Weight Loss Tips

Hello friends! :)

First, I would like to thank Blogger for adding a "reply" button to all of your comments! Now I can directly reply to each of your comments - wonderful! And I will try my best to do just that!

Today, I'm going to give you all some tips on losing weight. I am currently attempting to do this myself, and reading the book Reshaping It All by Candace Cameron Bure has been helping me a lot.

Remember her? She was DJ Tanner on Full House!

I love this book because she is so down to earth and I am able to connect with what she is talking about. She gives helpful tips for changing your mindset and remaining strong so that you can just say no to that piece of chocolate cake that is staring you in the face. You don't need it!

I have also been working on building up my relationship with God. He and I seem to go back and forth between really close and just sort of acquaintances, and I know that I need to change that. This book has been helping guide me spiritually as well. Even if you aren't spiritual or religious, this book is still great for helping with weight loss.

So, here we go. I'm going to share with you some things I have learned with the help of this book! Not everything comes from this book, but a lot does, so enjoy my tips and then purchase the book for yourself!

1. Are YOU Satisfied?
I have a huge problem for mindless eating, or eating in general. I have realized that I live to eat, when it should be the other way around. I need to eat to live. Because I am in such a love relationship with food, I tend to eat whatever is put in front of me, and ALL of it. I can't resist. I can't say no!

Candace suggests asking yourself the question "Am I satisfied?" before eating anything. Not full, just satisfied. If you are eating just because you can, don't eat any more. If you are truly hungry, then go ahead and eat, but if you have had just enough to satisfy your belly then save the rest of your  meal for later. Try eating only half of your meal at a time, and asking yourself this question when you reach that halfway point. If the answer is yes, get that to-go box and box up your leftovers. Don't keep eating once the food is in the take out box! I have a huge tendency for doing that. Asking myself this question has really been helping me to eat significantly less these past few days.

2. Establish a specific goal
Sure, anyone can have the goal "I want to lose weight." That's great. But how much weight do you want to lose? And in what time frame? What will you specifically be doing to achieve this goal? How often will you work out and at what times? What lifestyle changes do you need to make? Answer these questions for yourself in a journal.

Be very specific about what your goal is. The more specific, the better. Without being specific, you will not be motivated and you will not reach your goal. It is that simple. Knowing exactly what you need to do to get to where you're going is key. And don't be afraid to take your time! Candace uses this example: Think of losing 52 pounds in a year. That might seem like a lot, but it's really only one pound a week! That's it! If you break your main goal down into smaller goals, it will not seem quite as daunting and you will be more likely to stick with it. 


"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:14


For spiritual guidance, I recommend checking on Philippians 3. That entire chapter is about denying the flesh, which just happens to be my next tip!


3. Deny your flesh
Your spirit is where your strength lies. If we listen to our body/flesh, we will always lose the battle. For example, today I really wanted a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast. However, I knew a few things: 1) I would regret eating that bagel with cream cheese 2) That contains a lot of calories 3) I would overdo it and put too much cream cheese on my bagel 4) It's not healthy for me to eat and 5) I already ate an apple and was not hungry. 


Therefore, I knew I did not need this. I fought my flesh, told myself that I would not be stopping at the cafeteria to get that bagel, and kept walking back to my dorm room. I denied my flesh and did not cave in to my cravings. And you know what? I feel great about it! I feel much happier knowing I'm pressing on towards  my goal! 


4. Stick to your plan
Sounds easy, right? But we all know it's not! How often have you set out, with a goal of losing weight or eating more healthfully, and then given in because you just had to have that piece of cheesecake or just had to taste one of every cookie your mom made? 

The point is, we will all be faced with obstacles. Our goal is to defeat those obstacles and stay on track. If you fall of the bandwagon, just hop right back on. None of this "Oh, I gave in, I guess I'm not gonna try to lose weight anymore. I'll just sit here and stuff my face with Doritos." No. None of that. If you stick with your plan, you will be rewarded! It just takes patience and lot of willpower. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it!


"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12:11


5. Watch skinny people
You heard me! You are probably wondering what the heck I am talking about. If you want to learn something about portion control, you should watch skinny people eat. What you'll find is that most of them eat only just enough to sustain them. They don't overeat. They don't go back for seconds. They don't pile food onto their plate. They are skinny because they don't over indulge. In fact, they probably ask themselves, "Am I satisfied?"


I highly recommend just people watching for a while when you eat with friends. I actually had started doing this before I read Reshaping It All, and it couldn't be more true! Honestly. I have noticed most of my thin friends will usually not eat everything on their plate, and they tend to eat pretty healthfully. I'm not saying that they starve themselves or are anorexic; that's not the case. They eat what they need to satisfied and nothing more. Honestly, it has made me extremely self-conscious about my eating habits, because I'll look at the amount of food on their plate and compare it to mine (especially when I go back for seconds!). This has been helping me to cut back on the amount of food I eat. 


6. Develop your self-discipline
You need 3 things to develop a good sense of self-discipline: Focus, Repetition, and Action. Without these 3 things, you probably will not stay on track with your fitness and diet plan! 


You gotta focus on what your ultimate goal is and following through on your plan. Then, you must repeat your choices. Consistently choose to pass on that bag of chips or choose a salad instead of a burger. Consistently keep up with your workout plan. Even though it may be tough, it will all be worth the results in the end. You won't get a toned belly if you don't repeat the ab exercises, right? 


Finally, you must consistently choose to take action on your goal. You won't get there by just sitting around and wishing you were thin. Do something about it. 


Well, that's all for right now! As I mentioned earlier, not all of that is from the book, but it's a good glimpse into what I've been reading lately. I highly recommend purchasing this book for yourself! You'll be inspired. 

What do you do to accomplish a goal?
Much love,