Losing Weight- The Ultimate Guide

If you’re anything like me and a lot of others out there, you may be unhappy with your current weight and energy level. Maybe it’s the weight that you’ve always carried, or you gained from having a child, or even the quarantine of 15 pounds. As we age, it gets harder to lose weight and feel great. It’s especially hard finding the time and motivation to commit to eating better and working out.

We have jobs, kids and families, school, and a million other commitments. Just give me a faster way to fat loss! The first step in the journey is to commit that you will start trying to make small changes daily to meet your end goal.

 

What Doesn’t Work

I can tell you from personal experience a few things that will not help you to be successful long-term on your fitness and healthy lifestyle journey.

  • Fad Diets These almost always fail. You end up starving yourself on some fad diets, missing out on important vitamins that your body needs and it also puts a dent in your wallet. Sure, you may feel great for a while, but it’s so easy to lose focus on these fad diets.
  • Trying All the Workout Programs at Once If you start on several different workout programs around the same time, it will be increasingly difficult to see results. You will become burnt out before you even have a chance to achieve your goals.
  • Restricting Foods 24/7 If you start to deny yourself your favorite foods all of the time, you will be unhappy and more likely to binge eat these unhealthy foods.
  • Thinking Vitamins and Supplements Are the Cure Vitamins and supplements can be great for your body, as long as you take the right amount and types for you. However, vitamins and supplements can’t “cure” anything. They shouldn’t be meant to always replace but to pair with healthy eating and exercise.

 

What Does Work- A Faster Way to Fat Loss

Now that we have what not to do out of the way, let’s discuss how to achieve our fitness and nutrition goals. Because we can’t achieve total health without fitness and nutrition. They go hand-in-hand, as well as our mental state and awareness.

  • Setting Goals Try writing out daily, weekly, or monthly goals. Include long-term and short-term. Look at these goals regularly and reward yourself when you complete them.
  • Finding the Right Program There are so many workout programs and food plans to choose from these days. I suggest researching them out picking some of your favorites and then committing to one. Give it at least a couple of weeks, and if it is not working for you, try something else.
  • Taking Before and After Photos, This is so important! You should take pictures of yourself in activewear or form-fitting clothing so that you can see your results. Take a front view, side view, and back view of yourself at the beginning of your journey. Also, it’s a great idea to take your measurements. A scale doesn’t tell everything, it doesn’t tell the water weight or muscle weight. Pictures and measurements will tell you so much more. And give you an amazing feeling when you compare them after a workout program or after a few weeks.
  • Eating Better That’s a no-brainer, right? But it is so hard to do with a busy schedule. Try swapping a meal each day for a healthier version. Start small. Protein shakes are a great idea to replace unhealthy snacks and to fight off cravings.
  • Drinking Water Aim to drink at least 64 ounces of water each day. Adjust that based on your weight.
  • Rest Make sure that you’re getting plenty of restful sleep each night. Our muscles repair when we sleep, thus, you will recover from workouts more quickly and grow muscle faster if you get plenty of rest.

 

My Success and Recommendations

fitness success

The above photo is my personal journey progress. On the left, is August 2020. On the right, is October 2020. Here is what I did to achieve these results in only two months:

  • (Mostly) Cut out soda and wine I still have the occasional soda or glass of wine, but for the most part, I’ve eliminated them. I always felt bloated and was gaining weight quickly when drinking them daily. Now that I don’t drink soda and wine so much, I rarely crave them.
  • Protein Shakes I began drinking 1-2 protein shakes each day to replace a meal or snack. It helps to curb cravings and makes me feel great, I have a lot more energy. Orgain has an amazing-tasting chocolate shake as well as other flavors.
  • Eating Healthier My main issue with food was eating too much junk food too often, and fast food. I still have a treat now and then and fast food maybe once a month. Cutting back on these unhealthy foods also helps me not to crave them as much and gives me more energy.
  • Vitamins & Supplements I take a daily multivitamin for women, pre-workout to get ready for workouts and recover after workouts. (I love it- It tastes like chocolate milk!).
  • My Workout This is what I contribute to most of the weight loss transformation. I have tried several different workout programs in the past but I just couldn’t stay motivated enough to stick with them. Then I discovered Beachbody and it has changed my life. I have completed two Beachbody programs (one four weeks, one six weeks) to achieve these results. I love how I can stream my workout anytime, anywhere and the trainers are awesome. It never feels like I’ve worked out hard for nearly an hour once it’s over, it goes by so fast. I stay motivated and look forward to working out each day. I never thought that would happen!

My first Beachbody transformation and experience.

Wrapping It Up

Losing weight is a process. There is no magic pill or supplement or program to make you lose weight overnight. If you truly want to lose weight, you have to commit to it and yourself. You deserve to be happy in your skin and have the energy to live and enjoy your life. I find that accomplishing these things is so much easier when you’re on a team with people who are on similar paths.

 

losing weight guide

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