The Recipe

Another year and another Thanksgiving has passed. Did you eat too much? I'm sure some of us did, but to the ones that didn't. Well done! Well done on practicing self control and eating in moderation. I want to touch on something that I see happen a lot with people who are trying to lose weight. First off, you'll hear some people say that you shouldn't focus on losing weight, but focus on being healthy. Sounds good right? Well it is  if you don't have that much weight to lose, but if you have been struggling with being obese for a long period of time you are going to want to see the pounds on the scale drop. In the initial stages of weight loss for a thinner person the scale really isn't going to move that much but you'll see the changes in your body. If you're obese and  you change your eating habits the scale is going to drop swiftly. Most of this is just water weight that your body has been holding on to. After all that water weight is gone it slows down a lot. Now here is where the issue comes in for most. You're  dropping all this weight in the beginning and now hardly anything. You may do a little exercise here and there but you're still not seeing the results you were getting at the beginning. Also, you may go into a little denial about what you're actually consuming and how much exercise you're doing. The problem is your recipe isn't working anymore...

I've been doing a lot of cooking lately and I realized I'm actually pretty good at it. I've made some things from a recipe book and it was great! I tried to do it again and it just didn't taste the same. Has this ever happened to anyone besides me? I followed the same instructions and it came out totally different than the last time. What I realized is that the slightest little error can throw a recipe off. Unless you are 100% perfect every time the taste could be different. The point of me telling you this is to give an example of how your weight loss recipe can be different from the slightest little changes and result in a not so great weight loss. For example, an unexpected meal out, you ran out of food and had to get something from a snack machine, you drink an extra cup of coffee, you ate a few pieces of candy off your co workers desk, you go out for drinks with your friends etc. Those are just a few thing that will cause a shift in your progress. So, what I want to do now is to give you my recipe for weight loss that will ensure you a great week if you're watching the scale.

1: Keep a food journal
Journaling will keep you honest. Most of the time if you have to write down what you eat it'll keep you from sneaking things you're not supposed to have. If you can't keep a journal then you are not ready to face the fact of what you did to slow your own progress. Whatever plan you decide to follow when it comes to a diet will work as long as you stick to it!

2. Drink water
When I say drink water, I mean drink water! Not coffee, milk, iced tea, fruit punch etc... I mean good old water. You need about 64 ounces at the least. If you're not getting at least that, you can't expect to have continued success. You'll just end up retaining water weight instead of losing it.

3. Exercise
This one is very important! I'm about to give you a little truth here and I know some people won't like it but you need to hear it. What do I  mean when I say exercise? I don't mean going for a walk out in your neighborhood. To me that is just one step above the couch. I'm talking about getting out there and busting your butt. Lifting weights, doing crunches, interval jogging etc.. Something that is going to make you sweat and tighten those muscles up 4-5 times a week for an hour at least. The only times in my opinion that is ok to just walk for exercise is if you have been injured and you are rehabbing or you are very limited with movement. Otherwise, stop being lazy  and do something.

Follow these simple 3 steps and watch your body change and the pounds come off!