Weight What?!

The feat of embarking on a diet is as much mental as it is physical.

I started to watch, well before I hopped on the weight watch bandwagon. The first two weeks are all about getting used to the concept of restriction. No, after 7:30, isn't a great time to eat more dinner, and that piece of cake? Didn't you already have the allotted "treat" quota for the week?

I will probably never be one of those people who profess sugar is terrible and #offcarbs. I've yo-yoed enough to know that at the end of the day, “it is always about moderation, including moderation.” There is a time to eat birthday cake. And not only on your own. No one likes that person that goes out to eat and demurely shuns to share the gooey dessert, and this isn't about what others think either; if you don't want to taste the dessert #youdoyou. But if you feel like you're missing out and merely a small slice will suffice to partake in the celebration, I say learn to eat with discretion. A <150 piece of treat won't set your weight effort back. If you get used to the idea of treats, the concept of binge and overindulge won't be like some rumbling in-the-closet Loch Ness monster that needs Chocolate Bars nowwwwwwwww.

Aerobic activity was never about a number on the scale, but rather a mindset of physical milestones and building the endurance to achieve them; this doesn't discount the notion that yes, the number on the scale DOES MATTER; and I am a fan of every second day weigh-ins #fluctuate. Everyone has a different body build, but the bones and "muscle weigh only so much ;) Speak to your physician to find out the healthy weight for your build and BMI.

Got Goals? Have a realistic plan with attainable goals. These quick-fix lose 10 lbs. in two weeks sounds appealing, but to effectively lose 10 pounds of body fat, you would need to create a caloric deficit of 35,000…idk about you, but girls got to eat!

Regimen is not an exercise in restriction but rather a regime of freedom

Water I was reading a book on skin…the bottom line is that nothing is as toxin flushing and cell lubricating as guzzling down plain H20. You are what you eat is accurate; I guarantee you can spot the person who drinks water (water + lemon first thing in the am they recommend…) versus the crystal light/diet soda #caloriefree fanatic. According to Mayo Clinic, the recommended daily fluid intake is about

15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men
11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women

Don’t hop off the bandwagon because of one binge ; this is probably my most significant weight loss #goals by far. Many a time when in a #musteatcake mode, I find it hard to indulge consciously. Like shouldn't one allotted taste be enough to suffice a craving? Why must I consume an entire serving/bag/bags? Learn to have a piece of kokosh. Make it the ooziest thickest piece of the bunch. Savor it, and walk away; this 250 caloric setback doesn't have to Set You Back.

Limit starches and processed wheat. Notice how I don't say carbs. Carbs are in almost everything. Carrots have carbs, milk, cheese, yogurt... (starch retains water, so if you want to encourage yourself and see some weight loss.)

Same concept for sodium. Soup sopped up is good- but when it's the from a box/high sodium varieties, it aids in water retention, which isn't good the initial few days. Feeling light will motivate you.

Sleeping Beauty- I've written about this before. Still, in a nutshell, when you do not get adequate sleep, the body makes more ghrelin and less leptin, leaving you hungry, and a lack of sleep leads to a vicious cycle; your appetite increases, and you are less likely to resist temptations and control portions. The less you sleep, the more weight you gain, and the more weight you gain, the harder it is to sleep. Just make like sleeping beauty, put on your mask and depuff, k?

"Does This Stress Make Me Look Fat" reduce stress, easier said than done, and similar to the sleep formula. It's not that stress causes weight gain, but the out of whack hormone imbalance (an increased release of cortisol, the fight or flight hormone) contributes to an energy surge that usually stimulates insulin release and requires maintenance of blood sugar levels. The result of these actions is an increase in appetite.

Create Your Own Rules, and don't be too hard on yourself. Remember, you are in control; learn to view a healthy diet and exercise as steps towards a healthy lifestyle lense versus "I can't try this right now because im trying to lose weight." Regimen is not an exercise in restriction but rather a regime of freedom

Shake It Off and have fun while doing it! There are so many modes of exercise that not only do good from a chemical/mental standpoint, but exercise is good for the skin, aids in memory, and builds endurance. You don't need ME to tell you the benefits of some quality‘cize. Here is the lazy girls guide to sweating the most bang for your buckets.

A brisk walk | 391 calories/hour
Zumba/Dance | 450 calories/hour
Light or moderate lap swimming | 528 calories/hour
Ice skating | 637 calories/hour
A game of basketball | 728 calories/hour
Running | 566-839 calories/hour (10 min/mile)
Vigorous swimming | 892 calories/hour
Jumping Rope | 667-990 calories/hour (if you're jumping at 120 skips per minute)

My mother's line to me is "Do good, look good, feel good," in whichever order the day necessitates. I used to think that look good and feel good are separate entities; I mean, you can look good and not feel balanced, nourished, and satiated.

But, like many a harmonious sandwich, (I'm talking the perfect ratio of fluffy or crispy crusty bread, and a thick piece of protein smothered in something creamy with a smidge of random spice/condiment to add party in your mouth pizzazz); the best is when all elements are in sync to create balance as a whole.