Weight Loss

Weight loss is a multibillion dollar a year industry. Full of diet fads and false promises of getting fit fast with little to no effort. The illusion of ultimate health without good habits being sold to anyone who will buy into it. Leaving the would-be dieter frustrated with either little results or a temporary weight loss.

To achieve your weight loss goals, you need to understand that there are three things you need to commit to before expecting changes.

First being, patience. We tend to want quick results, unrealistic results. Not wanting to give our bodies time to lose weight at a healthy rate. It is true that some diets will allow us to drop water weight. Then leveling off and dropping only a pound or two a week. The first initial days are gratifying, then when our bodies require us to have patience and commitment it is easy to fall off the wagon and wreck our diet goals. Which brings us to the next requirement needed for a successful weight loss journey.

Consistency—you have to be consistent with your diet. Eating well for two or three days then bingeing will either make you maintain your weight or possibly gain even more weight. Tipping the scales in the wrong direction. Leaving you frustrated and feeling as though you are incapable of your weight loss goals.

Third would be exercising the will power muscle. Learning to say no is empowering. Once you say no, it will become easier and easier. Same with selecting healthier options, it also becomes easier. Many things are done in habit, including our food selection. How many times have you walked through the aisles of your local grocery store, mindlessly grabbing the foods that you have always bought? Conscious eating or mindful eating is a good practice to start. Taking a moment to understand the nutrition your body needs and taking time to review your selections' nutrition labels will help you make an educated decision.

With the above being implemented into your diet plan, I do have a few secrets to help with successful weight loss. No gimmicks or a made up mumbo-jumbo that will leave you feeling frustrated and hopeless. Which is where I was at, just a few weeks ago.

I began with a diet buddy after the first of the year. We recorded everything we ate, concentrating on low carb foods. I lost weight for the first two weeks, but 90 days into the diet, I was frustrated. The scale hadn't budged in 75 days!

I was working out six days a week. Two HIIT classes, four spin classes, and a hot yoga (maybe two). Not to mention walking a couple of miles a day. Still, no change.

I will first tell you that the best exercise for your effort is the forearm plank. I will swear by that. Holding the plank and gradually adding time will show results quicker than anything I have tried in the last 35 years of exercising. If you are new to this, I encourage you to have an experienced trainer or instructor check your form.

What really made the biggest change for me was giving up all aspartame and saccharin from my diet. Replacing it with a natural sweetener, Stevia works for me. Once I made that change and implemented it into my diet and workout routine, my body adjusted within a couple of weeks and the weight has melted off—with little effort. I just maintained the plan I had already become accustomed to. The results have been amazing. There have been other physical changes that I did not expect and I am very thankful for; hot flashes being one of them. They disappeared within the first 48 hours. If you are on a journey of health and weight management, then I challenge you to give up the mentioned sweeteners and make a change.

There are alternatives.