Secrets, secrets are SO fun! :)

A TON of people have been asking me about what I’m doing to reach my weight loss goals.  What are my secrets?  My exercise routines?  Any tips?  So, I’ve decided to share a few  secrets with y’all, ready? OKAY! (haha)

#1 Secret:  Losing weight is completely in your head.  It’s up to you to make the right choices, it’s up to you to find the motivation.  I’ve said it before but, before you start your journey, make up in your mind, first, why you are doing it, and second, that you can.  Trust me, it’s not easy to do, which is why most people only last a day or two, but it is SO worth the effort.

#2 Secret:  Don’t focus on exercise at first.  Really!  I honestly have not implemented a fitness routine yet.  I’ve gone to the gym and lifted ONCE, in October, and I think my muscles are still sore.  (Thanks, Sammy! Haha) I’ve gone running ONCE.  But as of last week, I’ve started to throw in walks.  Not so much for the weight loss portion of exercise, but I’ve had so much pent up energy I needed to release and to spend time with my bests.

With that being said, what to focus on?  Diet.  I have found a program that works for me.  I won’t go into the details, but know that I do spend about $150-200 a month on food that is delivered to me.  I eat 5 meals a day with those, and one meal is on my own, called a “Lean and Green”.  It works for me because it is so convenient with my on-the-go schedule.

Find something that works for you.  Maybe you have time to make every meal.  Maybe you are able to spend money on a program that will give you your food.  In the end, we all know what’s good for us and what’s not.  Make the right choices.  Instead of that donut for breakfast, have a portion of oatmeal that will stick with you longer.  Have fruit instead of candy.  Veggies instead of chips.

You know what you should or shouldn’t eat.  (Jumping back to secret 1) Make the choice mentally, to make the right food choices. 

#3 Secret:  This one is my secret weapon, seriously!  WATER!!  I can’t say it enough, water should be your best friend.  Now I’m not saying, right at first, to cut out your diet sodas (we’re losing weight we choose diet soda, right?), because I sure don’t, ask my friends, I LOVE my Diet Coke!  But cut back, and put in more water.  I can tell you that by about noon every day I have had 3-4 of my Camelbak water bottles.  My coworkers make fun of me.  They even order extra water from our supplier for me and they make bathroom punch cards.

haha a little embarrassing, but what can you do?

One of these two are ALWAYS with me.  Seriously, my secret weapons right here!

The reason water is so great: (Now this is just what I have found, I’m not going to go all medical on you.  But we all know water is AMAZING!)  

1. It helps detox the body.  I’ve noticed my skin clear up, my joints feel better and just a better overall feeling with the more water I drink.
2. It keeps you hydrated.  (See punch card picture for proof! Haha)
3. No calories.
4. My personal favorite: It helps you to feel fuller throughout the day and during meals.  Like I said, water is my secret weapon, and that is why. 

Do yourself a favor and buy a water bottle.  (I suggest one with a straw J)  As soon as you finish it, fill it back up.  When you go to the bathroom, fill it back up.  Make water your best friend in this process and, I promise, it will pay off.

#4 Secret:  Involve the people in your life.  When I was first starting to lose weight, I didn’t talk to anyone about it, BAD IDEA!  I got nowhere.  When it came to picking restaurants, we were always going to places that didn’t, really, have healthy options.  Because they didn’t know, they couldn’t help to motivate me.

But now, I’ve involved my friends, my family and even my coworkers.  When we go out to eat, people are thinking about my diet needs.  When it comes to snacking, I still do it, but not as often and not as much. (haha, you have to!)  It’s just nice to have people aware of the choices you are making.  Don’t be a closet dieter, it makes it harder to achieve success, and easier to fall off and make unhealthy decisions.

Proof!  Trying to eat healthy at In-N-Out.  It can be done folks! :)

#5 Secret:  Eat a donut.  Yep, you heard me.  Eat chocolate.  It’s okay, I promise.

Once in a while, let yourself have something.  If you don’t, if you’re like me, you will shovel a ton of food in one day, and hate yourself!  I’ve found that if I tell myself no all the time, the more I want it, and in the end, the more I eat, resulting in gain.

BUT, if I let myself have a piece of chocolate, I’m okay, I don’t overindulge.  It’s about knowing boundaries.

For example, we had donuts at a work meeting.  I wanted one, bad!  I tried to tell myself no, to no avail.  I gave in, and two donuts later, I hated myself. Haha  

Enter: yesterday, donuts again.  (I never realized how much I loved donuts until I started losing weight.  They’re amazing!)  I didn’t tell myself no, but, I decided to cut one in half and just have that half piece.  Success!  I didn’t go back for more, I didn’t overindulge.  I was happy, I didn’t think of that half donut at the end of the day and think of how far it set me back, or question why I ate it.

The fact of the matter is, unhappy people do not lose weight.  Make choices that will, TRULY, make you happy.  Which leads to my last secret…

#6 Secret:  Just be happy.  I mean happy with yourself and your choices, not the chocolate high happy that wears off in 10 minutes.  (Sounds a little contradictory with my last secret, I know.)  You know what choices will make you happy in the long run, and what choices won’t.  I believe happiness is a choice, made up of a ton of smaller choices.  Make those smaller choices count.  It’s better to be truly happy in the long run, rather than to give in now and be happy for a few short minutes.

With that, friends, I’m going to go fill up my water bottle, it’s been empty for 15 minutes. J

xoxo