Okay, so a friend asked me to share some of my “secrets” as
far as weight loss goes so I’ll try and share some of the top things that come
to mind.
1)
RESEARCH! Research everything you do in regards
to weight loss. Research different weight loss plans. Research different
recipes. Research different workout blogs.
Research different supplements, and by this I mean several different
websites, and specifically look for the NEGATIVE side effects of anything you
consider taking. Research the body type you are looking for and the exercises
that will give you the body shape/type that you want.
2)
With researching also goes hand in hand with
BEING SKEPTICAL. Don’t believe
everything surrounding the newest hype.
More often than not, you can get the same results with less money and
extra “junk”.
3)
Women, check your birth control that you are
taking. This was huge for me. I switched brands (to NuvaRing) and slowly began putting on
weight, but as soon as I switched back to my original kind (ortho tri cyclen
lo) the pounds started dropping off on their own. Each woman is different, so
find the right hormonal balance for you – you might be surprised!
4)
Quit weighing yourself on a scale, instead use a
tape measurer. You will get a better
idea of your progress because your weight can vary day to day. Also, muscle weighs more than fat. (Please do not get into it with me how a pound
is a pound, because this is the easiest way to describe it).
5)
Also, a mirror and the way your clothes fit is a
better judge than a scale.
6)
Don’t go on a “diet”, but instead change your
eating habits. I did this slowly, one
thing at a time. For example I went from
white bread, to honey wheat bread, to whole wheat bread, to 12 grain whole
wheat bread, to 15 grain whole wheat bread.
I began to cut down the amount of starches in my diet a little at a
time. Slowly, work your way from
drinking pop to drinking water. With
this, I found my eating habits became less picky, I craved healthier food, and
I felt better.
7)
Along with #6 don’t say, “I can’t eat such and
such,” but rather “I don’t each such and such.”
This changes your actual mentality about food and makes it easier to
stick to.
9)
Strengthen your core muscle groups such as your
abdominals. When you begin building
muscle in large muscle group areas, you will continue to burn fat even when you
are not working out.
10)
I continually try to lift heavier each time I
workout, and I am still not muscular looking so don’t be scared of looking like
some muscle-bound freak if you are a woman – you don’t have enough testosterone
in your body to look that way. And, if
you do begin to look muscular, it’s always easier to scale back a bit.
11)
When working out, you sometimes need to eat MORE
to fuel your workouts so quit feeling guilty about going home and eating after
working out.
12)
The best post-workout thing to consume is whole
milk- I usually go for chocolate whole milk. ( See why here http://stronglifts.com/milk-post-workout-build-muscle-gains/)
13)
Don’t buy
junk food! If it’s not around you can’t eat it!
14)
Quit eating out – especially fast food.
15)
It is okay to cheat from time to time on your
eating habits.
16)
Find motivation in something.
17)
Switch up your workouts and meals so you don’t get
bored.
18)
If you aren’t sure how to do something, ask
someone at the gym who clearly DOES know what they are doing; more often than
not, these people would love to help give you some tips and pointers – they are
there because they love it!
19)
Set
mini-goals for yourself so you can continue to achieve success. Some of these things for me are being able to
do pull-ups all on my own, running further, cutting out processed meat
etc. Notice how these aren’t goals
revolving around losing pounds, but rather improving upon myself in general.
20)
High
protein, lower carb. Eat complex carbs
instead of simple carbs. Watch sodium intake.
21)
Drink water and then some!
22)
Write down your workouts and the food you
eat. Sometimes you fail to realize just
how much, or the types of food you eat.
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