I’m not a doctor, nutritionist or trainer. I’m an ordinary woman who lost a lot of weight, more than 60 pounds in a year, after trying and failing at every diet under the sun. I’d fail because I always gave up too quickly. So as I set out on this new journey, one I viewed as mandatory, I realized that what I put in my head would be more powerful than what I put in my mouth. I needed a mental plan to go with my meal plan.
Anyone who wants to lose weight knows she should eat less, move more and cut out foods that have made her fat. For me, I chose to strictly limit carbs because it’s cut-and-dried with no ambiguity. I now eat a fraction of the food that I used to, but I don’t walk around starving.
My mind shift took plenty of creativity, and still does. I was up for the challenge, which sometimes is an hourly struggle, but in the end, the results were worth it.
I share all of my tips in my new book,”The Shift: How I Finally Lost Weight & Discovered a Happier Life[1].” Here are seven “Shift” tips that still work for me:
Weigh yourself daily. If I’m up, I’m more determined. If I’m down, I’m more motivated.
Pause before giving in to temptation. A walk around the block beats an Oreo Bender.
Read nutritional labels or check an app. Paying attention to these details enables me to make smart food choices.
If tempted to binge, grab nail polish. Yup, applying clear top coat has saved me from countless calories. You can’t stick wet nails into a bag of chips.
Keep safe snacks on hand. Sour pickles. Smoked salmon and cream cheese pinwheels. Celery and a tablespoon of peanut butter. Hail Merry two-pack choco macaroons.
Put old photos on display. Some people are motivated by looking at supermodels in bikinis. For me, there’s nothing like dozens of pictures of my (former) triple chin to stay the course.
No “cheat” days. Rewarding a week of healthy eating with cake and cookies is akin to an alcoholic celebrating a month of sobriety with a few beers. It doesn’t work. But if you slip, get back on track instantly. Day One can always be right now.
To make your own “Shift,” dig deep for the answers to these five questions as they apply to you.
1) How Fed Up Are You, Really? When the pain and possible penalty of being fat outweighed the likely pain of changing, I knew I was ready to Shift.
2) What Are You Willing To Give Up?
For the “Shift” to work, nothing can be more important than tackling your goal. It’s an all-or-nothing deal, hard as it sounds. And it is hard, but it becomes easier with time. I gave up various foods, I finally started to exercise and I made lifestyle changes. For example, I regrettably didn’t go to a movie for a year because the thought of being around that buttered popcorn, but not eating it, seemed more torturous than simply staying home.
3) What’s Your Plan?
There’s no winging it when it comes to making any significant life change. Spell out clear, concise rules to eliminate any ambiguity. For me, cutting carbs was a big one. No cheat days was another.
4) What’s Your Daily Accountability?
It’s easy to slip when no one is looking. Daily weigh-ins and a Nike Fuel Band to monitor my movement still keep me on track. Photos help too.
5) How Will You Embrace Patience and Celebrate Victories? Whenever I tried to lose weight, I’d always give up, because I was too impatient. I wanted instant results. I view the “Shift” not as a diet but as a journey that’s going to take time. My rewards are inedible – lighting a beautiful candle, a quick manicure, an iTunes song, smaller-size clothing.
Join me as I travel the country to help women and men Make the Shift[2] for a better, happier, healthier life. You can also talk to me on Twitter[3] or Facebook[4] about your questions and ideas. And of course you can get my new book, ” The Shift: How I Finally Lost Weight & Discovered a Happier Life[5],” wherever books are sold.
Click HERE[6] to read an excerpt from Tory Johnson’s new book: ‘The Shift: How I Finally Lost Weight & Discovered a Happier Life.’
Also Read[7]
References
- ^ The Shift: How I Finally Lost Weight & Discovered a Happier Life (www.amazon.com)
- ^ Make the Shift (www.shiftwithtory.com)
- ^ Twitter (www.twitter.com)
- ^ Facebook (www.facebook.com)
- ^ The Shift: How I Finally Lost Weight & Discovered a Happier Life (www.amazon.com)
- ^ Click HERE (abcnews.go.com)
- ^ Also Read (abcnews.go.com)
Resources:
6 Tips to Trim the Fat | Fit Pregnancy
Weight Loss Tips for New Moms. < > View All. Exercise alone won't help you lose weight. One theory is that people often end up consuming more calories than they need after a tough workout because they feel they've earned the right to … http://www.fitpregnancy.com/nutrition/postnatal-nutrition/6-tips-trim-fat
Fifty Fat Loss Tips – Poliquin Group
For gradual fat loss over a longer period, include strength cycles that favor testosterone release with heavier loads (up to 95 percent 1RM), slightly longer rest (2 to 3 minutes), and lots of sets. 10. Work harder. If you're not … http://www.poliquingroup.com/Blog/tabid/130/EntryId/1174/Fifty-Fat-Loss-Tips.aspx
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You Can Help Your Child Get More Exercise By Following These 5 Tips
Does your child get enough exercise? You can get your children more active with these 5 fun parenting tips.
