It all comes down to what you really want.
For me, I want FREEDOM. Freedom to move quickly, bend over, touch my toes, go upside down and do practical chores like making the bed without hurting my back. I want to be free from disease and over toxicity and I want to have energy. So before you read the rest of this and you think that you only want to lose some weight, please give your reason for losing it some more thought.
So many people say they want to lose weight, but they don’t really want to change their habits. I’m talking about the bad eating habits and sedentary lifestyle so many of us have grown accustomed to. I love to eat…just ask anyone who knows me. But I’ve learned to trade certain things that I don’t need for the things that I really crave.
See the picture above? That plate of food might look like it’s missing something – which it is – the food that I actually ate. What’s on the plate is what I left behind. I left behind half the carbs this dish offered. I ordered an egg sandwich with bacon and avocado, some cheese and arugula. The bottom half of the bun was pretty small, so I ate that along with the rest of the sandwich. After one cup of coffee, a glass of orange juice and my sandwich, I was pretty full. I didn’t need the bun and potatoes that would only make me more full and add over 100 calories to my meal.
Here’s the trick…either cut your meals in half or eat only the things that are going to fill you up with nutrition but not extra calories. Here are some ideas for you to consider if you really want to lose weight – for good. It requires thinking a little differently about food consumption, how much you really need and how to be satisfied in the long run. But it’s habitual…keep it up so it becomes part of how you live.
Five simple tips to move towards your goal of dropping those unwanted pounds.
Tip #1: Order half of what you normally order when you go out to a restaurant. My husband and I do this all the time. The question comes up at almost every restaurant meal we encounter…”do you want to split something?” Usually, we can agree on what we both like and then share that meal. If one of us is hungrier than the other, we order an extra salad or side to go with the meal. My daughter and I do this also. We often share fajitas because there’s usually so much food and it’s more than enough to feed the both of us. We might also share an appetizer, so it’s not like we are starving ourselves. One of the benefits of doing this is saving a bunch of money. It has gotten so expensive to eat out and I always feel good about spending half of what we would normally spend on two full meals AND drinks!
Tip #2: Eat only the most nutritious part of the meal and leave the junk food behind. This would include the top of a bun, any extra bread or toast, potatoes, french fries or other side that would mainly just fill you up and make you fatter. (I love French Toast, but never order it because it is so full of carbs and sugar.) Once in a blue moon I will have one piece if it’s part of a buffet or something. Fill up on the healthier stuff like salad, vegetables and protein.
Tip #3: Skip dessert. My husband and I NEVER order dessert – unless we are on a cruise or we get one for free and I just have to have it because it’s creme brulee or something equally as delicious. Stash up on dark chocolate or fruit and yogurt for when you get home and have your dessert there. That will also save you money. If you are someone who must have sweets or dessert, try to eat lean protein for dinner and a salad – no extra carbs.
Tip #4: Drink one extra glass of water per day than you are now. I’m not telling you to drink 6-8 glasses a day; however, you’re probably not drinking enough as it is. This tip includes eliminating soda from your diet almost completely. Treat yourself once in a while until you realize how bad this is for you and you just don’t want it anymore.
Tip #5: Move more. You knew that was coming, right? You should move well and by that I mean doing physical activities that you enjoy. Join a softball team, take a yoga class, walk, run, hike, go to the gym, rock climb, go dancing…whatever it is you enjoy doing…just make more time to do it. Your body needs to eliminate waste and toxins from the body and it needs your help. As you get older, the body has a harder time doing all this, so you must prepare for this time and get moving now.
I have been able to feel physically free and healthy by following the tips above. I’m not perfect at this. Sometimes I struggle with what I want to have versus what I know I should have. I enjoy certain “bad foods” and mainly I just keep those at a minimum so I can enjoy the things I really want to have – like chocolate and certain breads. Know that you are not alone in your desire to have what you want. We all want what we want, but in the end…it’s what we REALLY want that matters. What do you really want?