Every year, for many, many years, I would promise myself Id lose weight.
Sometimes I would make a little headway, but mostly I didnt.
Then in 2017, it happened.
Like most huge changes, it was actually lots of little choices adding up to something big.
Heres how I did it.
We get so many confusing messages about how we should feel about our bodies, both positive and negative.
The fact is, my knees hurt and I was often lethargic and sick.
Ive been consistently more energetic, less depressed, and less frequently ill since I began exercising.
Changing my diet cured my almost daily heartburn.
Commit to Something for 30 Days
At the beginning of 2017, I did theWhole 30.
I am not advocating for this diet specifically.
In fact, the Whole 30 is not necessarily a diet thats even devised to cause weight loss.
It eliminates things like sugar, alcohol, and dairy, plus a whole bunch of other delicious stuff.
Neither potatoes nor bacon are outlawed, for instance.
And anything with calories can add up to too many calories in a day.
This was a big change, because Iloveovereating.
Weight loss concerns aside, the Whole 30 is extreme, and Im not necessarily recommending extreme diets.
If you arent being careful, you could potentially make yourself sick.
Im recommending that you choosesomethingand do it every day for 30 days.
In the past, I often made resolutions and gave up too quickly.
Id say, This is me now!
I only eat veggies and protein for dinner, forever!
I work out every day, forever!
But forever kept being too long.
It felt like a lot of hard work that didnt immediately produce results.
My pants fit looser.
These little accomplishments built up and made me want to stick with it even more.
A push-up challenge, walking for a half hour a day, a change in your diet.
You likely know what it is that needs to change.
Sticking with something will show you what youre capable of and what the results can be.
You will want to keep going.
That feeling can be mitigated with a support connection.
We made a private Facebook group to support each other, complain, give tips, and share recipes.
Ive also done text threads, email accountability check-ins, healthy brunch outings, and GroupMes.
I found this to be a better way to think about it.
I eventually shifted to counting my calories on an app, specifically one called Fat Secret.
Some people find the work of writing down what they eat tedious, and prefer to have general rules.
But heres what I got from both.
Writing down what I ate made me think about it a lot more.
With calorie counting, it quite literally made me understand exactly how much I was eating every day.
Which was a lot!
Keto is very high fat and low carb.
Your macros intake is basically how much fat, protein, and carbohydrates youre getting.
Its complicated enough counting calories, but that was too much math for my meals.
An app really helped, and it was a very different way of looking at food intake.
It also make me realize how many calories were in certain foods I thought of as healthy.
Youll likely feel good, which is great, but not actually lose weight.
Just have make your decisions from a place of information rather than assumptions.
Dont Do Something That Makes You Miserable
Here is the caveat: do somethingfun.
My personal preference is tolift weightsand mix in cardio withHIIT, when Im keeping things simple.
But your mind and emotions are a part of the physical experience.
If youre doing something that bores you or makes you anxious, you wont want to keep going.
ClassPass is also an option, and many studios have beginner lessons at a discount.
Sometimes on tough days, Id tell myself, Just walk over there.
You dont have to exercise, just go to the gym because its two blocks away.
And then Id go and inevitably work out, at least a little.
If you could avoid road blocks to exercise, like a long-ass subway ride, itll help with motivation.
Yes, I have become a person who considers biking in the dark for an hour a special treat.
Dont Make Hunger Your Diet Plan
Letting yourself get too hungry will kill all your best intentions.
Throw some cashews in your bag, then in your mouth when youre feeling peckish.
In general, I think outlawing something you love to eat forever is a mistake.
It makes it forbidden, and that much more tempting.
It can just be an oily dressing if you dont like dairy.
And Ive gotten my daily greens, too.
The tight pants reminded me I was uncomfortable with my weight, the big shirts would hide my figure.
Then Id retreat even further.
You should be there for yourself every step of the way.
Building body strength and making lifestyle changes in your diet takes a while.
In the meantime, work on thinking nice things about yourself.
That just made fitness a subject I wanted to avoid, because it brought on lots of negative emotions.
We shift our energy around to different priorities.
When youre ready to prioritize fitness, you will.
Start a small good habit now and see how far it takes you.
