By I am a health nut — and I have lost 44 pounds from living a healthier lifestyle. I would not say I am dieting, but I live my life by being more health conscious. You can check out my Instagram to see my journey for yourself too. I just graduated from college last December — and I was eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.
The first picture was taken the day before I graduated in December of 2015, when I was receiving the Chancellors Leadership Award. This second picture of me is from late June. I lost a few pounds after the picture on the left was taken. This shows a huge difference and is the exact same outfit.
I learned early on in life that only you are in charge of your own happiness. So, if you really want to change, you will change.
I realized in November of 2015 (though I’ve thought about it on and off for years), I needed to lose weight to be happier. I was the heaviest I had ever been. I weighed 167 pounds and I am just short of 5’3″. So, I was overweight and not happy with my body. I ate a lot when I was stressed with school or work. But I learned food will only keep you happy for a short period of time; it is not a permanent fix.
I learned early on in life that only you are in charge of your own happiness. So, if you really want to change, you will change. You can diet all you want, but the way to lose weight is to change the way you think, live, eat.
So many people ask me what I did to lose the weight. There isn’t one concrete answer. I changed my lifestyle, the way I thought, ate, and dealt with my daily life. I used some of the ideas you find in the book “French Women Don’t Get Fat” by Mireille Guiliano.
Though I never read the book, I read a few blogs and articles about people who reviewed this book and attempted to implement it into their life. I also know people personally who live by this book. So, I did some of the things that the book prescribed — but in my own way.
Here is what I did to lose weight, and what you can do as well.
1. Write down and count your calories.
I use my fitness pal. You can get it as an app on your phone or manage it online.
2. Consume the right amount of calories.
See the calories you should consume in a day to maintain, lose, or gain weight. You can look online to find out how much you should consume in a day. (I believe my fitness pal offers this as well.) Also, get a scale or a measuring cup to measure your food, do not guess.
Food for thought though, literally…
3. Try healthier alternatives.
Have these alternatives to what you already eat. For example, substitute sugar in recipes for sugar-free maple syrup, or eat whole wheat pancakes. Drink a smoothie made with Splenda and not sugar.
4. Work out.
Working out is good to keep you on track to your weight loss goal, but it also keeps you happy emotionally!
5. Eat in moderation.
You can also eat the same things you are already eating, but less. Again, use a scale if you have to!
6. Eat that pizza.
I still eat a pizza every once in a while or a burger and fries. You can have a cheat day. However, on that cheat day, don’t go crazy with eating.
7. Stay busy.
The more active you are, the easier it is for you to lose weight. Also, when you keep yourself and your mind busy, you won’t be bored — so you don’t eat when you’re not even hungry.
8. Be patient.
You will not lose all the weight you want to lose overnight. Stay dedicated and work hard!
—
This post was originally on my blog.