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Top Ten Weight-loss Tips

Last Friday, I posted that I was 0.8lbs away from my goal weight. I am so close to seeing “that number” that I’ve wanted to see for a while now. I am by no means an expert and believe me, I have failed multiple times even with my own advice, but here’s the Top Ten Weigh-Loss Tips that have worked for me!

1. Drink Water – And lots and lots of water. I always knew it was important and of course it made sense that the more you drink the more your body will waste, but someone also just explained it to me that without enough water, your body will basically go into dehydration mode. When this happens it starts storing everything you eat because your body is afraid it’s starting to dehydrate. Our bodies are super smart!! God’s smart like that!

2. Eat Breakfast - I admit, I go through phases with this. I’m either really good or really bad. But it’s definitely important. And NO – “breakfast” should not involve a drive through every day of the week!! Or a candy bar, coke or left over pizza! I mean a real breakfast. I like egg-white omelets with mushrooms and a side of fruit. Or if I’m in a hurry then I at least have some whole wheat toast with fruit to get out the door quickly.

3. Keep a Food Journal - I was never a big believer in these. Not because they didn’t work but because I didn’t want to be “that” eye opening to myself. But it helps! The biggest thing for me is that I know what I’ve fed my body for the day and what I still need to feed it.

4. Keep a Mindless Eating Bag – I read this tip and thought it was brilliant. Most moms are constantly around food. If we’re not making a meal, then we’re cleaning one up, preparing a snack, packing a school lunch, or preparing for the next meal. We are constantly put in situations of “mindless eating”. You know, one handful of gold fish crackers here, a few chips there, an extra bite of this and an extra bite of that. Instead of eating it, throw the food into a zip lock bag. And then at the end of the day or week see how much extra calories you saved from resisting that urge!

5. Plan – Menu Meal Planning helps so much with this. Not just dinners, but plan your breakfast, lunch and even snacks. That way you’ll definitely have all ingredients on hand and you’ll be prepared!

6. Weigh Yourself Regularly – This will likely be different for every person, but I do think it’s important to own a scale and use it! Whether it’s every day, every other day, every week or every other week – just weigh in!

7. Take Measurements – There will be plenty of weeks when you were certain you’d lose weight and you weigh in to find out that the scale hasn’t budged! Take measurements at the beginning and then whenever needed thereafter. It’s very probable that on those weeks you didn’t lose weight, you did lose inches instead!

8. Allow for some Wiggle Room – Not everyone can be completely strict all the time. It’s just not right! So, give yourself a break … just get back on board!

9. Eat Real Food - You CAN lose weight without eating “diet” foods. I’ve eaten some protein bars and I’ve had some “diet” drinks along my journey, but everything else has been basically real. Lots of fruits, veggies, and proteins. Nothing else in a box labeled “diet”!

10. Get Help if Needed – I’ve been on my weightloss journey for over a year now. I lost thirty pounds all on my own (well with a nutritional book but nothing else) last year but started gaining some back this year. I did not want to go down that cycle again. And then I just couldn’t seem to kick start the loss again. I needed help. I needed a good kick start that I couldn’t give myself. So this year I got help! I weigh in regularly at a center, show them my food journals and they cheer me on or help me correct what I’ve messed up. It’s ok to ask for help!

So, what about you – do you have any Weigh-Loss Tips?