1. Workout — strength and cardio

Cardio is good. It burns lots of calories, gets your heart pumping and your body moving, but strength exercises and lifting weights will strengthen your muscles. "Okay so?" I bet you’re thinking. Well more muscle means less fat and the more muscle you have the more fat you’ll burn!

Also, if you do cardio (which I think you should) consider interval training. This helps you burn more calories throughout the day and is a lot less boring (in my opinion) than just running or jogging at one speed.

2. Set a time for your workouts

That way, you’re more likely to actually complete them. Your workouts are meetings you’ve scheduled with yourself, so don’t cancel on you or something that will benefit YOU!

3. Don’t drink your calories

Sugary drinks, soda (or cold drink if you're from south Louisiana), even sports drinks and fruit juices are really unnecessary calories sometimes filled with loads of added sugar. If you can help it, limit these drinks or cut them all out together. Drink enough water and you’ll be craving it and even prefer to all the other bad beverages. Trust me. I know.

4. Cut out or limit processed/sugary/fried foods

You already know anything fried is not good for you. Chips, candy, all junk food really, is not going to make you feel good and won’t help your body in any way. Just eliminate it all and if you get a sweet tooth every now and then, eat nature’s candy (fruit).

I know this won't work for everyone, so take it one day at a time. Every day you don't instantly reach for a snickers or a bag of unhealthy chips is a victory!

5. Drink lots of water

Just do it. It’s good for you. It’ll cut out your cravings and you’ll look and feel better. H20 is good for you. I promise.

6. Set small goals to help you reach your larger one.

Losing thirty pounds or even ten pounds is a huge goal. So, break it down into mini goals. What do you need to do lose that weight? Lose 1-2 pounds a month. What do you need to do to lose 1-2 pounds a month? Exercise regularly, drink water like it’s going out of style, love yourself, eat like you love yourself. So make these small goals that you set for yourself each day, week or month and watch your life slowly change for the better. We’re making lifestyle changes here, folks.

7. Stop stressing over what the scale tells you

I know, I know. I may sound crazy because, the scale is your best friend and your worst enemy right? It tells you whether or not you’re beautiful or how close you are to being worth of love-- WRONG! One thing losing all of this weight and being five pounds from my goal weight has taught me is that the number on the scale really doesn’t matter. What matters is if you love the person in the mirror staring back at you. Your weight is gonna go up and down during the day and throughout the month and you can hate yourself or run an extra lap every time the scale tells you something you don’t like, or you can decide that the scale does not have the final say, or any say, on what you are worth. God does and He says you’re dying for.

So use measurements, take progress photos, don’t place all your worth, and hard work, into a number on a scale. It just ain’t right.

8. Love yourself through this journey

You deserve it and you’ll need it. Don’t expect other people to motivate you and stop you from making unhealthy decisions. Most people don’t care if your each your goals, some don’t want to see you reach them at all. So, do this for you and only you. Be your biggest supporter. Encourage yourself when you have a bad day, because they will happen.

9. Don’t give up— after a bad day, week, binge eating, having a whole bag of hot cheetoes, whatever — KEEP GOING!

That one bad day of eating or one bag of hot cheetos will not ruin your hard work. Just do better next time. But above all else, keep going. Even if you don’t see results as fast as you would like, even when you feel like it’s not working and it would be easier to just remain overweight or obese—keep going. You deserve a healthy body.

10. Dare I say it — don’t count calories

When I first started my weight loss journey, I counted calories. I used the My Fitness Pal app religiously, but I’ve since discovered that your body needs food to work properly and to lose the weight you’re more than happy to dispose of. I’ve been intuitively eating for about three weeks now and lost about four pounds after not losing (or gaining) any weight for a week. "So?" you say. Well it works! I didn’t do anything differently except eat when I was hungry and stop when I was satisfied. I, of course, still worked out five to six days a week and drank only water, but I was eating more calories than I had ever allowed myself to before. So, eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re satisfied. But make sure its nutrient dense, whole, plant-based food (or lean cuts of clean meat if you like that stuff) that will benefit your body. Don’t eat a bag of cheetos whenever you’re hungry. It’s not giving you any real nutrients and your body will hate you for it. Again, eat like you love you. Being able to eat when I wanted and not follow a strict diet was so freeing. I know now I can definitely continue these long term, life style changes to get my healthiest body yet.

For more information on my weight loss journey, check out my video here: How I Lost 20 Pounds | 10 Weight Loss Tips