Month 4: Days 11-14

So I was talking to a friend the other day who has recently started to take a look at what he's eating. We were talking about portion control, veganism, all sorts of different things, and somehow the topic came up and I listed these things as the biggest factors that helped me in my "diet." Now personally, I don't think "diets" work. I think lifestyle changes do. I chose to be a vegan, and it's changed my life for the better. I don't think "eating less" is necessarily a big enough change to be considered a lifestyle change, however, it's a GREAT thing to do. ANYWAY. Here they are in order:


1. Get enough sleep. This will affect everything about your life: your energy, your weight loss, your mood, your metabolism, your stress, your recovery from workouts. All of these things are affected by sleep. Get enough of it. 6 hours is not enough, more like 8 or 9. Go to bed early and wake up early. It's tough, but it's the most important part of dieting.

2. Drink water. A close second - drinking primarily water and a whole lot of it will help you in ANY type of diet or lifestyle. Drinking a glass of water in the morning when you wake up will jump-start your metabolism by 20% almost immediately.

3. Eat less, but more often. No matter what diet you're doing, this is good for you on so many levels. I suggest 4 meals a day - most Americans only have two real meals a day. Eat breakfast every day. This is the absolute most important meal of the day, so eat whole grains like granola, barley cereal, oats / oatmeal, and also eat lots of fruits. Don't load up on toast, meat and dairy, and especially not sugar.

4. Cut out sugars, salts, and oils. For some reason people still think that just because you pick out healthy produce, it's okay to still put a bunch of crappy stuff on top of it. We often cook in olive oil. Did you know Olive Oil is 120 calories per TABLESPOON? Did you know that all cooking oils and sprays are basically 100% fat? (to find the fat percentage, divide the calories by calories from fat - 100 calories, 50 calories from fat = 50% fat).

5. Discover your love for vegetables, fruits, and legumes! You will find things that you like, it just takes time. Trust me on that! These things are fantastic for you and will help you lose weight, especially raw fruits and veggies.

6. Be Aware of your Progress Constantly! Weigh yourself every day at the same time(s). Keep yourself in check and make small goals. Don't just sit there and be like "I'm going to lost 50 pounds!" You'll get discouraged every day that you're not there. Start with 5 pounds at a time, using each weight marker as a goal. 180, 175, 170...etc. Try hard to make your goals with yourself, and do whatever it takes. Buy one outfit a few sizes down. One pair of jeans and a shirt. Work hard to fit into that. Once you fit into it perfectly (as in, it's comfortable on your body) then GET RID OF YOUR OTHER CLOTHES! Don't let yourself be tempted. I got rid of hundreds of dollars of clothes to Salvation Army, and yes, had to buy new ones. But, it's worth it!

7. Don't give up! You will lose weight. You will lose inches. Be confident and surround yourself with people that care. Be patient. Read. Learn. Experiment. Cook.  Educate yourself!