The summer after my freshman year of college, I had gained a unhealthy amount of weight. I was completely miserable and indulged in ice cream every night. However, I eventually lost the weight, not through any diet programs but simply using my mind. It's extremely hard at first and requires tremendous amounts of self discipline, but I believe ANYONE is capable of achieving it. I am only twenty one years old and not a nutrition expert (or at least not yet). But these tips can help anyone looking to shed a few pounds. They helped me lose around twenty pounds. Maybe, they can help you.
1. Get active. I, personally, relied on one hour strength training class to eliminate all the excess goodies I was putting into my mouth. Yet, eating brownies at 1 am is not a very logical idea, if you are trying to lose weight. Therefore, I believe including some type of physical activity is important for a person's health. Think about it. Why were we given legs? FOR MOVEMENT!!!
2. Indulge in the morning. When I say indulge, I mean tiny amounts. I make sure to have some kind of sweet pastry or tiny piece of chocolate always in the morning. It's definitely a mind thing, but it motivates me to remain active throughout the day: to take the stairs instead of the elevator, or walk to the train instead of the bus.
3. When I do indulge in the morning, I take a little piece of the cookie or whatever I am consuming, then WALK AWAY. Standing there and eating it while the other half lays in front of you creates more temptation to eat the rest. With that being said, never eat straight from the bag. Put it in a bowl, cup, plate, etc; make a point to take the bag and put it back on the highest shelf possible and WALK AWAY. Think about it: if your sitting on a couch, lounging and relaxing, the last thing you want to do is get back up out of that comfortable couch and reach for more of those chips. Portion control (self control) at its finest.
4. Read the labels of everything you buy or plan on eating. When I mean labels, I mean serving size. For many years, I was one of those people who got excited when I saw that a whole packet of cookies equaled only 50 calories, 2 g of fat. But if I would have looked closer, that accounted for only one cookie. Therefore, look at everything on the label. Buy a measuring cup if you have too. Yes, my room mates made fun of me for measuring everything I ate to account for the serving size. But believe me, it helps tremendously!! It's always good to know exactly what you are putting into your body, especially if you are looking to lose weight.
5. Cut out chips, soda, and condiments. Honestly, I lost so much weight just from removing these three components out of my life. At first, a hamburger will taste incomplete without ketchup, but honestly you get used to it, and will thank yourself in the long run. The condiments I no longer use consist of: ketchup and mayonnaise. Now, if I were to use them, they would make my stomach upset which is interesting. Maybe, it is my body reminding me of that promise I made to myself.
Substitutes I use instead of chips: vegetable steamers (that contain no sauce added to them.. Examples: plain broccoli, mixed veggies, etc). Complete lifesaver! Only takes about 5 minutes all you need is a microwave (my best friend).
6. I admit I crave ice cream pretty much every night. But, I realized that if I substitute that sweet craving with a little fruit, it helps satisfy that craving. However, we all have those nights where we NEED and I mean REALLY NEED a sweet fix. If you have one of those nights, what I do is take a spoon (medium size or large) take a spoonful of that ice cream, close the ice cream tub up, put it in the freezer, and then eat that spoonful of ice cream. Usually that one spoonful helps satisfy my craving. Definitely a mind thing because you got that sweet fix, or at least convinced yourself that you did.
7. If your able to, start jogging. Honestly, I avoided running my whole life. I hated the treadmill and felt like I was going to have a heart attack every time I increased the speed. But, running outside is an amazing experience. Does not matter what speed you run at, just getting outside and jogging is a great experience. If your new at running, start off slow. Then slowly build up to increase your speed little by little. Honestly, once you start running, you will want to start eating better. Just thinking of all the time and effort you put into that run, makes you rethink what you are putting into your body afterwards.
Those are the simple tips that have helped me lose the weight and maintain the weight I am at now. You do not need to be an expert. Just need that motivation and confidence that you can do it!! It is possible!! It is never too late to start!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment