Through our weight loss journey I have learned a lot and wanted to share some of the things I have learned.
1) It Is Not Easy.
All of the things we have done have been a struggle at some point or another. No one said it would be easy. Hence why the majority of our society is overweight or obese. But it does help to have someone to do it with. Be it someone in your family or your lunch buddies. Get support, complain about it a little and continue on your path to lose weight and be healthier.
2) You Must Count Everything That Goes In Your Mouth
I mean everything. Oh, you had a peppermint. Yep, it has 14 calories. There are loads of websites that will help you track calories. Chris and I use MyPlate from Livestrong. They have most foods we eat already entered and a easy to use app for your phone. Sparkpeople.com and myfitnesspal.com are also good ones to check out. You also have to be willing to be honest and listen to the portion sizes. A good tool to figure out what you should eat is http://www.webmd.com/diet/calc-bmi-plus
It also calculates your height to weight ratio which can give you a better idea if you are health wise better.
3) Exercise Helps You Eat More
The majority of my weight lose has been through calorie reduction. My schedule has been too busy sometimes to work out properly. With that being said, if your calorie goal is 1200 and you burn 200 walking, you can eat 200 calories and still lose weight ( it will go faster if you are under, but it is not always healthy).
4) Serving Sizes are Smaller Than You Think
If you have never looked at a food label, now is the time. They are there for a reason. They tell you how much you can eat of something for a certain amount of calories. If you want to lose weight, you have to stick to them.
5)You Need To Enjoy What You Are Eating
Chris and I have lost a great deal of weight and continued to eat pasta. I have continued to enjoy my glass (5 oz) of wine. It would be unbearable to not treat ourselves to the things we like. And this is also putting us in a place of being comfortable eating what we like when we get to the maintenance portion of this.
With that being said, the things you like need to fit into your calorie count. I have my glass of wine. But 5 oz ( my glass can probably hold 20). You can have chips, but you have to count them like the bag says. It is the only eat you can enjoy the foods you live and still lose weight. And honestly, with the Internet, there are tons of places to look for what you want to eat, but healthier.
6) Have Cheat Days Without Going Overboard
We had a Christmas party. We ate what we wanted and lost weight. You can have day where you eat the calories you would if you were trying to maintain(stay at the same weight). For example:
To gain a lb of fat, you would need to eat an additional 3,500 calories. That would be 5,700 in a day (or more than your allotted over many days). That is a ton of food. Don't be scared to have a cheat day!
7) It Is Okay To Hate Dieting
I do. It is torture.
8) You Need To Plan Ahead
When I wake up in the morning and pack my lunch I first have to count how many calories I will be eating for dinner. Do I want any snacks for the day? Everything is about that magic number. Some days I can have lord of snacks due to lower calorie meals. Other days I do not get snacks because of higher calorie meals. I have to type in everything that will go in my mouth for the day before I leave for work. Boring, yet effective.
9) Eat lots of protein and fiber
They will keep you full longer. You need about 20-30 grams of fiber to stay regular ( which can be affected since you are changing all the goods you eat so dramatically). Our taciturn treat is the following fiber bar. It provides 30% of what you need in a day. Want a double- whammy, eat beans. They are so good for you. Meijer also has No Salt Added Beans with 10 mg per serving. Regular beans have close to 200 mg. Reducing the salt reduces excess water storage.
10) It Is A Lifelong Struggle
Many people will say you get used to eating like this and it will become easier as you go. They lie. You will always have to be conscious about what you are eating. In the end you should feel better and be more healthy.
11) And buy a new pair of jeans if yours are too big. You don't have to replace your entire wardrobe, but treat yourself to something that fits. And revel in the fact you had to buy something smaller!
1) It Is Not Easy.
All of the things we have done have been a struggle at some point or another. No one said it would be easy. Hence why the majority of our society is overweight or obese. But it does help to have someone to do it with. Be it someone in your family or your lunch buddies. Get support, complain about it a little and continue on your path to lose weight and be healthier.
2) You Must Count Everything That Goes In Your Mouth
I mean everything. Oh, you had a peppermint. Yep, it has 14 calories. There are loads of websites that will help you track calories. Chris and I use MyPlate from Livestrong. They have most foods we eat already entered and a easy to use app for your phone. Sparkpeople.com and myfitnesspal.com are also good ones to check out. You also have to be willing to be honest and listen to the portion sizes. A good tool to figure out what you should eat is http://www.webmd.com/diet/calc-bmi-plus
It also calculates your height to weight ratio which can give you a better idea if you are health wise better.
3) Exercise Helps You Eat More
The majority of my weight lose has been through calorie reduction. My schedule has been too busy sometimes to work out properly. With that being said, if your calorie goal is 1200 and you burn 200 walking, you can eat 200 calories and still lose weight ( it will go faster if you are under, but it is not always healthy).
4) Serving Sizes are Smaller Than You Think
If you have never looked at a food label, now is the time. They are there for a reason. They tell you how much you can eat of something for a certain amount of calories. If you want to lose weight, you have to stick to them.
5)You Need To Enjoy What You Are Eating
Chris and I have lost a great deal of weight and continued to eat pasta. I have continued to enjoy my glass (5 oz) of wine. It would be unbearable to not treat ourselves to the things we like. And this is also putting us in a place of being comfortable eating what we like when we get to the maintenance portion of this.
With that being said, the things you like need to fit into your calorie count. I have my glass of wine. But 5 oz ( my glass can probably hold 20). You can have chips, but you have to count them like the bag says. It is the only eat you can enjoy the foods you live and still lose weight. And honestly, with the Internet, there are tons of places to look for what you want to eat, but healthier.
6) Have Cheat Days Without Going Overboard
We had a Christmas party. We ate what we wanted and lost weight. You can have day where you eat the calories you would if you were trying to maintain(stay at the same weight). For example:
2 lbs a week diet: 1200 calories
Maintenance : 2200 calories
If you ate between 1200 and 2200 calories one day. You would not gain weight, just not lose 2 lbs that week ( unless you made it up with exercise).Maintenance : 2200 calories
To gain a lb of fat, you would need to eat an additional 3,500 calories. That would be 5,700 in a day (or more than your allotted over many days). That is a ton of food. Don't be scared to have a cheat day!
7) It Is Okay To Hate Dieting
I do. It is torture.
8) You Need To Plan Ahead
When I wake up in the morning and pack my lunch I first have to count how many calories I will be eating for dinner. Do I want any snacks for the day? Everything is about that magic number. Some days I can have lord of snacks due to lower calorie meals. Other days I do not get snacks because of higher calorie meals. I have to type in everything that will go in my mouth for the day before I leave for work. Boring, yet effective.
9) Eat lots of protein and fiber
They will keep you full longer. You need about 20-30 grams of fiber to stay regular ( which can be affected since you are changing all the goods you eat so dramatically). Our taciturn treat is the following fiber bar. It provides 30% of what you need in a day. Want a double- whammy, eat beans. They are so good for you. Meijer also has No Salt Added Beans with 10 mg per serving. Regular beans have close to 200 mg. Reducing the salt reduces excess water storage.
10) It Is A Lifelong Struggle
Many people will say you get used to eating like this and it will become easier as you go. They lie. You will always have to be conscious about what you are eating. In the end you should feel better and be more healthy.
11) And buy a new pair of jeans if yours are too big. You don't have to replace your entire wardrobe, but treat yourself to something that fits. And revel in the fact you had to buy something smaller!
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