You know that old saying “don’t reinvent the wheel”? It basically means don’t duplicate a basic method that has already been optimized.
I’m carrying this thought over in today’s post to weight loss.
Heads up…I may get on my soap box regarding this topic…..
So I may be a little passionate about it
I’ve seen plenty of those weight loss “health and wellness” posts from companies lately and they just make me twitch. You know the multi level marketing gimmicks your neighbor may sell or the current hype a celebrity is pushing?
Yeah, those.
Why does it bother me? Because there are so many people desperate for a quick and easy fix to get rid of their fat and feel better about themselves that they are willing to throw money ( and a lot of money) at a bunch of hyped products and supplements that will give them the good life.
The reality is, for the most part, all the majority will lose is a lot of their hard earned money.
And listen up, if they have a secret group, will “PM you” info or won’t publicly share what their great weight loss programs are about, run.
Run far away.
If their stuff is so awesome they should be willing to shout from the roof tops to anyone who will listen.
Also, if they can’t discuss their miracle products with you and refer you instead to the cookie cutter company video on it, run. They should be educated enough on it to discuss with you. Sadly, most of them are clueless to what’s in those “amazing” products they pedal.
If your new daily diet consists of using more of their products than eating good food…..well……you better be getting away from that too.
The other reality is this……
No matter what vehicle you try to use to lose weight, it comes down to relatively simple science.
You have to expend more calories than you take in for weight loss to occur. It’s not a complicated. Yet on the daily people try to way over complicate the process.
They keep trying to reinvent the wheel for losing weight.
They keep looking for the easiest way out, the fastest way to get there.
There is no fast way, weight gain doesn’t happen overnight nor will weight loss.
Let’s get back to the wheel
I know the old school way for weight loss isn’t cool or trendy. It’s not a current diet fad or an over priced “health” program.
But somehow, it works. And if you get going and stick with it you will develop a new way of thinking and behaving. It will become a lifestyle for you, a way to simply live.
You don’t have to reinvent ways to lose weight nor does it need to be made harder than it is.
The basics
You don’t have to count calories and log every bite of food although if doing so keeps you on track, do it.
I’ve used an app called Lose It that calculates your daily calories by what you enter. Or you can use pen and paper to keep track.
To have an idea of how many calories your body needs you might find a BMR ( basal metabolic rate) calculator online. You plug in all of your info, including purposeful exercise you do ( or don’t do) and it will tell you how many calories you need to live each day. From that number you can make small reduction of calories to help with weight loss.
A reasonable, healthy and sustainable weight loss is 1-2 lbs per week. You may lose more in the first week with water weight and some weeks you may lose a bit more ( or nothing)
Any program promising big losses week to week is not realistic or sustainable.
Eat real food. Crazy I know. Don’t get caught up thinking you have to eat some weird diet foods or starve to lose weight or worse you use a companies “fat burning ” products haha ( which are nothing more than pills loaded with caffeine)
Eat real, nutrionally dense foods. Think single ingredients or five or less on a label. Eating real food, and enough of it, will keep you satisfied and not hungry. Eat foods you enjoy.
Oh and that….you don’t have to starve and be hungry all the time to lose weight. If you’re hungry eat a healthy, snack. It’s ok to get hungry before a meal ( those are natural given signals for us to eat)
Speaking of….get back in tune with your body. If you’ve forgotten what it’s like to be hungry, get back to that. Learn to eat when hungry and stop before you “feel” full. This could take a bit of training but it’s the best way to build a healthy relationship with eating. You don’t have to empty your plate.
Practice mindful eating. Be aware of what you eat, how it tastes, smells etc. Being mindful helps you slow down and savor the experience.
Don’t deprive yourself. Eating what you enjoy leads to success. Learn to eat smaller amounts and allow that to satisfy you. In time this will become a habit.
Weigh in weekly to check your progress . Anymore than that becomes counter productive.
Allow for treats. Life is going on, enjoy the birthday cake or an evening out. Just get back on track with your goals the next day
Exercise. You don’t need it for weight loss, ( it helps) but it does make you feel good and strong not to mention it helps clear your head too. Find activities you enjoy and pursue them. Get good at doing it.
In summary
Know how many calories your body needs for daily living then subtract 10-20 % to create a deficit.
Eat real food, enough of it, to satisfy hunger.
Set realistic weekly/monthly weight loss goals.
Relearn your bodies cues for hunger and satisfaction
Eat mindfully.
Allow for occasional treats.
Plan for purposeful exercise, most days of week ( this helps with your calorie deficit) find exercise you enjoy doing.
Be patient with yourself on your journey. Change takes some time!
You don’t need magic pills, potions or other extreme measures to lose weight . The old tried and true method works perfectly, you just need to implement it and give yourself time to reach your goals.
Tell me, do you fall back on other things to lose weight or approach it like a slow and steady lifestyle?
sassyfitnesschick 