If you are one of those people who say “I’ve tried everything it’s impossible to lose weight”, then my response is “bullshit”. Yeah, I said it. Suck it up. You can do this, I might even be able to help.
So I’ll let you in on a secret:
Losing weight and living healthy are not as difficult as the diet industry would have you believe. I promise you that. I have been there. I did this, you can do it. It makes me sick that corporations are making billions off that said, I’m going to share some of what I know with you. There’s no way I’m going to write one giant blog about this, because frankly, you wouldn’t be able to digest it in one sitting (pardon the pun).
There is no magic bullet. There is no pill, no machine, no shakes, nothing, that will miraculously melt off the weight.
Depressing, right? Well, the good news is that you already have everything you need to get fit. Of course, I’m taking the liberty of assuming that you do, indeed, have common sense.
Let’s break this down. When you strip everything away from what is means to lose weight, it is a very elementary equation:
Excess calories = weight gain
Cutting calories = weigh loss
Simple so far, right?
I know there’s a lot more that goes into it. But don’t let it intimidate you. Remind yourself that it’s simple mathematics. You can beat it.
Do yourself a huge favor today. Now. Get to a scale.
The most important thing to know when you start is the “tale of the tape”. It’s really easy to find excuses not to weigh yourself and hide from the scale when you’re not feeling good about yourself. You can’t possibly have an idea of where you’re going if you’re unaware of what your start point is.
There are several schools of thought on this. Some people will tell you to only weigh yourself weekly. For me, I weigh myself every single day. It’s easier to make slight modifications in your day to day exercise and eating than it is to look at the scale after three months and go “holy shit I’ve gained 20 lbs”.
When you allow things to get beyond your control, it’s much easier to give up. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather clean up a glass of spilled water than find myself standing in a 100 gallon drum with only a roll of paper towel.
Log your weight. Every single day. Goals give you something to work toward.
I’ll be writing a lot more about this, so check back often. In the meantime, here’s one little diet hack I’ll tell you guys about. Losing weight isn’t about starvation or deprevation, it’s about making smart decisions.
Here’s one of them. It’s all about making healthier substitutions where you can. This is one of them.
Wasa Crispbread-Multigrain
Serving Size: 1 cracker
Calories: 45
Total Fat: 0g
Carbs: 10g
Protein: 2g
Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 0g
Compared to:
Orowheat Whole Wheat Bread
Serving Size: 1 slice (yes, one)
Calories: 90
Total Fat: 0g
Carbs: 18g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 4g
Sugars: 3g
-A slice of lean meat with some tomato sliced on top is my personal favorite way to eat these guys.
I’m not going to lie, they’re not just delicious on their own, but if you doctor them up a bit, they do the trick.
A little smear of peanut butter is ok, too, but remember, peanut butter is about 100 calories per tablespoon, so don’t go crazy. Half a tub of peanut butter on a cracker isn’t going to do you, or your thighs, any favors.
(Notice I compared the crackers to wheat bread. I’m not even going to dignify white bread. You shouldn’t eat it. Period. There is probably more nutritional value in school paste than white bread.)
Check back often for my insights and other diet hacks! I’d love to hear any questions/comments, too, so fire away.
