Weight Loss Tips & Tricks
“How to lose weight fast” Google’s most searched for question with a monthly average search ranging from 100k to 1 million!
It has taken me quite a while to create this post. Not that I am ashamed or that I don’t have enough self-confidence, it’s more so of trying to find the best ways and incorporate the most information as I possibly can all in one post. If you’re reading this, I might as well make the best of it and not waste anyone’s time because time is money as we’ve heard.
So, the main problem that the majority of the people have when it comes to weight loss is due to very low self-control or self-discipline. Can we agree on this? The fact that if I had more self-control, I would be able to eat less calories everyday, eat healthier everyday, and workout x times per week. It’s common sense yet most people are not able to actually follow through with that because, again, we lack self-control.
I one day sat with myself and thought about this very deeply. I asked myself why is it that I have very negative emotions attached to the thoughts of losing weight? I also have negative emotions attached to the thoughts of eating food. I realized how toxic this was and over the next few days I was trying to come up with ways to separate the negativity from my experiences and thoughts. Suddenly, it hit me!
I was overwhelmed with these thoughts that came through. I caught myself talking to myself and saying things like “Well, if I’m not being good to myself and I’m an emotional eater and sometimes have no control, then I might as well do everything that I possibly can when I have even just .01% control.” It’s as if I’m telling myself, out of anger, why not try everything that I know to be true for weight loss?
For example, we know that drinking more water throughout the day does good things for our bodies including losing weight. We know that eating healthier more home cooked meals and raw fruits and veggies and juicing eventually helps with weight loss. We also know that being active, whether by playing sports or going to the gym or simply walking and having an increased heart-rate helps lower weight. Why not try my absolute best in incorporating everything that I know to be true to my lifestyle?
Here is a list of things that you can add to your everyday routine. I bet that you already know almost all of these, if not all. However, reading about it strengthens our will and gives a reassuring feeling and just makes it that much better to follow through with it.
Drinking more water - Drink a glass of water when you first wake up. Drink a glass every time before eating meals or snacks. Drink one right before bed and every time you feel thirsty or feel that your body needs it. Our bodies don’t function well when it’s not hydrated. Hydration aids in blood circulation, elimination, brain function, energy levels, and many other things.
Swap your sodas with carbonated flavored waters - the reason why the stores are now filled with carbonated waters is because they’re actually very satisfying and taste pretty darn good for having 0 sugars and 0 calories! A lot of people have switched their sugar filled drinks over and they love it!
Try fasting on the days that you have self-control - For me, my hormones play a big role in the way I eat and what I eat. As soon as menstrual cycle starts, I immediately gain all of the self-control that had been stolen from me during pms. Those are the days that I only eat one meal a day or sometimes water fast for a few days. Another way that I’m able to eat only once a day is when I’m working. I only drink water at work and so the one meal that I have is usually after I come home from work or before going in.
Incorporate more raw fruits and veggies - Our bodies don’t function well without them, we NEED raw produce as they provide the highest electromagnetic energies and the highest nutrition and hydration. This is why many people swear by having even just 1 raw smoothie a day and what it does for them. Try making smoothies with added raw fruits and veggies. Have a satisfying salad for dinner instead of a burger. Swap your breakfast for a fruit cup and fresh squeezed juices.
Move! - Go to the gym. Go for walks everyday even if it’s just in your neighborhood. Go explore different parks in the area. Go swim in the pool or lakes when weather permitting. Play a sport that you like with friends and family once or twice a week. Take the stairs instead. Go explore your city or cities nearby and walk in downtowns. Go dancing with your partner or friends and family. There are countless ways of being more active!
We don’t wait for energy to come to us, we create energy - I came across a post a while back that has changed the way I look at our physical energy dramatically. I wish I still had the link to it because it was very informative and at the very least, it was extremely motivational. The writer mentioned how most of us in our adult years are so overwhelmed and stressed out that we don’t have energy to spend on ourselves. He said that if we keep waiting for energy to come to us, we’ll be old and most of us won’t live to see it. Instead of waiting for energy or the perfect time for us to do something, we have to create that energy. We have to make that perfect time to do the things that we’ve been postponing. All of this power is within us and in our hands. We just need to shift our focus and be in the now and tell ourselves that we have plenty of energy instead of “I’m tired” or “I need a nap”. There are three things that I do when I become lethargic and feel the need to take a nap but need to finish an assignment or a project:
1) Deep conscious breathing for 2 minutes
2) Two minute Jumping jacks or whatever HIIT exercise I can do
3) Stretch
Eating mindfully - can’t resist the urge? Then don’t. Instead of keep fighting yourself when you eat, actually be in the moment and enjoy every bite. Fully taste every bite and enjoy how it tastes and smells. This will force you to eat slower than normal mindless eating (when you eat super fast and forget to actually taste your food). Just be fully present and your whole idea of what you want to eat might change one day.
Stop the negative self-talk - Or, practice positive affirmations. Instead of saying to yourself “I wish I didn’t have that meal”, say “I loved the food it was delicious and I am thankful for it”. Instead of “I look ugly”, say to yourself “I look really beautiful today”. Instead of “I have no control and might as well just eat the whole candy bar”, say “It’s alright that I had a piece, I’ll save the rest for another day.” Just simply changing the way you talk to yourself can have a huge impact on your life.
The feeling of the need to finish your plate
This one can resonate with a lot of people. It’s a programming of childhood where our parents have taught us to finish our plates and sometimes even made us feel guilty for mentioning how in certain parts of the world people don’t have enough to eat and here we are wasting food. In a sense, that’s true, but they also didn’t realize that what they were doing was more damaging than good. Instead of saying “put less on your plate and go back for more if you need it” it was “finish your plate for whatever I think is the best portion for you”. That guilt and sometimes fear stays with us in adulthood. When you feel full, you do not need to finish the rest on your plate anymore especially when you know you’re saving space for desert and/or drinks after. Slowly get that toxic habit out of your life because that’s how a lot of people get to a place of no self-confidence and binge-eating along side the mental health issues that come with that.
These are just some of the things that I included in my daily lifestyle, know of any more that you’d like me to include? Just comment down below and I’ll be happy to include them!
