Ever get tired of the way you look whenever you stare at the mirror or see how your friends look when you go to big events? Have you ever felt so low because people made some jokes about your weight and made you feel like you can not lose weight even if you tried hard? Have you ever felt like you needed to lose weight fast just so people do not ridicule you anymore or you have to do it in order for certain negative health conditions to improve? If any of the answers are yes, then never fear. Just because people judge you a lot, does not mean that you are worthless, or someone that can not achieve anything in life. If you want to lose weight, then you already on the right track. However, please read this part of the introduction before continuing. Losing weight has to be something that you want to do, not because others make fun of you and put you down. Before you start this journey, you need to tell yourself "I can do this and I will, no matter what situation I am facing. Yes even though I will not lose weight overnight, I will lose a lot over time if I work hard and stay commited." I was 195 pounds during the Summer of 2015 before I started my journey, so many fat jokes made about me by friends and family but fast forward to today I am now 138 pounds in the Summer of 2016. If I can do it, you all can too if you try hard.
Me during my cross country season of 2015 to me now. Anything is achievable if you put your mind to it.
How to Prep for the Journey: When it comes to losing weight, you need to do a few things before starting this quest. The first thing you need to do is set some goals for yourself so you have reasons to keep going. Why is it that you want to lose weight? How long and far are you willing to go in order to achieve this goal? Like mentioned before, losing twenty pounds is not achievable in one week but a few months, it is possible. After you figure this out, see who is willing to support you throughout your journey.
Start of the Journey: Now that you have some goals in wanting to lose some weight and you know who supports you for who you are and are proud that you want to lose weight, it is time to start your journey.
Steps Once Journey Begins
Step One: Diet Plan
- There are many methods you can try when it comes to losing weight but the very first method on this journey is sticking to a diet plan. On the internet, you can find over billions of diet plans that can help you lose weight. However, you need to find a diet that suits you. Once you find that diet, commit and stick to it.
Step Two: Elliminate Soda from your Diet and Replace it with Water
- Start by cutting out soda from your diet and replace it with water. When it comes to drinking soda, there are loads of unnessescary sugar and even caffeine that can easily cause you to gain weight. Cutting out soda comepletely can not be easy right away but if you drink less and less slowly and drink water, you are already going to lose weight
Step Three: Exercise
- I cannot stress how important exercise is. It can either range from going to the gym and lifting weights or it can be something simple as going on long walks. If you are not a gym person, you can still lose weight. Walking may sound a but boring if you are not used to it but it does not always have to be boring. You can make it enjoyable by listening to music while going on walks. You can even get some friends or family to go on daily walks with you. For me, I like to run and workout.
Step Four: Cheat Day
- Now that you are being commited to losing weight, you are exercising and following your diet plan, plan a day where you can cut loose on your diet and have a cheat day. This should be only once a week. Eat whatever you want as long as you do not eat too much in one sitting. Cheat days are not mandatory but you should be able to reward yourself every now and then so you can feel good for losing weight.
Step Five: Eat less, Eat more in Portions
- One of the most common mistakes when it comes to gaining weight is eating too much at one time just to feel "full." You do not want to eat to feel full, you want to eat enough just to keep you going throughout the day. People usually tend to eat too much without realizing because the food looks good and they want to make themselves "full". However, sometimes you could go beyond being full without realizing and eat more than you should be eating. If you are someone that has multiple cheeseburgers in one sitting during cheat days, portion it out and eat one every hour or so. Your stomach needs time to digest and if you are taking in too much food at once, you are not giving your stomach the proper time it needs to digest resulting in gaining weight, upset stomach, etc. So portion out your food.
Step Six: Every Calorie Counts
- When you are sticking to your diet and exercise plans, pay attention to your calorie intake. If not careful, you can either eat too much or eat too little. There needs to be a medium in how much you take in your body a day. For example, if you are trying to lose a pound a week, you need to be maintaining 3,500 calories a day. Definitely do your research on the foods you eat because not everything is covered right away. For example, did you know a large General Tao chicken at Chinese restaurants are 810 calories? You'll need to run 10 miles in order to burn a good 700-750 calories of that amount in one day in order to make it. So pay attention to your calorie intake. Every calorie counts.
Now that you have followed the steps and have been on your journey, you should notice some change in weight. Give yourselves a pat on the back because you made it this far for yourself. Not because anyone told you that you needed to do it or antagonized you for it. Losing weight builds a lot of confidence, patience and self-esteem. Never give up in what you believe in and keep going far to reach your goals.
