Does all the fancy claims out there about diet plans, supplements, and pills make your head spin? How many have you tried? How much money have you spent? Have you tried counting calories? Exhausting right?!!
I can tell you what really works, or at least what has worked for most people I know who had not only had results, but has kept them long term. It's kind of a crazy formula, be ready...
Eating well and exercising. It's true it works! 80% is nutrition and 20% is exercise.
So what does it mean to eat well? Does that mean Lean Cuisine Meals? Special K bars, low fat cookies, reduced fat ice cream, etc? No, not at all. Eating well means eating real food. Plants and animals (if you eat animals). Food that comes from the earth. Spinach, kale, brussle sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, potatoes, asparagus, green beans, apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, berries, beans, lentils, eggs, chicken, fish, beef, etc. I'll break that down further. The cleaner your food (meaning organic) the better it's going to be for you.
Oh, and don't eat sugar. (I'm still working on that one)!
What about carbs? They aren't bad and they aren't created equal. If gluten bothers you, or if you have Celiac, you should most certainly not eat a carb that comes from wheat. If you want to eat past every now and then, do it. Just not every day. I'm not going to go into GMOs (genetically modified organisms), that would take a lot of space. I will say that some carbs just turn to sugar too quickly, raise your insulin levels and that is what causes the most damage. Stick with rice, quinoa, potatoes, and beans as your primary source of "carbs".
Drink water and a lot of it! Water flushes out the toxins in your body. It's great for your organs, flushing fat and good for your skin. If you don't like the taste of water, add fruit or cucumbers or herbs to it. Play around with it until you find something you like. Just drink it!
Eat fat! Yes, eat fat. It's not bad for you, if it's the right kind. Avocados, olive oil, nuts, nut butters, salmon, etc. These are good fats and should be eaten every day. Yes, every day. Just not in excess!
Exercise! Find an activity you like and do that! Everyone should do things that get your heart rate up and push you. Your heart is a muscle and it needs to be worked. Everyone should do some weight bearing exercises as well. You don't need to be a body builder, but lifting weights is very good for both males and females. The more muscle you have, the more fat your burn. Who doesn't want that? Work out at home, in a group setting, in a gym. Whatever you find that you like, just do it!
I have taken weight loss pills, appetite suppressants, cut out fat, counted calories, starved myself, made myself throw up, worked out inefficiently, and just tried so many products. Some certainly have helped me and I still continue to use. But what has helped me and so many others the most is following the above rules. It's not rocket science and I know it isn't always easy to do. Start with one change at a time and your body will thank you!
