10 Steps to Weight Loss

Water is a great way to fill up when you are hungry between meals. Water is proven to help with fatigue and weight loss, so drink up!

Eat more often.

People often think the answer to weight loss is to cut back on what you eat, but at a certain point, (your setpoint) your body goes into survival mode if you are not taking in enough calories. Cutting back too much also leads to binging. Eat small portions every few hours to keep your blood sugar level. Eating regularly will help with fatigue too.

Control portions.

When we go to restaurants, my husband cuts his meal in half, and has the second half for lunch the next day. Eat slowly and stop when you are full.

Eliminate the temptations.

There are certain foods that I cannot buy because if I do, I will eat the entire bag. If you know there are foods like that for you, don't buy them, or limit them to special occasions.

Move more.

Moving doesn't have to be time intensive or painful, but it is important to not be sedentary. Have fun with movement. Dance in the kitchen, chase your children, or walk the dog and gossip with the neighbors.

Be prepared.

Have meals planned ahead of time so that when you come home from work you don't eat everything in site before you even think of dinner. Bring healthy snacks to work or school.

Eliminate empty calories.

There are calories that you don't realize you are consuming. Every soda is 150 calories. When you add heavy cream to your tea or coffee that is more calories. Just a handful of candy becomes several handfuls and becomes 500 calories. The little things you don't think about will add up to weight gain.

Be mental.

You have to be strong mentally to do great things physically. Keep your why for weight loss in sight. It's okay to have a bad day, but don't let that bad day become a bad week. Stay consistent in your efforts. Take small steps and be patient.

Set some goals.

Have some attainable goals for yourself. A goal could be cutting back on sugar, being able to climb stairs without feeling out of breath, being able to chase your children, losing weight, and being healthier.

Eat fresh.

There are a lot of additives and preservatives in the food we buy in the grocery store. Eat fresh produce when you can. I started gardening to eat fresh and to save some money. I had no idea gardening would be good for my mental health too. If you live in a small space, garden with pots and other containers.