The Little Things That Helped Me Lose 135 Lbs

Whenever I talk to someone about my weight loss and I drop the big 135 number people always want to pick my brain. “How did you do it?” By far the number one question asked. Usually I go on about what sparked my journey, how I gained the sudden realization that I was worth it, but rarely have I ever talked about how I did it. The more I thought about it the more I realized there were little things I learned along the way that really pushed me beyond what I thought was possible. When I was overcome with doubt I relied on these mantras as my mental safety net.

Therapy
The biggest factor in my journey has been therapy. Without it I wouldn’t have the mental strength to have pushed so far for so long or past those nasty plateaus. It helped me realize my emotional connection to food and that I needed to find healthier ways to deal with stress and my head constantly buzzing. With a lot of work I replaced food with running, yoga and blogging.

Change How You Think
This basically goes hand in hand with therapy, but you need to address how you think about food. Before I started food was a comfort, now it is a fuel source for physical activity. Food now serves the purpose it is meant for.

Nutrient Dense Foods
There is a major difference between eating a croissant that has 300 calories and 300 calories worth of oatmeal for breakfast. One will keep you satisfied longer and provide more beneficial nutrients for your body and one is delicious… flaky…. buttery… totally not worth it in the long run.

Eat What You Crave
It’s a diet, not martyrdom. If you want that croissant then go for it. However, if you do know that you’ll probably be hungry within an hour. If you’re craving something that might really break the calorie bank, like say a Five Guys burger, then be prepared to spend extra time in the gym. You can eat what you want, but you have to balance it out.

Build Up to a New Lifestyle with Small Changes
When I started I was still eating at Burger King every day. Some of my first changes were proportion changes, so instead of a regular whopper with medium fries I got a whopper jr with small fries. In time I took away the cheese, then the fries. Eventually I had to skip BK all together, but it was a slow, gradual distancing. A year and a half later I rarely go in to a fast food restaurant, save for my saving grace the beautiful and wonderful Panera. It’s all about making gradual changes feel natural, so they become true habits.

Learn To Push Yourself
So this is one you have to learn through experience. There is a difference between giving up and accepting your limit. In the beginning I received the greatest advice regarding physical activity from my uncle who was a marathon runner, keep going until it hurts or is no longer fun, but still push your limit. When I started I struggled to walk for more than 15 minutes, now I run every day for 40 minutes. I didn’t just start running one day, I slowly conditioned myself to that point, running for 30 seconds walking for 2 minutes, slowly building my endurance. If your knees or muscles hurt or you are completely winded, walk, but never simply give up.

The Weight Loss Trifecta
Calorie reduction, cardio and weight training – this is your Holy Trinity when it comes to weight loss. I doubt many people would dispute the first two, but the sheer mention of weight training and women start running away. Fact of the matter is ladies unless you are training to bulk up, you won’t. Also the same weight routine month after month won’t do you any good either. You need to be proactive and find a new routine every few weeks. Don’t spend hours a week on the elliptical! Change it up! Try new machines, try classes at your gym, heck go for a run outside. Do whatever it takes to keep pushing yourself. At this point in my journey I can start to see all the hard work I’ve put in to my body. The more weight I lose the more my sculpted muscles start to peek through. Let me tell you what, it is the most rewarding feeling I’ve ever felt.

Keep It Up Even When You Doubt Yourself
I’ve been through at least six plateaus since I started, some lasted a few weeks, one lasted five months. In each case I kept up my hard work, I kept pushing and eventually those barriers broke down. Each one of these tips helped me maintain my drive and reminded me that I was living a new life, a healthy life.

If you are just starting out or if you’ve hit a wall I hope these little pieces of advice help you. If there are any you’d like me to elaborate on or if you have any questions feel free to ask! Also feel free to add me! I accept everyone