Today's post is gonna be a long one! I had it in mind that I wanted to share a few tips + tricks from my experience losing weight but I didn't realize it would be this in depth until I started writing. With us still being fresh into the new year, I thought I could help inspire those of you wanting to make a change and be a more confident version of you. I've struggled many times with body image, wanting to lose weight and failing to lose weight. I still do at times and I think that's a normal part of life that most of us deal with. It can be overwhelming and feel like a constaaaannntttt struggle, even when you're making progress.
I love sharing my outfits with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)
OUTFIT DEETS
Before we jump in, can we talk about this outfit? One of my new faves!
These leggings are great for working out (super light + great compression) but I love them for everyday wear too. They're sporty, hit right at the ankle + I found them
on sale here for $22! I'm PICKY with leggings + I love them.
This is
the best top too-- it's super soft and has the twist front design which is very flattering. I of course have black but there are several colors. It's
on sale for under $20 here. I'm wearing
these socks from the same brand (a little thicker, more athletic) & love them.
These are probably my most worn shoe at this point. They're easy, lightweight and comfy. They're also around $85 which is very reasonable compared to a lot of others. I just can't bring myself to spend $200 on sneaks! You can find them
here in several colors.
MY WEIGHT LOSS EXPERIENCE
I've had two of what I will call "journeys" where I've actually lost what I consider a significant amount of weight for my body. The first time was several years back during my junior year of college. For months, I felt unhappy with how I looked and was uncomfortable in my own skin. I remember weighing myself one day and hating the number I saw. I thought "I can't keep going on like this, I can't let the number keep going up." I wasn't proud of how I looked or felt and after several failed attempts, finally committed to making a change. Over the next year, I found my mojo and consistently lost a little over 30lbs.
Fast forward to August of 2020. Since graduating college back in 2016, I would say I gained back around 10-12lbs of the weight I had lost. This was gradual over w years but I started feeling unhappy with where I was at again. I decided to cut back again doing what worked for me the first time. By November, I had lost right around 12lbs.
**Before we jump in, I also want to add that the number on the scale and what size you wear aren't the most important things in a "weight-loss journey." While I have always had "goal weights" in mind, the biggest thing I have always found to be most important is the way I feel and being comfortable in how I look. That is different for everyone + while the numbers are great to track progress, don't let them consume you or become an obsession. Easy does it ;)**
MY WEIGHT LOSS TIPS + TRICKS
Weight loss is sometimes made complicated but what I believe worked for me and what does work if you're consistent is consuming less calories than your body is burning. The concept is simple but is easier said than done. In my mind, this always meant "Well, I either have to eat like bird or I have to exercise to eat what I want." Being the food lover that I am, I naturally thought the only option was exercising my a** off so I could keep eating whatever I wanted. I never loved working out and after trying that for a few months, I never saw much progress and ended up quitting.
When I committed to my first journey as we're calling it, I decided to focus on my eating habits which I believe made all the difference. I read one time that weight loss/fitness is made up of 70% of your diet and only 30% exercise. If you think about how much energy it takes to burn calories vs. how easy it is to consume them, this makes a lot of sense! So for me, in order to consume less than my body is burning I focus on how much I'm eating. When I'm trying to cut back + shed a few pounds, I try to stay within a certain healthy calorie amount for the day which I do primarily by making better food choices + decisions.
Here are the steps I use!
IDENTIFY YOUR STARTING POINT -- When starting a "weight-loss journey," I think it's extremely important to first take note of where you are now. If you're reading this post, you probably have a good idea of where you are versus where you'd like to be. With our body, this is easy because most of us are aware of how we look, how much we weigh and our mindset/level of happiness about these factors. Whenever I've successfully lost weight and stuck to a plan, it has been because I had reached a point where I was no longer happy with myself. I was unhappy with the numbers on the scale but more importantly, how I felt when I looked in the mirror.
I don't believe weight loss is or should be strictly based upon numbers and how much weight you can lose but for me, awareness has always been important. While we know we want to change, sometimes it can be scary to face reality and accept where we are. Stepping on the scale and confirming what you feared can be difficult. There isn't a one-size-fits-all magic number on the scale that we all need to reach. Where you want to go is something you have to decide but in order to make progress, you have to know where you're starting. Once you do that, you can create a goal for yourself and track your progress.
*Tip: I would suggest writing down your starting weight + take a photo of yourself before you start! This will help you establish where you are, where you want to go + how much progress you make!*
ESTABLISH A REALISTIC GOAL -- Once you know where you are, you can create a REALISTIC goal for yourself. It's easy to focus on the end result ("I want to lose 50lbs!") or ("I need to lose 30lbs by next May!") which can overwhelm you if you're not careful. I think it's great to take note of your ideal end goal, however in my experience healthy weight loss takes time. We all love instant gratification which doesn't usually happen with weight loss.
