Weight loss is a very simple formula:
CB – CC = WL
(Calories you Burn Daily) – (Calories you Consume Daily) = Weight Loss
So, if you burn 2,000 calories throughout the day and only eat 1,500 calories, your weight will go down. (2,000 – 1,500 = 500 calories lost)
On the other hand, if you burn 1,500 calories but eat 2,000, you’ll increase that number on the scale. (1,500 – 2,000 = 500 calories gained)
However, not all calories are created (or manufactured) equally. While you still need to stick to the formula and burn more calories than you consume, a lot of people can take this to the extreme and start to resort to unhealthy practices to see results.
However, that’s not what this is about for me.
Imagine a car – in order to get it to run properly, you have to put in the right oil, make sure the battery and engine are running smoothly, the tires are good, etc. Your body is the same way.
If you fuel your body with the right things and make sure all the essentials are running smoothly, I promise that weight loss will be that much easier.
So to help you get started, here are some really basic ways to improve your overall health so you can reach your weight loss goals faster! And they may seem pretty common sense, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t practice even 3 of these rules on a daily basis….
1. Get At Least 7-8 Hours of Sleep Per Night
There’s a reason this is first on the list. Sleep plays a HUGE part in weight loss.
When you sleep, that’s literally when your body goes into “fix” mode and can adequately recover from the day’s activities.
A study from The Sleep Foundation showed that inadequate sleep is common in older adults that were overweight or obese. And it’s not just people who are overweight. They also “tested healthy men and women with an average body mass index; half normal sleepers, the other half averaged 6 1/2 hours or less. Tests showed that the short sleepers were experiencing hormonal changes that could affect their future body weight and impair their long-term health.”
Eve Van Cauter, Ph.D., termed sleep deprivation as “the royal route to obesity. Despite not yet being overweight,” she said, “these young adults had profiles that predisposed them to put on weight.”
BOTTOM LINE: Instead of staying up binge watching your favorite Netflix show, go catch some ZZZs so your body can work its weight loss magic.
2. Drink More Water
This is a no brainer. Water is the OG trick to weight loss.
Not only does it help clear out your internal system, but it also helps you feel fuller longer to fight off those pesky, random hunger pangs.
Try to drink at least half a gallon a day and always keep water close by.
“But Jerrica, water has no flavor and I hate drinking it…”
If plain, old water just won’t cut it for you and you just NEED some kind of flavoring try doing hot tea with some honey (green tea specifically is loaded with a bunch of antioxidants) or unsweetened iced tea. Trader Joe’s has this bomb black iced tea that you can squeeze some lemon into. My boyfriend Wes can’t get enough of mineral/sparkling water with lime – he loves how refreshing it is. So you have options and I’m telling you, it works wonders.
3. Skip Alcohol and Soda
As you fill yourself up with all that awesome water, get rid of all those empty, shitty calories in alcohol and soda.
I don’t think I have to go into how completely unhealthy alcohol is for ANYONE. I mean, not only does it mess you up big time on your sleep, it makes your cravings and overall appetite stronger – making you want to eat more than you actually need to. Without getting into the higher risks of cancer and liver disease, every aspect of alcohol promotes weight gain.
We should all be smart enough to know that alcohol and weight loss DO NOT mix.
Soda is a little sneakier, but I think most of us are aware of how much sugar is in a single can of soda. Let’s do a little math:
The American Heart Association recommends no more than 100 calories a day of added sugar for women – that’s roughly 6 teaspoons. For a can of Coke, there are 39 grams of sugar, which comes out to a mind-blowing 150 calories. With just one drink, you’re already over the limit… and that’s just your drink! We haven’t even gotten into all the added sugars in food…
Ultimately, it’s not worth it.
And I promise you, if this is something that you have a lot in your diet and start to cut out, you’ll see those pounds melt off almost immediately.
4. Cut Out Processed Foods
Have you ever read the back of a food label and couldn’t even pronounce some (if not most) of the ingredients??
