This semester, I gained nine pounds in six weeks, and noticed when my jeans didn’t fit as well. I decided in mid-October to get my health back on track; I was not overweight, but I was not where I wanted to be. I hope to lose fourteen pounds by May. Not an easy task, but I lost five pounds in the first month. Here’s how I did it.
1. Track what you eat.
Did you know an orange is 62 calories, and ice cream is about 200? The things you eat add up, and watching what you eat is the simplest way to get started. I chose the app MyFitnessPal because it separates your meals and tracks your water, along with your steps. By doing this, I could set how many pounds I wanted to lose a week, and while some days I ate more calories than I was supposed to, I could stay around my goal.
2. Lots of water.
I gave up all types of soda, tea, and coffee, only occasionally having a soda when I truly needed it. At first, it was a little hard; my palette desired the sweeter drinks, and meals felt blander. But in the end, I could eat more filling foods and I felt more awake. Water can help your body stay functioning healthily and help you lose weight faster. Plus, the fewer drinks you ingest, the more food you can consume in terms of calories. And in reality, water really does get the job done most of the time.
3. Work out at least three times a week.
Working out can be as simple as going for a run or going to the gym for an hour. Getting your body up and active is super helpful, and while it helps you to lose weight, it is also great for your immune system and other parts of your body and life.
4. Don’t snack.
While snacking is tempting, it is the easiest way to gain weight, or at least it was for me. Try to limit the number of snacks you have and increase the amount of healthy snacks you eat. The recommended amount of snacks to have daily is no more than 2.
5. Have colorful meals.
The key to this diet is actually eating; the right things, that is. Having carrot sticks can be just as filling as a bag of chips. Try to have a colorful plate at every meal- add fruits to salad, include a bowl of fruit at breakfast, snack on tomatoes as a mid-afternoon snack. This is the most costly part of the day, as healthy foods are quite expensive. But it will pay off in the end
6. Treat yourself once a day
Craving sugar and treats isn’t strange; in fact, it's normal. Try to treat yourself once a day, and eventually, you can even turn that snack into a healthy one. It will work wonders. Dark chocolate is the best suggestion, as it leaves you craving less.
7. Weigh yourself weekly
This is the scariest part of the workout; seeing what progress you have or haven’t made. Do it weekly, and around the same time (when you wake up is best). Your weight fluctuates too much daily and throughout the day to do it any other way. Try to document it so you can see how great you're doing.
Have confidence. You can do this.