Better Health in Four Steps
In just four steps, you can improve your health for the better and this article will show you how. The steps below are bite-sized nuggets of health information you can actually use to live a healthy life. Here we go… Nutritional supplements are the first step As far as I’m concerned, they are very important […]
Top 4 Nutrition Predictions in the New Year
Several food and nutrition trends were in the spotlight this year, including the continued rise of plant-based diets, non-dairy ice creams and superfoods that are blasts from the past — legumes, apples and cabbage. It can be easy to experience nutrition whiplash in the New Year, but don’t be a victim. Get a jump-start on […]
5 Ways to Feel Good While Getting Fit
Setting intentions is a powerful thing. Then when you have that shiny new gym membership in hand, you feel like nothing stands between you and your goals to get in shape once and for all. Trouble is, lack of motivation, unpreparedness and busy schedules have a way of interfering with our plans. If you find […]
What Can I Do To Guarantee Losing Weight And Toning In A Fairly Fast Way? I really need to lose weight and I have been having trouble.
What workouts should I do?
What foods should I eat?
Which foods should I avoid?
What is considered a “small” meal when people mention eating 5-6 small meals a day?
How much water should I drink?
What other weight loss and fat loss tips do you have?
THANKS!
Drink Genmaicha green tea.
it is a japanese natural tea, that helps with weight loss.
http://www.o-cha.com
Am I Doing Well On The First Day Of My Diet? Anything I Shouldn’t Eat And Any Tips? I’m 14 and I’m going on my very first diet so that I can lose belly fat for the summer. I’m doing exercise as well as watching what I eat and counting calories. I only plan to lose around 7 pounds, so I have 3 months. I was wondering if there’s anything I ate so far that I shouldn’t of ate and what I should avoid eating in the future? Also does anyone have any belly fat loss tips?
SunBest Fruit Biscuits Apples & Raisins – 168 cal.
1 whole wheat flour tortilla with half a cup of refried beans – 240 cal.
1 cup of cheerios and half a cup of organic whole milk – 175 cal.
1 cup of split pea soup – 160 cal.
So that all comes to around 745 calories. I haven’t had dinner or a midnight snack yet, so I know that by the time the day is over I’ll have eaten at least 1100 calories.
What Should I Be Careful About When Buying Fat Loss Supplements? I am going to start going to the gym after a year of absence, and I want to lose the weight I gained fast. I’ll buy supplements like proteins, vitamins etc. I’ll also buy fat loss supplements, but as I’ve never bought these before, I don’t know which ones to get.
You got it right, avoid the supplements with ephedra and other stimulants such as caffein. If you are looking for the best way to loose weight, check out this blog
http://best-fat-loss-tips.blogspot.com/
Here you can learn the secrets how to loss fat permanently
Hope this help,
What Is Are Some Of Your Favorite Weight Loss Tips? What are some of your most succesfull weight loss tips?? I have my few that I live by, but I am looking for some tips on cutting down. Please only share different/ unique tips.
I know about all the common ones…. lots of water lots of rest six small meals etc.
thank you so much in advance!
Hi CollegeGirl
In my opinion, no weight loss tips are truly successful on their own. Lots of water is not necessarily a good way, because how much water a person needs depends on the BMI of the person. 6 small meals maybe hard at times, especially when you are stuck at school or office and have no chance to eat, and then you need to eat more when you have the chance. Well, dieting is a good way to lose weight, but then it is hard to stick to a diet. For example, something like this:
Breakfast:
2 egg, low fat Cheddar cheese omelette – 320 calories
2 slices wholemeal toast with thin smear butter – 200 calories
Large slice melon – 47 calories
Lunch:
Spicy Turkey Salad recipe – 304 calories
Snack:
Muesli or honey nut Health Bar “Sainsbury” – 180 calories
Dinner:
Baked potato with 100g “Heinz” baked beans &/or Cottage cheese if desired – 300 – 400 calories (350 average)
Large helping salad fruits &/or vegetables – 100 calories
Another weight loss tip is to do interval and turbulence exercise.
Turbulence Training is a fresh plan that requires finishing three 45-minute exercise sessions each week with marginal equipment. It is an increasingly trend-setting fitness plan with the intention of helping you in the reduction of weight.
Interval training is the fitness world’s equivalent of a visit to the in-laws. The shorter and more intense the visit, the better. An interval is a short period of exercise performed at a given intensity for a specific length of time. Each interval is separated from the next interval by a short rest or lighter activity. There are no strict rules on how long or how intense the interval must be, however, changing the interval length or intensity changes the way your body works and responds to exercise.
But people have a short willpower. It may be strong at the beginning but will eventually fade as time goes on- as they realize that going on a diet is not actually as easy as they think it is. Of course, the strength of willpower differs from one person to another. This is the reason why there are people who can actually maintain a diet and exercise program for 1 year and there are people who can only maintain it for few months. Nonetheless, willpower is a big factor that dictates someone whether to continue losing weight or not.
And in my opinion, besides sticking to a diet and exercise plan, it is the ultimate willpower to stop yourself from overeating that is the #1 tip to lose weight. But that is the hardest part if you are accustomed to eating lots of food even though your body does not need it. It is partly because of the delicious taste of the food causing a craving for more. There are certain ways to fight this craving ad I found one that maybe helpful. It is a type of chocolate that can actually suppress your appetite. It will can provide Good Energy that promotes a healthy weight by providing energy while burning fat. And it helps suppress cravings for sugary snacks.
Good luck!
PS: Information on the Special Chocolate that I mentioned can be found on the website in the source box. Recently, they are giving away a one month free trial.