Weight loss

How to Lose Weight

Step One: Cut Back on Sugars and Starches

Carbs are a huge contributing factor to weight gain. The first step in losing weight is to cut back on sugars and starches. When you do this, your hunger levels go down and you end up eating much fewer calories. If your body can get used to not getting carbs in an excess amount, it will make it a lot easier to control your eating habits.

Instead of burning carbs for energy, your body will start to burn fat! Cutting down on carbs also lowers insulin levels. This causes your kidneys to shed excess sodium and water out of your body! This will aid in reducing bloating and unnecessary water weight!

In the first week of eating this way, you can lose up to ten pounds and sometimes even more. The first set of pounds you shed are usually made up of both body fat and water weight. To put it simply: cutting carbs puts fat loss on autopilot!! You will be able to lose weight without ever feeling hungry.

Step Two: Eat Protein Fat and Vegetables

Each meal you eat should include a protein source, a fat source, and low carb vegetables! If you do this, it will bring your carb intake into the recommended range of 20-50 grams per day. Great protein sources for weight loss include: Meat: beef, chicken, pork, or lamb; fish and seafood: salmon, trout, or shrimp; and eggs!

Eating a ton of protein has been shown to boost your metabolism by 80 to 100 calories per day.

A high protein diet will also help reduce cravings and obsessive thoughts about food by 60%! This reduces the desire for late-night snacking by half, and it makes you feel automatically full. Some great low carb vegetables are: broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, tomatoes, kale, brussels sprouts, cabbage, swiss chard, lettuce, cucumber, and more!

Healthy fat sources are important as well. Great fat sources include: olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, and butter.

Step Three: Lift Weights Three times Per Week

Although exercising is not necessary to lose weight, it is recommended. The best option is to go to the gym three to four days a week. You should do a warm up and lift some weights! By lifting weights, you can burn a lot of calories and prevent your metabolism from slowing down. If lifting weights is not an option for you, doing cardio workouts like walking, jogging, running, cycling, or swimming will suffice.

In summary:

Removing sugars and starches (carbs) from your diet will reduce your appetite, lower your insulin levels and make you lose weight without hunger. Assemble each meal out of a protein source, a fat source and low-carb vegetables.This will put you in the 20-50 gram carb range and significantly lower your hunger levels. It is best to do some sort of resistance training, but cardio workouts are also effective.

It all started a couple years back when I was at my highest at 220 lbs, at a height of 5’9”. This meant I was beyond overweight. I tried so many different products and so many different strategies to lose weight that I had seen online but nothing seemed to work. Eventually, I stopped trying for some time and it really took a toll on my mental health. But it was necessary. It was a much-needed break because this allowed my head to reset. I started learning about weight and how to lose it. I began to exercise 6 days a week, and began to track my calories on my fitness pal. I aimed for 1800 calories a day, and I also exercised. Instead of doing cardio, I weight lifted, which I had read is better for losing weight. My entire physique started changing in almost two weeks. I was beyond happy. I kept on doing this for months. By month 6, I was in the best shape in my life.

I was weighing in at 187 lbs, had so much more muscle, and my abs were starting to show. My mental health was at its peak, as I felt so proud of myself and confident. I ate mostly veggies and fruits, and then some meats on the side. I was really keeping the calories low which allowed me to lose weight.