That’s because processed foods are packed with a bunch of crap that your body doesn’t need….
Processed foods can cover everything from breakfast cereal, bagels, and chips to “pretend” healthy foods like granola, flavored yogurt, and certain soups.
I mean, go look at your pantry. Chances are, you probably have most if not all of these things in there. How many calories per serving? What actually IS the serving size (that can get tricky)? How many added sugars? Do the ingredients include stupid shit that you can’t even read?
Do me a favor: Clear out your cabinets! Get rid of all that temptation and so you don’t fall back into bad habits.
And next time you go grocery shopping, look at the label and make sure you’re only getting things with a short ingredient list that have words you can actually read! Or better yet, no label at all The best rule of thumb:
PRODUCE instead of PRODUCTS
And don’t worry, I’ll help you guys along the way and teach you how to read food labels and cut through bullshit marketing!
5. Avoid Eating Out
Speaking of crap food, this is another big one that a lot of people struggle with. Maybe you have kids, maybe you have a long work week, or maybe you didn’t get a good night’s rest and you’re too tired to cook. Whatever the reason, a lot of people see the convenience of eating out a blessing rather than a weight-gain trap.
While eating out once a week or for special occasions is fine, eating out at restaurants all the time is a sure-fire way to increase your weight.
The amount of sodium, fat, and sugar added to those meals is completely insane...
Instead of resorting to a restaurant or fast food, cook at home as much as possible. PREPARATION is key here. Personally, I like to get big portions of frozen shrimp, veggies, garlic, etc. at Costco, throw it in a pan, cook it up and voila! Shrimp stir-fry for dinner in under 10 minutes.
There’s also meal prep services that you can use. I like Sunbasket (it’s organic and the meals can be slightly healthier), but you can always go for something more conventional and affordable like Blue Apron.
Whatever the strategy, take more control and be aware of what goes into your mouth!
6. Eat More (Lean) Protein and Fiber-Rich Vegetables
“But Jerrica, if I’m cutting out all this stuff, then what CAN I eat?”
Simple: a lot.
For weight loss, it’s important to try to add protein and a variety of vegetables into every meal because it helps us stay fuller longer.
Skinless chicken breasts, pork loins, eggs (egg whites), fish and seafood, and turkey are great examples of lean protein that you can incorporate into your meals (and you can throw in some red meat once or twice a week if you want, too).
Another way to get more food that’s low in calories is to add vegetables and dark-leafy greens into your diet. And **spoiler alert**…
Vegetables give your body more of the nutrients that it needs, which helps with those annoying cravings.
KNOWLEDGE DROP: Did you know that there are over 200 different kinds of fruits and vegetables that you can start incorporating into your meals?
You can:
Add peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach, etc. (whatever you want, really) into an egg scramble in the morning
Snack on carrots, sugar snap peas, celery, or broccoli in between meals and dip it into some hummus or guacamole for a better taste
Stock up on frozen vegetables (Costco, anyone?) so you’ll always have something on hand and you don’t have to worry about them going bad before you can eat them
Grate vegetables like carrots, squash, cucumber into things like hamburger patties, meatballs, or meatloaf
Grill corn, carrots, peppers, and anything else for a better, smokier taste
There are literally hundreds of ways to add more veggies and lean protein into your diet, so go on Pinterest, start testing out some healthy recipes and feel free to share with the group if you come across one that you like!
I’ll also post a few of my favorites later on.
7. At Least 30 Minutes of Activity a Day
Losing weight is about 70% diet and 30% exercise – but that 30% can make a HUGE difference in the long run. The benefits of exercising go way beyond just weight loss.
Daily activity helps with sleep, increases your metabolism, helps your body digest food and absorb nutrients, boosts your immunity, increases brain function…
It’s pretty much a cure-all for almost everything.
“But Jerrica, I don’t have a gym membership!”
