5 Ways to Actually Lose Weight (and Keep It Off!)

There are so many diets, articles and videos out there that provide quick, easy ways to lose weight. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no easy fix to lose weight and to keep it off. Remember, the extra weight didn't just show up overnight, so unfortunately, it won’t disappear that quickly either.

But the good news is that the following ways are guaranteed to take the unwanted weight off and say goodbye to it forever!

Before going any further, consider the real reason why this article is intriguing. Why does losing weight sound good? Be honest! One’s why should not be a superficial reason either - like wanting to look good in a bikini or naked to attract attention from others.

Alright - here are the ways to actually lose unwanted weight.

Eat Healthy

This has been said a thousand times. Super easy, right? Maybe in writing, but for all of us who have tried it, we know that when life happens, eating healthy can be a challenge. Chocolate [or insert weakness] calls our name! Here are a couple things to try.

Drink plenty of water (a minimum of 64 ounces a day)

Plan out meals. Spend a couple hours and determine what to eat for at least 4 days worth of meals and snacks (leftovers are always good options for the other days). This is time consuming and a pain, but by planning out meals ahead of time, it guarantees healthy eating (assuming, of course, that healthy options are chosen).

Avoid food allergens. This can include gluten and/or dairy. If we are intolerant to any of those foods, it can result in being bloated (the body holding on to some of that extra weight). Who wants to be bloated??? Try eliminating those food groups to see how it feels. Remove all of them, wait two weeks and note the changes. If there is no change, slowly add the foods back.

Resist weakness foods. Whatever the weakness is (wine, chips, candy…), make sure it’s not in the house or in direct line of sight. This should prevent overindulging. But remember, everything in moderation. So dipping into the weakness food is perfectly fine every once in awhile. But dipping into the food does not mean an entire bag of candy/chips/cookies! It means one serving max.

Build Muscles

Incorporate strength training. Strength training should be done at least two days a week. And it can be as simple as starting out with bodyweight movements (squats, planks, pushups). Once bodyweight movements are not a challenging, then add weight. The more muscles that are in our bodies, the more calories we burn when sitting around doing nothing. Heck yea! Not to mention, muscles help tighten up loose skin and looks good. And being strong is beautiful!

Keep Moving

Going to the gym for 30 minutes but sitting the remainder of the day does nothing for the waistline. The key is to move as much as possible throughout the day. Get a pedometer to see how many steps are actually being taken. The goal should be a minimum of 10,000 steps a day. Remember to work up to it! Sign up for mailing list here and get 8 tips on how to get 10,000 steps a day without exercising!

Sleep

This is a really important one! Everyone is different, but the goal should be to get at least seven hours of uninterrupted sleep a night. Uninterrupted sleep is the key! This may seem ridiculous, but what’s more important - watching The Late Show/news or losing weight?

Throw Out Your Scale

Be kind! Stepping on the scale every day (or even every week) will only lead to feeling crazy and possibly lead to disappointment. Rather, choose a pair of pants that are a little snug (one or two sizes too small) and use them as the indicator how the weight loss it going. But please don’t try them on every day either!

The most important thing is to be healthy. Constantly remember the reason for why losing weight matters so much. Remember - this is your lifestyle.

Take this journey in bite size pieces...one thing at a time. So maybe start with keep moving. Once that is mastered, move on to eating healthy.

Be consistent in the steps you take. Know that on this journey, stumbling and going backwards is inevitable. But when that happens, it’s crucial to get up and start chugging away again. And through consistency, that unwanted weight will disappear - hopefully never to return!

Know this is possible - believe it!

If weight loss is a struggle for you, what have you tried before but wasn't effective? Share your story below or on my Facebook Page