How to Lose Weight The Right Way: Clean Food + Exercise = Results

super-plain-jane (28)in #food • 7 years ago

Hi My Sweet Pineapples! ☼ (✿◠‿◠)

In breaking news, women in their late thirties are trying to lose weight! Really, it's an epidemic! The CDC just released a protocol to men who are in living distance of these women to take a vaccine that will shield them of the adverse effects that will befall them.

The vaccine is called: GHMMWIOAD - Otherwise known as [God Help Me My Woman Is On A Diet].

It will help men who are exposed to: extreme mood swings, compulsive lying and crying, her binge eating your favorite snacks, being asked if you think she looks fat in her new dress, having less sex, being told it's your fault for having less sex, no sex, dietary restrictions (if she suffers you suffer with her), driving her to the gym, being forced to join a gym, constant reassurance telling, and getting the stink eye when you drink alcohol.

Warning! Above side effects are multiplied by a million when she is PMS-ing! *lol *giggles

I want to lose weight THE RIGHT WAY—going on a diet is not an option as they never last—so “what is the right way?” Better yet, "how to lose weight the right way and keep it off?" Holy Shit! This is going to be hard.

What do magazines tell us?

►Don’t eat Carbs (but I want to live dame it!)
►Count calories (do I look like a human calculator?)
►Go on this Fad Diet (it’s just a mind-fuck! And money-grab)
►Clean Eating (although I am on board with this advice I don’t have access to everything organic and non GMO).
►Exercise (you can’t escape this one! You must move to lose weight)
►Portion Control (yes may I have NO seconds please)
►Eat more fruits and vegetables (I’m a vegetarian so this is all I eat but yes more greens are essential for your health!)

So the media and magazines do have good info out there but filter through the garbage propaganda that being skinny is the meaning of life and so is Kim Kardashian (which is the opposite of everything). As women we have to accept our bodies and love ourselves as hard as it is, we must! Ignore the body shame-ers and stand up and eat an apple! Not because you have too because it’s good for you!

I don’t need to make losing weight complicated or go on a strict diet I just need to understand what my body needs and give it that, as opposed to what my body WANTS which is usually junk foods! That my friends is due to years of preconditioned couch potato-ting habits.

Cupcakes NO No! Bad stomach NO.. grrrrrr.

So what are some key principles I’ve come to live by:

I eat what is nutritionally balanced for my body.
I am not on a DIET I am making healthier food choices.
I set one long term goal which is = HEALTH
I am working on breaking bad habits and conditioning my mind to think more positive about my body image.

By doing this I am putting aside other more egotistical goals such as losing weight to look prettier and to gain more social acceptance. I changed my relationship with food because we use to do very Dirty things together, like a having a chocolate chip cookie pizza pretzel sandwich orgies.

Okay let’s be real for a sec, I can list off some of my tips but those may not fit your Lifestyle. What I’ve discovered is your Lifestyle plays a HUGE factor into what you eat. Your Culture, Social Circles, Profession, Home life all influence you on what and how much you will eat.

For me working in an office has not paid off, as we are partial to Coffee and Donuts in the morning and if you have cooperate lunches you get bombarded with heavy mayo sandwiches, fatty pasta salads, sweets like lemon squares or brownies, again more coffee, juice or soda pop, yes there is an occasional veggie tray but you get the stink eye if you only eat veggies from your co-workers, and if you’re brave enough you always submit to the fatty dressing you dip your veggies in. Plus you work 8 hour days in a cubical with little exercise, unless you run marathons to your photocopier room.

You have to understand your lifestyle and make small changes to improve them in order to meet your weight loss goals otherwise you will yo-yo with your pants size or end up frustrated with little or no results. So what I did was:

I bring my own food into work (so you look like a weirdo I’m used to it) and I cooked at home (no more take out).
I served myself smaller portions of food. (I don’t have patience for calorie counting so I just use logic and use smaller plates, cups or bowls when I chow down).
I TRY to eat breakfast, when I can’t I eat it for Lunch. Also I try my best to eat before 7pm at night for Dinner.

Several Nutritionist will state that eating breakfast is very important to losing weight and part of a healthy regime, however I struggle with this. I am not a morning person. OH HELLZ NO! Even if I go to bed early waking up at 6am is a struggle for me each time plus I am not hungry. That’s because I trained my body for years to not eat breakfast. So yes your body should be fueled first thing in the morning because it will get the energy it needs for the day, as it jump starts your metabolism and gives your body more time to burn off calories. The same applies to getting dinner, try to eat before 6pm as your body needs time to digest before sleep. Your body does burn less calories if it sleeps and digests at the same time.

