How did you do it?

How did you do it?

That very famous question that everyone asks as I often asked when I saw someone who lost weight but before I tell you what worked for me, let me just hit you with a dose of reality.  The moment you TRULY decide that you want to live a healthy lifestyle is the moment you stop asking and start doing without a second thought, until then you will continue asking just as I did. 

This is where the phrase “A skinny state of mind” comes in, the moment you truly decide that you want to lose weight you develop that skinny state of mind.  Basically what this means is that there is a shift in your mind and rather than finding a million excuses as to why you can’t lose weight, you suddenly find a million answers as to why it is possible to do so.  This “state of mind” allows you to become confident even prior to even losing a pound, you are suddenly convinced that this is an attainable goal.

So back to the original question, once I truly decided to lose weight I did not want to do a quick fix diet, or a fad diet because I looooove food (emphasis on the love part), I am a foodie.  Therefore, I knew that if I began a no carb diet or a cabbage soup diet or any diet that would deprive me of eating what I wanted was simply not going to work for me.  So I decided I would call this the “common sense diet”, yup you know the one I am referring to, the one where you know that putting that burger and those fries in your mouth is not good for you, then one where you fry all your food because of course fried chicken tastes so much better than grilled chicken, well you get where I’m going with this. 

I had to find a way to not feel deprived and still lose weight, is that even possible? Yup it sure is and no it does not mean you still get to eat fried foods every day and burgers and still lose weight, you do have to change your eating habits.

Here are the steps I took when I first started my journey:

1.       Exercise at least 3 times a week (I do about 5-6 days)

2.       Drink at least 9 cups of water a day

3.       Eat at least 5 times a day (I know this sounds crazy)

4.       Find out how many calories I needed to consume in order to lose weight

5.       Downloaded the MyFitnessPal  app and began tracking my caloric intake

6.       Research the benefits of healthy foods

7.       Eat power foods

8.       Incorporate more foods that are high in protein and high in fiber

Always keep in mind that I am not an expert, the information that I provide you with is what I have done and what has worked for me personally.  I would always recommend that you consult your doctor prior to making any drastic changes in your life. 

Living a healthy lifestyle has given me a second chance at living, I was not living when I was heavier, I was just surviving.  I now know what I am capable of doing and that is a powerful thing.