How many quick exercise videos are there on YouTube? Only 5,876,935,501.
Take 5 minutes in the morning to do some jumping jacks, do wall squats while you’re brushing your teeth, go out for a walk during your lunch break, do ten minutes of yoga before bed. Especially if you have a desk job like me, do anything that gets you moving!
“But Jerrica, I don’t have time…”
This isn’t so much about not having time as it is about prioritizing your time. How many hours a week do you spend watching TV or mindlessly scanning social media? If you say zero, I call bullshit. PRIORITIZE your health. Or better yet, do what I do and kill two birds with one stone: watch Hulu and Netflix WHILE you’re on the elliptical or treadmill or stairs. It definitely helps me forget about how tired I am and makes the time fly.
!IMPORTANT!: Don’t use exercise as an excuse to eat more than you should!
A lot of people fall into this trap of “Oh, I worked out and ran for 30 minutes – that means I can have a sleeve of Oreos for dessert.” This type of thinking DOESN’T WORK for weight loss. Remember, weight loss is about burning more calories than you consume, so if you end up eating the calories that you just burned off at the gym, you’re wasting time and won’t see results.
8. Healthy Alternatives
It’s easy to replace crappy food with better, healthier alternatives.
There are healthy alternatives for literally ANYTHING.
Brownies, cookies, salad dressings, pasta, mayo – EVERYTHING. Craving some microwave popcorn? Get a $20 air fryer (a great investment), pop some corn, sprinkle butter-flavored olive oil from 41 Olive or Amazon, salt – done. Healthier popcorn with 90% less fat.
You can swap fries or chips for homemade sweet potatoes fries, carrot or beet chips. If you’re craving something sweet at night, try strawberries and a small amount of dark chocolate instead of ice cream. Instead of mayo, use mashed avocado. Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Almonds instead of croutons…
Here’s one article from Women’s Health. And another from MyFitnessPal.
The list goes on and on….
9. Get Involved with a Group
As I’ve said before, being in a group with the same goals can help keep your eye on the prize, maintain your motivation, and increase your accountability. Having people there to support you and encourage you along the way significantly raises your chances of success and will help you maintain a positive mentality throughout your journey!
Of course, social support is ALL ABOUT ENGAGEMENT.
So don’t be afraid to speak out, ask questions, share strategies that are working for you, discuss some struggles that you’re facing, or just give a “great job!” to others who are showing progress.
10. Keep Track!
And of course, I save the best for last. Tracking your caloric intake and making sure that you’re getting enough of your macro and micro nutrients are definitely one of the most important things you can do to maximize your weight loss over time. Remember that formula I told you about? Well, a calorie tracker would be your calculator.
Did you know: One bagel is around 300 calories – which takes up MORE THAN 1/2 of my carb limit for the day and is 1/4 of my total calories.
Most people don’t realize how damaging certain foods are and just how many calories (and what kind of calories) are in the foods that they eat. So with the example I gave above, if I were to eat just one bagel, I would have eaten 1/4 of the calories that I’m supposed to eat for the entire day. What about you?
Sometimes, just “eyeing” how many calories are in a meal (especially when it comes to “fake healthy” foods) and “guessing” how much you should be eating can severely throw you off when it comes to portion control and seeing the results that you want.
Luckily, in this day and age, we have a bunch of tools at our disposable to help us with this and it’s fairly easy once you get the hang of it.
Personally, I use MyFitnessPal. It’s easy, I can scan things, it tracks everything. It’s free. Done. But there are some other options in this article. So feel free to shop around and see what would work best for you.
And to those interested in doing this but don’t know where to start, just let me know and I’d be happy to help get you set up and on your way in no time!
In my opinion, losing weight isn’t about starving yourself – it’s about making healthy life choices so that your body can operate at its highest level.
So give your body its best chance!
Even just following half of these will not only help you shed weight faster than you’d expect, it’ll also help improve your quality of life over time. So what are you waiting for?
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