Is weight an issue you struggle with? Try these 9 easy tips for achieving healthy weight loss and begin your transformation journey today.
In this post, I will share a plan to guide you down the path for achieving healthy weight loss. These are the steps that worked for me and when followed I know they can work for you too.
If you recall the food pyramid, the largest area was at the bottom with up to eleven servings of breads and grains per day. That is enough to make anybody increase their clothing size exponentially!
What I have come to realize is this pyramid needed to be inverted long ago, at the very least. This was such an eye opener for me. It was the missing link that I would have loved to receive back in my 20’s.
To achieve healthy weight loss, begin implementing these 9 easy tips.
01.Assess how much weight you want to lose.
Write that number down in the upper left-hand corner of a piece of paper. Keep it in a place where you can easily see it. (Refrigerator, bathroom mirror, bedroom mirror etc.) This is your visual to keep you on track.
2. Break down your new way of eating into three-week blocks.
This is something that is often done in the business world to get the job done in the timeliest fashion. It also works well to keep the employees focused on the task.
In weight loss it’s no different; break the large task at hand down into manageable parts to keep you engaged and focused. Three weeks is a doable time frame. Remember, this is just 21 days!
3. Take the necessary time, which will vary from person to person, to change your mindset.
This simply means change the way you think and feel about weight loss. It also means moving from the negative “I can’t” mindset to the positive “For three weeks I am going to commit to eating healthy.”
For me, I took two months to prepare myself for the new journey I would soon embark on. I read a book on the topic and made several from scratch recipes. Get your 21-day slim down program here. I didn’t want any obstacles standing in my way. By taking this time to prepare, I was allowing myself the space required to shift from a negative attitude to a very strong positive one. It would be a mindset that I would not waver from, no matter what.
4. When you feel you have the confidence and the positive attitude to proceed on your journey remove the foods that will no longer support your new lifestyle.
All those foods that are processed and refined must go. This includes bread, pasta, cereal, rice, grains, prepared foods, snack foods, candy plus condiments containing hidden sugar etc. I realize this may not be practical if you have a family. In that case, the strong mindset must be ever more present.
5. Now that you have removed many of the foods that you were accustomed to eating, re-stock your kitchen with food that will support your weight loss.
Some examples to include are healthy fats such as fresh avocado’s, avocado oil, coconut oil, sesame oil and olive oil. Nuts, seeds, butter, fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel and herring. And, full fat dairy such as pasteurized heavy cream.
These will be very important high fat foods. The healthy fats keep you satiated longer so you don’t feel famished. Another eye opener is that high fat foods do not make you fat which goes contrary to what you were told. Rather, a diet high in carbohydrates is where the extra pounds are coming from.
Protein should not be over-done. A serving of protein is the size of a deck of cards or about three to four ounces. You can quickly see that a sixteen-ounce steak will feed four adults!
Healthy protein sources include but are not limited to pastured eggs, uncured bacon, grass fed and finished beef, and the fish mentioned above.
Carbohydrates will still account for part of your daily meal plan however, instead of eating cereal, bread and pasta you will enjoy romaine lettuce, mushrooms, cucumbers, zucchini, tomato, ginger, broccoli and more. Fruits are focused on berries because of their low glycemic load.
Water, bone broth, coffee or tea without sugar will round out your day.
6. Control your portion size.
I have found that people and myself included here don’t even realize just how much they are overeating. So, really focus on how much a single portion is. Your portion can then be measured accordingly.
7. When you want to eat outside of regular meals, always ask yourself “Am I truly hungry” or are you wanting to eat because of; habit or stress, anxiety, nervousness, upset etc.
Often times you are thirsty but think you are hungry. Have a glass of spring water instead or add some lemon to your water to change it up. It is important to stay properly hydrated. Likewise, a warm mug of bone broth can be drunk throughout the day and is especially helpful during weak points because it is satiating.
8. Engage in hobbies or activities that you love.
Have you ever noticed that when you are engrossed in a fun project, time just slips away and before you know it several hours have passed? Carve out the time and get creative.
9. Weigh yourself upon waking.
On the day you begin your first weight loss block, don’t forget to weigh yourself. Then, wait until exactly one week later, preferably at or near the same time to get the most accurate reading.
Your weight will naturally fluctuate up and down over the course of the week.
Remember to record this on your visual log in step 1 by subtracting pounds lost from the total number of pounds you want to lose.
Make weight loss an opportunity to make a lifestyle change and throw yo-yo dieting to the wind.
