Weight loss tips that actually work

5 Weight Loss Tips that work

There is no doubt that we all want to know the most effective and efficient  ways to lose weight and body fat, so here are 5 weight loss tips that work. 

When we speak of weight loss though, I believe we really speak of fat loss and body shape change.

Isn’t this what we really want after all? A healthy, lean body?

It saddens me that over so many years we have been taught incorrectly, and so much of that it is ingrained in all that we do.

When I ask people…..what has scales got to do with body fat and the way in which you look……well, I get a lot of confused looks.

This is what many of us been taught though, so how else are we expected to think??

Below are weight loss tips that work. They may not be the ‘popular’ choices, but they will deliver results.

 

1. Throw away the scales -the first of the 5 weight loss tips that work. 

Scales determine how much you weigh….we can all agree on that.

They are able to determine how much fluid you are holding, they change if you have just eaten or drank, if you have moved your bowels, if you are wearing a watch today or if your shoes are on or off.

Much like the BMI, so often used -this tells us where we sit on the scale regarding our body weight in comparison to height in comparison to the rest of the population.

Unfortunately, it does not take into account, muscle, the shape and structure of your body and your body fat percentage.

We have all heard of the athletes that are considered obese on the BMI due to their large amount of muscle mass, though their body fat would be considered to be some of the lowest scored.

So what do you want?

The scales to say you weigh little, but to fit uncomfortably into your clothes, to feel tired, struggle with food and calories, weigh yourself daily and dislike yourself each time you hold fluid or drink prior to weighing?

Or would you prefer to feel amazing, have energy to burn, fit into the clothes you want and love how you look?

The difference here is so important and we need to learn that we need to throw away the scales, we need to focus on how we feel most importantly, how our clothes fit, what the measurements say, and our body fat as a last screening tool.

So before we go on….please throw away your scales………..

Now, I am also suggesting that what you want is long term fat loss?

Not another yo-yo diet. For there to be long term fat loss, we need to make long term changes.

It has taken….how many years to get where you are…….you need to allow your body a little bit of time to get where you want it to go.

Long term fat loss comes with small and consistent lifestyle changes.

2. Thought process change – the second of the 5 weight loss tips that work.

 These weight loss tips work specifically with regard to mental health and the constant negative chatter and negative thought loops that many of us put up with on a daily basis until we learn how to change that. 

It is true, what we focus on we get more of. Where our focus goes, the energy flows. 

If we continue to look in the mirror, or refuse to look in the mirror and tell ourselves which bits of ourselves we dislike so much, we will continue to not only see just this, but to fuel the behaviour that causes the fat gain.

We all know the saying…if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got…….true!

So try something different.

For 1 week…….change what you say to yourself…instead of why am I big and fat……what does my body need to be its perfect shape and size.

Instead of gee I hate my thighs….I love how my body now frees itself from excess weight, instead of  I can’t lose this fat…..I love how I lose fat so easily now….. get the picture……it can be challenging at first……….isn’t anything worth doing?

My underlying belief is that once we love ourselves the way it was intended, but not the way we have been taught.

We choose to nourish ourselves, we choose the food that makes us feel good and we become aware of our choices.

There is less emotional eating and less need for it as we realise and accept what we need to feel to move forward.

Emotional eating is an entirely different story, but an integral part of fat loss and body shape change.

3. Movement -the third of the 5 weight loss tips that work.

It is not about calorie counting, in fact, I cannot stand the calorie in calorie out analogy.

It doesn’t work long term and I believe it creates a lack of understanding between food, our body and optimal health.

The simple fact is; we have been made to move and our body benefits in endless ways when we do. Movement boosts energy, it increases the function of our cardiovascular system, allowing our body to release waste and increase oxygenation, releases feel good chemicals, builds our confidence, increases our ability to focus, helps us to enjoy a more positive mood, and moves our lymph system helping our body to eliminate waste. There are an endless amount of benefits to movement and exercise and there is not one system of the body that does not benefit from movement.

We didn’t come out as little rolly balls, ready to roll our way around the world.

We came out with incredible, magnificent bodies, able to do anything if given the right environment.

