10 Easy Weight Loss Tips

10 Easy Weight Loss Tips

As Originally posted on: https://www.arespectfullife.com/2017/06/15/10-easy-weight-loss-tips/ 

I have personally lost a lot of weight. It is not because I eat poorly or am malnourished. I have had a full blood work up done twice in the last year and all of my numbers are excellent so I must be doing something right. I also do NOT kill myself in the gym. I have bad knees and any exercise that I do is low impact. I do not do cardio at all. I am also pretty lazy and not consistent in my work out routine. My workout is mostly walking and biking and an occasional swim. I lift a few weights now and again but nothing strenuous – just keeping some muscle tone.
When I say I have lost some weight, hear me clearly: I lost 80 lbs. in 3 months and an additional 40 lbs. In another 5 months. All together it was 120 lbs in 8 months. That is pretty significant! And I know what I did was doing it the right way and I am certain that I will never be overweight like that again.
I will save my rants about fad diets for another post. I have studied them and tried some of them to know what works and what doesn’t. The diets that work usually make it easy for a person (like ready made meals) and have personal support. Also, low carbohydrate diets (Atkins, Paleo, SouthBeach, Zone, Ketogenic, etc.) work to shed some weight, but most people don’t keep the weight off. They are also dangerous as you shed most of your electrolytes and minerals while in ketosis. In addition, anytime that you have restrictions in a diet, you will cut calories. However, restrictions usually cause people to relapse because of the many of the foods they miss and crave.
Here is the primary reason my regimen worked: I addressed the habits and reasons why I overate and made poor food choices, and I changed my lifestyle. I chose a method that could sustain me and that I could enjoy for life. I chose a well balanced vegan diet. I know where my sources of protein, calcium, Vitamin B12, Vitamins C, A, E, D, micro-nutrients, potassium, iron, magnesium and other minerals come from. I also know how many calories and carbohydrates I need to maintain or to loose weight.
I am not a nutrition expert, but I do know a couple of nutritionists and there is a lot of great information (as well as misinformation) on the internet. What I did obviously worked so I hope you find these tips helpful! Without further ado:
10 Easy Tips for Weightloss:

1. Avoid Alcohol!Alcohol is straight sugar any way you look at it. Most people drink alcohol in the evenings and then it metabolizes while you sleep. If you are going to drink alcohol, stick with a higher quality red wine and keep it to a minimum.
2. Avoid Processed FoodsMany people out of convenience purchase packaged and processed foods. Many of these off the shelf items contain fillers and tons of sugar and refined grains.
3. Watch Your Carbohydrate IntakeWhen watching your carb intake, please know that it is dangerous to drop below 40 grams per day. If you are doing a low carb diet, it is recommended that you take potassium supplement to avoid seizures! When counting carbs, I do not count dietary fiber and only count carbs from sugars (or bad carbs). The minimum recommended carbohydrate intake when you are not trying to lose weight is 120 grams daily.
4. Avoid Refined CarbohydratesIt is best to eat complex carbohydrates. Complex carbs are found in whole grains, beans, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. This means that you avoid things like refined sugar, refined flour, white rice, white potatoes, and pasta. A personal trainer friend of mine once said “If it’s white, it ain’t right”.
5. Don’t Eat LateOne of the reasons that I gained so much weight is that I got home late from work and was famished by then. I would eat at 11:00PM and usually overeat, and then would go to bed. It is best that you don’t eat within 4 hours of doing to bed.
6. Snack OftenYes you heard me right. If you are hungry, eat! What you choose to eat will make a big difference. My snack is an apple, a carrot, a glass of soy milk, 2 TBS of peanut butter (my guilty pleasure), or a handful of nuts. If you are hungry, pay attention to your body! If you are not hungry all the time, you will be a lot happier and have more success in your weight loss goals. Avoid sugary or pre-packaged snacks at all costs.
7. Drink Lemon JuiceI know this sounds strange, but lemons have an amazing effect on weight loss. I’m not talking about sugary lemonade. I am talking about lemon infused water. Personally, I add lemon and lime juice to my water. I buy bottles of 100% pure lemon and lime juice and squirt a little into my water. I chose this because of the potassium and magnesium, and it also tastes great. Sipping on lemon water helps boost your metabolism and aid in digestion. It is rich in antioxidants.  Note that the citric acid in lemons can erode the enamel of your teeth so it is best to use a straw (get a reusable straw here).
8. Get Plenty of AntioxidantsAntioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables. An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules. Without going into great detail, antioxidants keep your cells healthy and balanced. A person is supposed to have 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
9. ExerciseI know, I know, everyone says you have to exercise to loose weight. I am not telling you to kill yourself in the gym! Just get some level of exercise daily or several time per week. Even if that means taking a walk after dinner.
10. Stop Eating Meat and Dairy ProductsAs I mentioned earlier, I needed to have a lifestyle change. I started my weight-loss journey on a Pescatarian diet (vegetarian but still ate fish, eggs, and dairy). I was concerned about the amount of protein I would get in my diet. As I have done more research, I have found that I do not need any of those things and that there is plenty of healthy protein in beans, nuts, and many vegetables. Meat and dairy also have unnecessary saturated fat. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the western world and guess what causes heart disease? Plaque build up in your arterial walls from cholesterol, and unhealthy cholesterol comes from meat and dairy. I later found out about casein in dairy (which is cancer causing) and decided to avoid it at all costs.

I could list a lot more reasons to stop consuming animal based products and turning to a plant based diet. You can find more of that information in some of my other blog posts. I will say this though: I needed to find a lifestyle that would sustain me for life in the healthiest way possible. The only diet and lifestyle effective in doing that is vegan. There is a lot of longevity in my family but many of my family members suffered in their old age. I intend to grow old gracefully.
For more information on health and nutrition, I highly recommend Dr. Michael Greger’s book ‘How Not To Die’ and visit his website at NutritionFacts.org
As always, feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions about this post or any other content in my blog.
JT