I would suggest starting small with something that seems manageable + easy to do. Whether it's one pound, five or ten, make it attainable in your mind and don't focus too much on how long it takes you. It took me close to a year to lose 30lbs the first time but only three months to lose 12lbs my second time around.
*The key is to create a realistic goal that is attainable so you achieve it. Once you accomplish this and see yourself succeeding, you can build + keep going. Consistency is HUGE. It takes time to see progress + it can be slow moving in the beginning.*
BREAK DOWN YOUR GOAL -- Once you establish your goal, break it down into increments. Since you need to burn more calories than you consume, you need to figure out what this means and how to do it. There are several factors such as your gender, age, weight, activity level, etc. that can tell you the ideal amount of healthy calories you should be consuming per day to lose weight.
There are websites out there you can use, however I use the MyFitnessPal app for this. I started using it years ago + honestly believe it's a large part of why I've been successful. The app is amazing + helps you set up everything. It asks you to input everything from your starting weight, goal weight + how much you want to lose per week (from 0.5lbs to 2lbs). It then will guide you on how many calories you should be consuming per day to reach these goals.
The best part is the food diary feature. It allows you to input your meals during the day to track calories/nutrition/etc. You can then see how much you're eating compared to how much you should be for your weight loss plan. (PS-- not being sponsored or paid for this. They have no clue who I am, I just love their app!)
TRACK YOUR CALORIES -- After establishing your goal and breaking it down into how much you should aim to eat per day, I think it's important to track how much you are use to eating. This can be difficult (kind of like weighing yourself) because sometimes out of site, out of mind feels better. If you really want to make progress, you have to know what your habits have been so you can make changes.
It's also a great exercise to learn the nutritional info on a lot of the foods you eat. I remember being shocked by a lot of what I use to eat + how many calories/fat content certain foods contained. This helps bring awareness + allows you to make better choices. I like being able to choose what's worth the calories or not.
BE DISCIPLINED + CONSISTENT -- One of the biggest make or breaks with weight loss is consistency. It's so easy to give up and quit after a few weeks of seeing no progress. It takes time but if you are disciplined + consistent, results will come. It can feel like you're making zero progress and having to make better food choices than what you're use to can also be very difficult. You have to remember why you started + remember the first ten pounds are the hardest to lose!
SLOW & STEADY -- This one to me is so so important and why I believe creating a time frame of when you have to lose X lbs by isn't the best. It takes time to develop consistency and new habits. In a perfect world, if you followed your calorie plan perfectly every single day then you would hopefully lose X lbs by a certain date. That is very unrealistic and puts unnecessary pressure that I think sets you up for failure. You have to find a balance between being consistent + staying with it but also giving yourself grace when you mess up.
When I started my journey, I set my plan at 2lbs per week which advised me to consume about 1200 calories per day. Compared to what I had been eating, this was a lot less. It took time for me to adjust and find things that fit within my calorie range that I wanted to eat. I'm picky and love food! It was important for me to still have the freedom and autonomy to eat what I wanted, just more responsibly. Some days I would eat around the 1200, others I would eat closer to 1500. I always tried to be disciplined but if I went over, I wouldn't beat myself up. It's called a journey for a reason! You just start all over + try again the next day. I think that's another reason "diets" fail-- if there is too much restriction you will eventually get burnt out and give up. Take your time to find a way that works for you that you enjoy!
CHEAT DAYS -- Because I think it's important to go at your own pace to stay consistent + figure out what works for you, I think cheat days are important. I like to give myself the grace of off days/weekends to have the freedom to eat something I might not normally during the week or that might exceed my calorie range for the day. If you want to be successful, it's important to be consistent and disciplined but to not over do it. If you restrict and deprive yourself, you will end up giving up. Having two days a week to have a break and not worry about what you can't have helps me to be more consistent on my other days.
*I would rather lose weight at a slower rate that's consistent over time versus lose a few pounds quickly only to quit later on.*
TRACK YOUR PROGRESS -- Tracking your progress is essential to see how things are going. On my first journey, I would weigh myself once a week on the same day/around the same time. I would also take pictures of myself periodically. These are great ways to keep track of your progress + look back at how far you've come!
*I think it's important to note that some weeks you'll see some positive changes + others you might not. You might also see numbers go up + down or feel frustrated. This is normal! Just keep moving + don't focus too much on the scale.*
THE END?? LOL!
Sheeewwwww, that was a long one. I wasn't planning on writing out a whole novel but I realized five bullet points wasn't going to cut it. I wanted to be thorough + hopefully give you some helpful tips if you're looking to lose weight. These are the things that work for me but I am not an expert or fitness/nutritional professional. This ins't intended to be professional or medical advice so always be sure to consult a professional or your doctor.
If you have more questions for me or want to know more about my experience, feel free to comment below or message me on IG (@TheKristenDiary)!
xx,
Kristen
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