Follow These Secret Tips To Keep Weight Off - See if Your Habits Made the List

This is about your 100th time trying to lose weight. You have spent hundreds of dollars on weight loss products, gym memberships, and nothing seems to be sticking. You feel lost and defeated. I can say that I have felt like this. I remember days when I used to spend 3 hours in the gym just for the number on the scale to stay the same. Then, finally, I found something that works for me. I found something that sticks. I realized weight loss is not an easy fix. It takes discipline, it takes focus, it takes a lifestyle change. Find out how I kept the weight off and continued shedding pounds with these weight loss tips. 

Don't feel like reading? You can always skip to call to action!

1. Miss a few meals, literally. No, maybe not literally, I don't want anyone passing out! When I say miss a few meals, I do not mean to starve yourself. I mean to miss a few meals with meat. Try eating just vegetables for dinner. Learn about yourself. Explore your likes and dislikes when it comes to eating healthy. Find out what your favorite vegetable is. Try a new vegetable. I know what you are thinking that the meal will not be satisfying without meat. Well, that is simply not true. The reward of a meal with just vegetables is even more satisfying. You will feel more energetic to conquer the next day. I am not saying completely cut meat out of your diet right away but I am challenging you to go a few meals without it and see how you feel. The first week or so may be hard but the months that follow will be worth it. 

2. Drink a lot of water. You knew this already but let me add a bonus. Drink a lot of lemon water. I remember reading a book about how to lose 10 pounds in a week and lemon water was an important part. There are many benefits of lemon water. You don't have to Google them right now because I've got you covered. The benefits of lemon water, according to Google, are a good source of Vitamin C, promotes hydration, improves skin quality, aids digestion, supports weight loss.. let me repeat that again.. supports weight loss... (did it click yet?) and.. freshens breath. Not only will lemon water aid your weight loss goals but it will give you fresh breath. I say that is a win win. The challenge or call to action is to drink more lemon water. You may purchase one of our water bottles that will make sure you receive your daily water intake.

My grocery store trips always include lemons, which leads me to the next thing...bananas. 

3. Bananas. The first item I purchase at my local Acme are bananas. You can purchase organic if you prefer but I literally go bananas for bananas. Bananas are good for your heart health and blood pressure. Bananas provide around 300-400 mg of potassium, meeting some of your daily potassium needs. Now don't go too bananas for bananas, remember everything in moderation. Bananas are very important in my life. I read somewhere that bananas have antioxidants, improve kidney health, and may aid weight loss. Bananas make a great snack and I use them in my absolute favorite smoothie. I should pat myself on the back for the smooth transitions. My next topic is you guessed it ...smoothies.

4. Smoothies. Have a smoothie for breakfast or after your workout. My favorite smoothie recipe is made using my Nutribullet. If you have not purchased a Nurtribullet, you should. I fill it up half way with water (you may use cashew or almond milk), then I add a scoop of Vega protein powder (my favorite flavor is chocolate), next I add a banana (I usually break the banana in 4 pieces), then add a scoop of peanut butter, ice if your heart desires, and cinnamon. I would recommend only adding a little ice because if it’s too cold, it makes it harder to drink. Add more water up to the recommended fill line and let the Nurtribullet work its magic. This only takes 15 seconds. Then your breakfast or post workout pick me up is complete. There are times when I add chia seeds, flax seeds, crushed almonds or oatmeal to my smoothie. I told you I was smooth. The next topic is ....

5. Oatmeal. I do not know what I would do without my beloved oatmeal. Oatmeal is my go to breakfast and may also be a post workout meal. If I feel extra hungry or have a long day ahead of me, I will prepare a smoothie and have some oatmeal in the morning. You can jazz your oatmeal up by adding raisins, nuts, fruit, honey, cinnamon, brown sugar, or even substitute water for a plant based milk such as almond or cashew. There I go again..

6. Plant based milk. A recommendation I have is to substitute regular cow's milk for plant based milk. I like cashew milk or almond milk. There are others like hemp, soy, oat, rice, flax, etc. You may ask why would you want to substitute? Plant based milk is free of antibiotics, hormones or any other unhealthy additives that come with dairy. Don't worry about missing out on your calcium intake, plant based milks are rich in calcium. Your body and the environment will thank you by making the switch. Speaking of the switch..

