10 Weight Loss Tips That No Nutritionist Will Give Away For Free.

The internet can be a wonderful place. It was certainly a better place before your homebound grandfather started posting conspiracy theories on Facebook every day, but that’s really here nor there. However, the internet can be an absolutely terrible place for weight loss advice. We live in a world where every average Joe is not only an expert on Eastern European political policy, but voter fraud while also moonlighting as epidemiologist.

One thing that bonds us all as humans is the fact that we all need to eat in order to continue to live. Food is our fuel and because of that, many of us have our own ideas as to what the “perfect” way to reach our health and fitness goals are. But what works for some, does not work for all, so let’s get into a few ways I’ve helped my clients reach their weight loss goals that are tried and true.

1.     Forget what Everyone Else is Doing.

Just because something worked for someone does not necessarily mean it’s going to work for you. You are on your own journey. You have your own body and that’s a very special thing. You don’t know precisely what someone else did in order to achieve their fitness success because you didn’t follow them around 24/7 to watch them get there (and if you did, you have a stalking problem.) You’re on your own path, so drown out the outside noise and do what works for you.

2.     Restrictive Diets Do Not Work.

Short term – yes. You can lose a substantial amount of weight doing Keto, Atkins and the like. However, 80% of people who go on diets gain the weight they’ve lost back within a year. When you restrict your body of something it needs (the Lord created carbs for a reason) and then add it back in, you’re most likely going to gain the weight you’ve lost right back.

3.     Weight Loss Takes Time.

Anyone telling you they can help you lose 20, 50 or even 100 pounds in an unreasonable amount of time is trying to steal your money. One way to wrap your head around a big weight loss goal is to realize that it will take you time to get to your desired weight. Understanding that this won’t happen overnight is the key to success.

4.     Celebrate Small Victories

Because losing a good amount of weight can take months or even years, we have to celebrate each and every milestone we reach along the way. Fitting into an old pair of pants, being able to walk 10 minutes longer than the day before, having more energy to get through your day – all of these must be celebrated because they are all steps toward reaching our overall goal.

5.     Weight Loss is Hard

It is much easier to put on weight than it is to take it off – so give yourself some breathing room. Everything that makes life worth living has hard parts – marriages, jobs, familial relationships, etc. We should expect speedbumps along the way. Don’t be discouraged it you’re four weeks into your weight loss journey you don’t lose a pound. Life isn’t a straight line, is neither is our weight loss journey.

6.     Take Certain Words Out of Your Vocabulary

The word “diet” needs to go away forever. When we say we’re on a “diet” our mindset is there is an endpoint. Since we have to eat every day to live, we can’t technically “end” that until we die. Stop saying “I have to start over,” after having a hearty meal that wasn’t necessarily the healthiest choice. There is no “starting” over unless you die and come back reincarnated. Use tomorrow to make healthier choices.

7.     Start Small!

You don’t have to completely change everything you do overnight to lose weight. (This is why diets don’t work, because our brains don’t work like that.) If you’re trying to lose weight but still struggling, make tiny changes and add to them week-to-week. Small changes make for big progress over a long period of time.

8.     Look for Daily Recommended Values

When reading nutrition labels, many of us overlook this. However, on every nutritional label, to the far right there is a daily recommended value per serving of what that product has for protein, fats, sodium, etc. This is the percentage of what is recommended someone should have throughout the day. So, if you are picking up a box of crackers and the DRV of sodium is 60% per serving, you may want to think twice before purchasing.

9.     Appreciate Your Body as it is Now.

It’s great to have goals – we all should. However, we need to appreciate our bodies for what they are every day. Sure, you want to lose weight. But the body you have now is the body you have to use in order to get you to where you want to be so you must love yourself at every stage of this process. Instead of speaking negatively about the way you look, take a look at the things you love and focus on how you can make those attributes even better.

10. Use Food to Your Advantage

Food is our fuel for life, so use each meal to its fullest potential. Ask yourself, “what food is going to give me the most energy to get through this day?” and conversely, “do I need this fuel right now before I go to bed and my body is at rest?” Think of your body like a car – what is going to get me from point A to point B the most effectively?

Trying to lose weight can be an emotional process and very frustrating. The fact of the matter is, you can do it. I believe that everyone is capable of reaching their health and fitness goals but just remember, it takes time, patience and effort and if you can manage expectations and celebrate every small victory along the way, you already have the keys to a successful and sustainable weight loss.