If You Can Do These 5 Things, You WILL Lose Weight

Okay, so I have been inundated with questions (I LOVE IT!) about how people should go about losing weight, what tips I have, how to get started, etc. 

First, I point them all here to my blog.  All of my blog entries have been composed with specific questions that I am asked either on Facebook, Twitter or through email in mind.  This is the forum in which I can answer the vast majority of questions within a reasonable amount of time and while providing the facts that not only you need but that anyone else would need if they are ready to make changes!

If you can do the 5 things that I will list below then you will be able to succeed and lose the weight that you want.  If you cannot then it simply means that you are not quite ready yet.  I completely understand that, if that is the case, since I was there at one point too!

Here goes... read carefully:

1. COMMIT:  You are not fooling, nor are you hurting, anyone but yourself if you say that you are going to start eating better and working out but you binge eat when you are by yourself, "fall off the wagon" or simply do not try.  YOU have to tell YOURSELF that YOU are ready to make this commitment and that YOU are ready to see it through and that YOU are tired of being overweight, insecure, depressed or whatever else you may be feeling.  YOU, YOU, YOU -- get it?!?!?!  I can't decide for you!  I can help and I can be positive and I can provide you with tips, tricks, recipes, etc but if YOU are not ready then YOU will NOT make the change!
2. DRINK WATER:  I sincerely cannot stress this enough.  Again, I will not bombard you with statistics and percentages but what I will tell you is that the MAJORITY of the time that you are eating or snacking it is because you are dehydrated or bored!  People in general do not drink enough water.  I don't care if you don't like it.  It is good for you, it is a REQUIREMENT to enable your body to work the right way, it makes you healthier, it helps you lose weight, it helps flush toxins from your system and the list goes on.  Google it!  Learn for yourself if you want but in the meantime, listen when I say that you MUST be drinking water! 
3. WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU EAT:  If you have been following me then you already know that I am a food log, food diary, food app PUSHER!!! You HAVE to write down what you eat to get a good idea of how many calories, how much fat, protein and how many carbs you are taking in each day.  This presents you with the facts that you need or that a nutritionist needs to determine what changes are necessary.  I have been keeping food journals for the past year and a half.  I am very close to my goal weight and body fat % but I am still keeping one and I intend on doing so until my body and my mind are trained to know what to eat, when!!!  Write it down, calculate the information, analyze your data after the first few weeks.  When someone comes to me and says "I want to lose weight, what can I do".... I ask for their food log!!!
4. DO NOT GO TO A DRIVE-THRU FOR YOUR FOOD:  Fast food is horrific.  It has ZERO nutritional value 99.9% of the time.  Fast food is processed food which means that it contains additives that have been shown to cause cancer!!  Additionally, fast food is high in fat and in carbs and low in protein!  EVERYONE has time to cook something!!  I'm not saying whip up Thanksgiving dinner every night but you have time to cook something!  Make a peanut butter and banana sandwich on wheat bread, put chicken in the crock pot in the morning, have oatmeal on hand, eat eggs or egg whites, etc!  I can promise you that there is not a need to go through a drive-thru for your food.  If you are in the car frequently then make sure you have healthy snacks/food in the car, pack a cooler for the day, keep almonds and granola bars in your glove box!  Take water with you!
5. EXERCISE:  Simple.  Exercise.  Move your body more than you are right now.  If you sit down and watch one TV show each night, that is 30 minutes that you could have been exercising your body!  Don't tell me "it's my time to relax from a stressful day."  Well, not finding time to exercise and commit to your health is only going to land you in the doctor's office or hospital down the road and you will have PLENTY of time to watch TV laid up in bed!!!  Don't you think it makes sense to take that 30 minutes and do something for your health!??!?!  I'm not saying you have to light the world on fire with some elaborate workout regimen that you go through - just move!  Walk, run, bike, play a game, go to the gym, workout at home, take the stairs, whatever - just move - more than you have been!!!

It really is simple!  #1 (COMMIT) is #1 for a reason - if you don't have the intention of committing then don't bother to worry about the rest. 

When the alarm clock goes off in the morning and you are laying in bed alone and you have to make the choice to get up and eat a healthy meal and start your day off on the right foot, YOU are the only one that will REALLY know if you do!  The sooner you make the decision to commit to yourself and to a healthier lifestyle the better off you will be. 

PLEASE don't wait until you are ordered by a doctor to change your eating and/or exercise habits to avoid long term illnesses or worse yet death!!  Don't wait for the doctor to tell you that you have to be put on medication because your blood pressure is too high or your cholesterol is through the roof!  Do it now... do it for you!!! 

Email me or comment my blog if you have ANY questions that I can help you with!! I sincerely would love to help anyone and everyone that is ready to make a change!  I will get you whatever information I know or that I can to assist you in any way!