Weight Loss

Sometimes it may seem like when it comes to losing weight it's either easy for you, or it's not. For me it's never been easy. I have spent countless years trying everything under the sun (and then some!) to lose extra lbs. I've tried every fad diet, supplement, and exercise program. Fasting, not eating X amount of hours before bed, juicing--you name it, I've done it.
For some of you losing weight is as simple as eating less calories and exercising. Some of you. It's for this reason that I decided to put together 5 tips that I've learned through the years that have actually helped me lose weight.

#1- Drink a ton of water--
OK, so not a literal TON of water, but a lot. According to Water Cure, U.S News & World Report, and Web MD you should be drinking at least half of your weight in oz of water daily to be properly hydrated. Currently I weigh around 157 so my goal every day is to empty my 22 oz water bottle at least 4x every day. That system works really well--find a large water bottle and come up with the right number of times you should be draining it every day. If it helps you and you're able to have your phone on you throughout the day, set an alarm every hour or 2 hours to remind you to drink water until it becomes a habit. I also use an app called Habitica that helps me keep track. Whatever works for you is what you should do, just make sure you...

#2- Cut back on sugar--

Yes, this is kind of a no-brainer, but I have it on here because I think oftentimes it's so easy to get caught in the cycle of counting calories that we tend to forget about quality over quantity. Not only is sugar more addictive than cocaine, but its ability to pack on the pounds quickly is astounding!! That being said I do realize that cutting out sugar completely may be a little too unrealistic for some people, so I recommend sticking to the 85/15 Rule which says if you can "be good" for 85% of the time, then the 15% of the time when you're not so good won't hurt you, and may actually be good for you as it could prevent you from binge eating.

#3- Pack things to snack on throughout the day--

Pretty self explanatory. Some of my favorites are grapes, 1 serving of chips and a small container of salsa, Greens, Babybel cheese, 1 serving of Boom Chicka Pop popcorn, carrot sticks and Bolthouse yogurt dressing, and Stonyfield yogurt. It's important when choosing snacks you take into consideration how nutritious all of your meals are going to be throughout the day because eating a balanced diet is SUPER important for both weight loss and your overall health. 

#4- Change the way you think--

This one is a weird one, but it definitely works if you can stick with it. When I tell you to change the way you think I mean in terms of what you "can" and "cannot" eat. Instead of craving a donut and saying, "Ugh, I can't have donuts..." try saying, "I don't eat donuts." It works the same way if someone, say, suggests going out for pizza instead of telling them you can't have pizza, just tell them you don't eat pizza. Mind over matter is a powerful tool. 

#5- Clean out all of the junk--

This last one will make all of the other ones SO much easier! Once you make the choice to get healthy, or lose weight, go through your cabinets, your fridge, your freezer and throw the junk away! I know, it can be hard looking at that sealed box of snack cakes and thinking, 'but I just bought this' but the fact of the matter is you aren't going to get any healthier or thinner by eating that box first, or waiting until the box is empty before working toward your goals. Just remove it from the pantry, mourn the fact that you won't be eating it, hug it if you must, then toss it right into the trash. The less junk food and processed food you have in the house, the less you're likely to slip or make poor decisions. You'll be better off in the long run.

So those are my top 5 tips to shedding extra weight. If there are any tips you would like to share, please don't hesitate to drop them below in the comments. I would love to know what other people are doing or have done to help on their journey. :)