7. Try switching coffee to a herbal tea. This is especially for all of my caffeine lovers. I get it, you can't go a day without your coffee but if you want to live longer you may need to. The caffeine in coffee is addictive and may lead to anxiety or insomnia. Studies have shown that excessive consumption of coffee is linked to increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, and decreased bone density. Moderate consumption is equivalent to about 400 mg or no more than 4 small cups. Tea is filled with antioxidants and has less caffeine then coffee. Tea may reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Tea will help protect your bones and aid with weight loss. Some of my favorite teas are green tea, ginger mint, peppermint, and chamomile. Stay tuned to find out my other secret regarding tea. This is for those who want to go the extra mile and detox their bodies with a detox tea kit. I usually have tea before bed. Sometimes, I prepare my tea with honey, a little brown sugar, or a plant based sweetener. You guess it, the next topic is sweeteners...

8. Give me some Sugar. I haven't met too many people who don't love sugar. Did you know there is hidden sugar in our food? There was a time I read a book that recommended to keep daily sugar intake under 13 g. This meant that I had to start looking at the labels of everything to make sure I met the requirement. I realized how hard this was. Foods I didn't know had sugar, had sugar. Items that are meant to be savory even contained sugar. Sugar is literally everywhere. The challenge is to be mindful and notice your sugar intake. The best sweeteners I have discovered are Stevia drops purchased at Trader Joe's or pure honey. Stevia is a plant based sweetener and a little goes a long way. I was so pleased when I found out they have drops that you can simply add to your tea (not many drops are needed). If you can't avoid sugar, it is better to lower your sugar intake. Speaking of intake...

9.  Portion control is everything. Many people including myself eat because they find it pleasurable when in reality we should be eating to fuel our bodies. Eat only when hungry. Do not eat until you are absolutely stuffed. I remember when I used to eat a lot of meat and fried foods until I couldn't hold anymore, I would feel sluggish. I realized I loved myself enough to make the change. Proper nutrition is vital in our weight loss journey. Exercise is not enough. If we feed our body with nutritious meals, we will feel good.  Eating healthy can be difficult at first. I remember trying to master it. For example, I wanted to cut meat out of my diet but I didn't want to deprive myself of meat right away. I slowly started limiting the portions of meat I consumed. My plate would consist of more vegetables, a little meat, and a small side of rice. Portion control is everything. Eat smaller meals throughout the day. This was recommended to me by a nutritionist and it inspired me to study nutrition. it is important to crawl before you can walk and take baby steps until you reach your goal. Something that helped me tremendously with portion control are these portion control containers. These containers helped me pick a diet that sticks. Now I can measure my own portions and know how much I should eat. Check them out. This brings us to our next topic.. 

10. Pick an Exercise that Sticks. I was speaking with my friend and we came to the conclusion that the best exercise is the one you will stick with. I repeat you have to find an exercise you will stick with. If the gym is too intimidating, exercise at home. I joined beachbody about 3 years ago and I have been using their products to exercise at home ever since. If you want to check out their products visit beachbody.com/askgigi.  I do Piyo at home. Lately, I have been doing it consistently and the results are astonishing. Many people have been telling me I lost a lot of weight. I prepare for the gym by working out at home. Out of all the gyms in the world, my favorite gym is LA fitness. LA Fitness just feels like home to me. I have tried many gyms and they were not the same. At the gym, I take advantage of the classes that come with my membership. I switch up my exercises so I never get bored. The classes I attend frequently are yoga and zumba. I would definitely recommend trying zumba as a dance workout because they are so much fun that you forget you are exercising. I have tried almost every class at the gym so you can ask me if you have any questions. When I go to the gym, sometimes I take two classes back to back. I could easily spend 3-4 hours in the gym but that’s not necessary with Beachbody. I complete my workout in about 17- 20 minutes.

 ***A bonus tip. You must sweat to see results. You have to sweat to see results. you have to sweat to see results. I hope I made myself clear.

** Another tip. If you have an urge to snack, drink some water or chew gum. 

Call to Action:

1. Try to eat some meals without meat. Sometimes just have vegetables for dinner.
2. Drink lemon water
3. Buy bananas. Great Snack.
4. Have a smoothie for breakfast or after a workout
5. Have oatmeal for breakfast or after a workout
6. Have Plant Based Milk
7. Use Plant Based sweetener or honey
8. Try substituting coffee for tea
9. Portion control. Only Eat When Hungry. Do Not Overeat
10. Pick an Exercise you will stick with
11. Bonus Tip: Sweat and chew gum to fight cravings

With these tips you will never have to bring sexy back because you will already have it. 

For more reading on weight loss, check out 

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