For some strange reason unbeknownst to me, I've gotten numerous emails, tweets, and texts over the past few weeks about my diet tips. The reason this shocks me is because I'm far from an expert...nowhere near being a Jillian Michaels, which is a good thing if you ask me. Side note: Am I the only person that she terrifies? Girl can train, but sheesh, she's intimidating. So, instead of emailing/tweeting/texting everyone back separately, I figured I might as well make a blog post out of it and share my deep, dark dieting secrets with the world. Get ready, they're super top-secret and will rock your world. (Clearly, I jest.)
Preface: As I've already made clear, I'm no expert. I just know what worked and still works for me. My best friend, while discussing with her my feelings of inadequacy in giving diet tips, said to me, "Rachel--I mean you did just lose almost 80 lbs. That kinda gives you a right to share your success secrets." Eh, maybe so, but I still feel like the last person in the world to discuss losing weight. And yes, typing these tips out is much easier than actually doing it on a regular basis, but if I can give some new advice to just one person, it's all worth it.
{one} First off, drink water. Drink water like it's your job. Drink like a fish. Drink til you think you can't drink anymore. More often than not, I'll think I'm hungry, but instead I'll grab a bottle of water and that totally satisfies those hunger thoughts. Go figure. If I know I'm about to eat a big meal, such as a party/date night/etc, I'll drink a glass or two of water beforehand, and that fills me up so I think I'm full much sooner into the meal. Saves tons of calories! Of course, now I'm in the little girls' room 50% percent of my day, but I like to think that it's helping keep those pesky pounds off. Oh, and grab a box of Crystal Light Wild Strawberry...it'll change the way you feel about water. Drink up!
{two} Count those calories. For a while, document every little thing that goes into your mouth. Yeah, it'll be annoying and get a little old for a bit, but once you get into the swing of knowing approximately how many calories certain foods contain, it makes meals and snack time so much easier. I recommend having a calorie counter on your phone, such as LoseIt on my iPhone. Makes documenting my daily intake a breeeeze! It even credits you for the activity you complete during the day, too. It sure feels good to be able to subtract those calories burned! Counting calories has been the only way I can consistently lose weight and keep it off...I promise it works. I'm living proof. Maybe I'm biased, but I think it's the only way to go!
{three} Get into the gym and work on your fitness, ladies. Duh, that's a no brainer, Rachel..but really. Activity is key! Yeah, yeah...I hate working out just as much as the next woman but it's a must if you want to lose weight and keep it off. And working out can mean so many things. If you hate running, do yoga. If you hate yoga, swim. If you hate swimming, take up Pilates. If you hate Pilates, work on strength training. The options are endless. And seriously, it's summer. Take advantage of this gorgeous weather and soak up some sun while working out outside! Go on a walk with your girlfriends. Swim laps on a sunbathing afternoon. Ride bikes through your neighborhood. Have a dance party in your living room with your bffs. Anything to get out there and get active! If you're on a time crunch, I suggest doing Jillian Michaels (the workout devil) 30-Day Shred. Good gracious...if you want results, start Shredding. And I promise--I work the weirdest schedule ever, and I can find time to squeeze in a 23 minute workout. It makes all the difference in the world!
{four} Find some awesome, amazing accountability partners. Encouragement is the key, people. There are going to be days when you just want to throw your hands up in the air, scream "I quit!" to the world, and eat every calorie in sight, but don't. Have those people on speed dial that will lift you back up and remind you of how far you've come. Have someone to push you to get back into the gym when you're about sick of looking at an Elliptical. Have that friend that knows what to say to kick you back into gear. It really does make all the difference in the world. I am eternally grateful for my sweet friends and family who tell me to quit having a pity party and get back into the game. You know who you are!
{five} Treat yourself. When you want some chocolate, go eat some chocolate. And if you want a scoop of ice cream, guess what...go get you a scoop of ice cream. I've learned that if I'm craving something like that and I continually deprive myself, I end up going crazy and overeating before it's all over. And that's totally not worth it. A few bites of chocolate won't kill you, believe it or not...actually, in my case, it makes me a bit easier to be around :) And after you indulge for a few minutes, put the ice cream spoon down and get back to counting those calories. Don't get crazy and go overboard! Moderation is key, my friends. Let's all repeat it together...moderation, moderation, moderation!
{six} The final tip (for now at least)...experiment with foods. Find new recipes to spice up the every day boring grilled chicken and veggies. Research online for different recipes to try. Invest in a Weight Watchers recipe book--they have the best meals and you'd never know they were actually good for you. Eat lots of veggies. Snack on fruits when you have a hankering for something sweet. Throw some random berries into a blender with a splash of milk and ice and make you a healthy smoothie! Don't be afraid to try new things. In my kitchen, half the things I concoct don't turn out as well as I had hoped, but half of the fun is trying! I'm currently really into grilled chicken, low carb wraps, black beans, and salsa. A little healthy Mexican mix! Oh, and when you create these fabulous recipes...holler at your girl and share it with me :)
Alright, time to wrap up my weight loss wisdom...but first, a few thoughts that I have to remind myself of on a daily basis...
It's not the end of the world if I miss one workout. Each day is a new day...take it one day at a time and get back into the swing of things tomorrow. Don't just give up on it.
Nothing tastes quite as good as skinny feels...especially when you see that number on the dreaded scale getting smaller and smaller every day.
Desserts are not the enemy. Eating four of them in one day is. So quit with the sugar.
Having a Heidi Klum body is an unattainable goal, but I'm sure as heck gonna try to get there.
Okay, now it's time for me to go practice what I preach, huh?
Girls, tell me...what are your little diet secrets? Help a sister out! We all need a little encouragement daily :)
Happy Friday...can I get a TGIF?!
P.S. If you don't hear from me for a while, it's because I jumped out of a plane and the landing didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped...but no, really, say a prayer for me and my crazy friends that are skydiving tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have to wear Depends when I jump, but so ready for the thrill of the fall! Hopefully I'll live to tell all about it :)