More H20
I drink more water and when I am sick of just water I drink lemon water. Lemons contain Vitamin C and absorb vitamins faster as well as provide a little immune boost. Drinking lemon water after meals is a great way to aid in digestion. The reason I love lemons is how much it filters your body by flushing out the toxins and enhances enzyme function by stimulating your liver.
Caffeine
I love coffee it is second to my love for cheese. I use to be a coffee addict but not I limit my coffee intake to weekends and only when it is offered to me in social settings. If your looking at caffeine to lose weight it does jumpstart the process of lipolysis, which is when your body releases free fatty acids into the bloodstream. This occurs when your body is breaking down your fat stores to convert it into energy so caffeine boosts your metabolism slightly and helps you burn fat.

When I don't drink coffee (black - I'm a purist) I drink green tea. Green tea aids in digestion and speeds up your metabolism.
*Green tea contains bioactive substances like caffeine and EGCG, which can have powerful effects on metabolism.

I move my Body
An exercise routine, I walk, stretch, go to my apartment’s gym and do my cheesy work out videos. Do I exercise every day? No let’s be real, but I do make an effort to MOVE more in spurts per day and when I can I do a 20 min /30 min / to 60 min work out depending on my mood and occasion.

That’s all I am doing, trust me the body does not like change so don’t hurt it by jumping in into a vagarious fitness routine or diet plan, be kind to your body it’s the only one you’ll have in this life, so treat him or her like the King and Queen they are. Slow changes to your food and exercise is the key to long lasting success.

Design your fitness plan to match your lifestyle! Each person is different and we are the only ones that know ourselves and the life we live. When I decided enough was enough I designed my plan. It’s not a strict regime but nonetheless it matches my goals and values.

Do you want a sneak peek of my routine?

Food-wise I attempt to have a protein source, a healthy fat source and a low-carb vegetable source. You can (and will) cheat but cheat on the right kinds of fats or lower in portion.

Breakfast
Again breakfast is HELL for me, I am just not hungry first thing in the morning, so when I do wake up I make myself a Berry Smoothie. Now I alternate day(s) between a lower calorie smoothie and a higher calorie smoothie. Other times I eat NATURE'S PATH - Sunrise Crunchy Vanilla cereal (which is gluten free, organic and non GMO) and only 110 in calories/1% milk. When I have time on the weekends I'll eat a Green Smoothie bowl.

Or two Poached eggs with a side of Country Harvest 12 Grain brown toast.

Mid Morning Snack
Energy Balls! This is packed full of nutrients and protein and just the right portion to get my stomach going.

Lunch
Veggie Salad (beans) or I alternate with Leftovers from dinner. With Green tea or Mint Tea

Mid-Afternoon Snack
A Granny Smith Apple. I also alternate with a handful of walnuts or sunflower/pumpkin seeds.

Dinner
I love eating dinner so I always put all my focus and energy into it. However, when you are trying to lose weight at first it’s best to attempt to eat before 6pm which is a challenge, when I can I usually have: Veggie Balls with a side green beans, Vegetarian hamburger with a side of Edamame, Carrot Ginger Soup etc. I am a Vegetarian and will be promoting yummy recipes in my future blog post

Homemade Carrot Ginger Soup *Recipe in next blog

Meat substitute with green beans

TV Snack
Umm, no! This is how I gained all my weight; I love to snack in front of the TV! I use to eat CHIPS, brownies, candy or just a chunk of cheese was my go-to. Stretchy pants my choice of PJ, yeah cute when you’re a teen not so cute when your close to 40! This is where self-control comes into play. It takes 30 days to break a bad habit and lots of self-motivation to push through the cravings, so yeah I’m putting my husband through a lot with my CRAZY! *lol It does get better with time and soon I’ll have the health I so deserves, and if I can throw out my stretchy pants all the better.

Overall, keep it simple and lose weight the RIGHT way for YOU!
But if you don’t know just follow these basic guidelines:

Eat Breakfast (high protein is best)
Eat Dinner before 6pm
Stop consuming sugary drinks and fruit juice
Drink more H20 / Drink water before each meal
Eat Whole Foods Less Processed Foods
Portion control
Eat more Veggies / Greens
No take Out
Tame your inner critic (control the negative voices in your head)
Exercise THE END!

Do you feel like Violet Beauregarde from Willy Wonka?
Are you struggling to lose weight?
What meal plans have worked for you?
Do you have a fitness routine?
What has worked best for you at keep weight off?

Thank you for joining me today my sweet pineapples! I’m just a Plain Jane transitioning to become my own Super Plain Jane. Let’s all promote body acceptance and self-love as hippie as that may sound our world could stand to be a little more friendly and tolerable. Please comment, up-vote and follow! I will return in KIND ;)