Don’t get discourage about not losing weight. Don’t focus too much on the scale. There are no quick fixes to slimming down. Here’s what helped me.
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I lost 60 pounds during a five-year period. It averages out to one pound a month. Not only did I lose weight, but I also lost my hair, lol. I went from wearing XXL to L. Losing weight is not easy. According to the Journal America Medicine, more than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese.
By going on those crazy diets, I use get headaches and dizziness.
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Back in the day, I use to go on one-meal-a-day diets; it wasn’t healthy at all. I would lose about 10-15 pounds in one month. When my jeans started fitting again, I would go back to my bad eating habits. I was always looking for a quick fix. I was born and raised in Calexico CA where they have the best carne asada in the US in my opinion. We would BBQ at least three times a week. Imagine eating homemade tortillas, guacamole, salsa, and, of course, the meat. Just thinking about it makes me hungry. I was on a seafood diet. I see food, I eat it. That’s where the 60 pounds came from.
By going on those crazy diets, I use get headaches and dizziness. Now, I figured out how to lose weight and feel good at the same time. Here are five things I did that help me lose 60 pounds.
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Sodas. I stop drinking beverages and replace them with water. I started slow, with one change at a time. Going cold turkey, and changing your whole diet at one time, is the worst thing you can do. Start by drinking water with your meals. Believe me, it does make a difference. A 12-ounce soda has 33 grams of sugar, it has as much sugar as:
- Three servings of Frosted Flakes breakfast cereal.
- One slice of pecan pie.
- One cup of chocolate ice cream.
Little changes like this do help. How much water are you drinking during the day?
Chew Your Food. I started eating slower. Chewing food thoroughly has enormous benefits like improving your digestive system. Years ago, I used to think I was in an eating contest; I ate so fast. Take your time, the food is not going anywhere. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to get the signal that your stomach is full. So eating slower means getting full faster. I use to eat four pieces of pizza in five minutes, and I was still hungry. That was because the signal of being full had not reached the brain.
Snacks. I added snacks like nuts and cashews to eat in between meals. This way I wasn’t starving during my lunch break. I sometimes substitute the nuts for fruit like a banana or blueberries as well. Start planning your snacks ahead of time. Buy some at Costco and add them to your food intake.
Eating Smarter. I started making adjustments to my food intake. For example, from eating four pieces of pizza, I now eat two, and I add a side salad as well. By the way, when eating a salad, it doesn’t mean you have to add 50 ounces of ranch dressing that defeats the purpose, just saying. I use to eat three unhealthy meals everyday, so I substitute one of them with a chicken breast and rice. Small little changes like that make a HUGE difference. One of my favorite fast foods is In & Out Burger. I order the protein hamburger which is wrap in lettuce no bun. I still eat the fries and drink water. It doesn’t seem like much but it works.
Exercise. I started to walk outside around the block for 25 minutes. It may not seem like a lot, but it was better than sitting at home watching TV. After months of waking, I joined the gym. Believe me, I don’t like going to the gym. So I did the same thing I did with my food. I started slowly. Exercising every 15 days. You don’t have to go every day. Then I added more days as I felt better. After years of trying and not giving up, I now go to the gym at least three times a week. Remember, it took me years to lose this weight and keep it off.
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Remember Oprah wasn’t built in a day. Anything is possible if you believe.
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Don’t get discourage about not losing weight in the first two weeks. Don’t focus too much on the scale. There are no quick fixes to slimming down. It’s a lifestyle change that you have to make. It is going to take sacrifice, determination, and hard work.
Start making little changes in your eating habits, and after a while, you will see the difference. Some words of advice, don’t listen to the negative nellies trying to distract you from your goal. It always happens when you’re attempting to improve your life style. Little victories like not drinking soda will add up, and you will see the difference in your pant size. Great things take time. Remember Oprah wasn’t built in a day. Anything is possible if you believe.
‘’Change Your Thinking Change Your Life”
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Photo is author’s own.
wow 60 lbs is great the picture i am very inspired by this article. i personaly need to stop drinking soda and lose weight very inspiring joe and you look great to your success brother.