This is not my typical posting topic, but I’ve had a lot of people ask me how I lost 35 pounds.  So here goes. I definitely noticed a difference in my metabolism around age 40. It seems like there is something in your body that just knows it’s your 40th birthday. I did not change the way I was eating and I made a ton of excuses.  I would say, “my thyroid is causing me not to be able to lose weight,” and other ridiculous excuses. Then, I saw a picture of me posted on Facebook and it was not flattering. Unfortunately, it was exactly what I looked like at the time. I knew my weight had crept up there, but that picture sealed the deal.  Let me just say that I do not have a background in nutrition.  I can only tell you some tips that worked for me. You should always consult a physician before starting any new weight loss or exercise program.

5 Tips for weight Loss

I knew I wanted to learn the clean eating method and portion control so I tried the 21 day fix by Beach Body.  I figured this would help me make changes rather quickly.  After you learn how to clean eat and what portions work for you, then you can eat clean on your own and you will know what combinations work for your body. I had always heard nutrition was about 80% of your program while exercise was about 20%. You can’t outrun a poor diet. Meaning you can run 5 miles a day, but if you have a cruddy diet you’re not going to be successful with weight loss.  You need to make these changes part of your lifestyle not just a diet you do for a week.  If you lose ten pounds and then go back to your old ways you will immediately gain it back. Health and fitness is not something you achieve and then forget about it. It’s something you have to attain and maintain. You have to decide how badly you want it.  Yes, this is hard and different at first, but being overweight is also hard.

Find out what works for your body. Everyone is different.  I also noticed through trial and error that my body responded to losing weight when I ate 1200 calories. I had tried 1270 and I wasn’t losing weight. Then I dropped to 1240 and still wasn’t losing.  When I got to 1200 that was my magic number.  I didn’t make a drastic 200 calorie drop, but I did have to play around for a couple weeks to see what worked for my body. If you kind of try then you will kind of get results. You have to do the work.  Keep a food journal so you can see what is working and what isn’t. Not everyone responds to the same things.  See what your body needs to start dropping weight.  Your body might need 1,500 to lose weight.  Just keep trying and moving forward.  Small progress is still progress.

Strength training was a major part of my workouts. This was the first time that I really incorporated strength training in a consistent way. I was always the cardio lover.  I really believed in hitting it hard in the cardio area. I thought burning calories through cardio was where it was at. Gaining muscle is so important especially as you get older. Muscle makes your body look fit and toned, keeps you burning calories after you finish your workout, and takes up less room than fat.

Track what you eat.  I had no idea how much I was really eating until I got the Fitness Pal app.  I put in the amount I was allowed to have each day and it would subtract how much I was allowed for the rest of the day.  Doing this really made me ration my calories so I could spread them out.  If you only Get 1,200 calories you don’t want to eat 600 for breakfast and then realize you only have 600 for the rest of the day.  You really need to think about your day and do a little planning.  

Meal prep makes it so much easier to meet your goals.  On Sundays, I went grocery shopping. Then I cut all my fruits, vegetables, and prepared my meals for the week.  My family also became better about picking healthy choices when things were washed and cut.  When life got busy I didn’t have any excuses because my meals were already prepared ahead of time.

Hopefully these tips help you get started in your weight loss efforts. If you want more of what exercises I did and what foods I ate, leave comments below letting me know what you want me to post. I just didn’t want this post to be too long.

Yours Truly,

Jenn