approach to weight loss is not about using external measures such as exercise to control weight.

If you have struggled with weight issues or you have grown frustrated with your inability to control weight gain, you can take a look at what worked for me.

I share my real food strategy, the “non-diet” approach, as some call it, and what has worked for me on this blog and on the ilostweightyoucantoo.com website.