Research suggests that regular exercise may be effective in preventing depression and also in treating mild depression“.  As all areas of health are connected, we know that weight loss or fat loss is not about the food, but rather food is just a symptom of the problem. Movement is a very effective way to assist us in dealing with our emotional and mental health that contribute to our body shape and size. 

Movement is an incredibly effective way to help us to release the energy of anxiety, sadness and negative feelings that can build up within us if we have not been taught how to process them in a positive and healthy way. 

We are not meant to look like everyone else, however we are meant to look our best as a result of us providing our body with the right environment in which it can achieve optimal health. Health comes first and the aesthetics follow soon after. 

Yes, of course movement will burn energy, however any focus on calories will only end in a yo-yo and top level short term approach, as opposed to a long term and sustainable approach to a deeper level of health and understanding. 

4. Nutrition- the fourth of the 5 weight loss tips that work.

Nutrients and nutrition is obviously an area that you will see many tips, so here is another of the 5 weight loss tips that work. Some may work long term, and some will work for a very short amount of time, setting you up for a life of yo-yo dieting and the constant battle that comes with not being comfortable within ourselves and using food as a symptom of an underlying problem. 

We need to count nutrients, not calories.

Once our body is nourished, many (not all) but many of our cravings disappear.

Why would our body need to crave things if it were nourished and feeling amazing?

Emotional cravings are one thing, but the pick me up at 3-4pm when the daily slump of fatigue sets in, need no longer be. The feeling of being unsatisfied and still hungry after lunch, or feeling sleepy and drowsy after lunch with a bloated belly is not necessary once we find the foods that suit us and understand what our body really needs. 

Eating enough so our body is nourished, eating enough so we feel satisfied, eating enough so our body can increase its metabolism and eating enough so our body has the fuel to complete its vital tasks and healing processes is paramount to fat loss. 

So stop counting calories, stop hating food and start filling your body with nutrients that you enjoy. 

Never go hungry and enjoy the amazing meals that are made of the food so widely available to us.

5. Limit inflammation -the fifth of the 5 weight loss tips that work. 

While there are literally hundreds of tips, here is number the last of the 5 weight loss tips that work. 

Imagine your body as a beautiful friend. Your friend comes to you and needs to speak with you.

They are burdened.

They do not have time to help you with what you thought they could help with.

They are overloaded, fatigued and overworked themselves.

They come to you and say…” you know that project you wanted my help with” “well I can’t help you because I am too busy trying to survive over here”.

So your body continues on the most important tasks at hand. A major one these days, being the control of inflammation.

You see, all illness stems from inflammation.

Our body is our best friend and is always doing things to help us survive.

Survival though, is at the top of the list, so if inflamed our body is not the least bit interested in removing excess fat.

Excess fat is not an urgent issue, inflammation and many other body processes are.

Our body looks after us by placing focus on the most important issues.

Removing inflammation is one of the key elements we can look at to help fat loss, energy production and real health.

Why balance is important for weight loss

Now, while there are many more than 5 weight loss tips that work, these are a great starting point. 

It is important to note that, as always, my underlying belief is our Natural State is of Health, Happiness, Vitality and being Lean (within our body frame).

To know how to love ourselves, to nourish ourselves long term and to take small daily steps towards loving ourselves is the most productive use of our time.

Loving Yourself Lean is our natural state!

Take one step today that you have not done before that will be a step towards your goals. Utilise the 5 tips to weight loss and apply them to your life. 

If you want long term success, make long term habits. These don’t need to be big leaps but small consistent steps that each and every day will move you forward towards your goals. 

Make habits that stick for life. Say good bye to the quick fixes, the shakes, the calorie counting, the change everything all at once, then back to the old, the hating yourself and everything that has never worked before.

I can promise if you learn to Love Yourself Lean, your life will never be the same.

8 Ideas to start your weight loss:

  • 2 slices of lemon water in the morning
  • Add turmeric to meals
  • Start with a 15-minute walk 4 x per week
  • Spend 10 minutes with your feet on grass each day
  • Grab a buddy and take a walk on the weekend
  • Add 1 tsp of coconut oil to your eating
  • Invest in a Health Coach or Trainer
  • Throw out all processed food from your pantry

Implement one of these this week – just one and stick to it.

Long Term solutions for Life!

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