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I was talking with a friend recently, and she was telling me about this so-called “skinny school” for weight loss that her friend joined to lose weight. The friend lost about 30lbs within the first month, which sounds amazing in theory. But I’m here today to remind you, if it sounds too good to be true, it might be just that.
I tried to look up this “skinny school” on the web to check it out and see what it was really all about. I wasn’t able to find a website for the school or any detailed information about how they lead their clients to such significant weight loss.
*Disclaimer* I’m not writing this post to downplay this or any other type of skinny school in any way, shape, or form. I just wanted to use it as an example towards my main point in this article. Miracle shortcuts don’t always lead to the best, longest lasting results.
My friend said that she was told they provide you with some sort of stimulant that speeds up the weight loss process. Say she decided to sign up for skinny school and began taking this supplement.
Even if all the ingredients are listed on the back of the bottle, and someone from the company gives you their shpeal about the product and its ingredients, does she really know what you’re putting in your body?
Maybe after several hours of internet research, looking up every one of those unpronounceable ingredients and learning more about them you’ll know a thing or two. But who really wants to do all that?
Long story short, I’m a firm believer in losing weight the old-fashioned way. Naturally, through hard work and discipline.
By changing more than just habits, but my lifestyle as a whole.
You know what happens to a lot of people who jump for those expensive quick weight loss programs? They lose the weight, but as soon as the program is done they tend to gain some, if not all, of the weight back. Some folks may be able to afford to keep up with that particular program and keep the weight off.
Good for them. Really, that’s awesome that they found what works for them consistently.
But is feeding one’s body all of these foreign, manufactured chemicals the best thing for our bodies? Maybe for its appearance, but definitely for the health of our body.
Imagine your body like a car. Some cars can take various types of fuel. Sometimes depending on what you want your car to do or sound like.
For instance, those of you who drive those awfully loud little cars might be putting in some type of super fuel to get that notoriety you so desire. So you get noticed and complimented on how loud and fast your car sounds, great. But is that particular fuel actually good for your car? Or is it just good for making a show of it for a temporary occasion?
I’m definitely not a car expert, so if my example is just a load of garbage, I apologize. But you get the point right?
Losing weight should be as much for your health as it is for your appearance.
Not only should your main focus be on improving your overall health, you should be aiming to turn these habits into lifestyle changes. Not just “I’m going to lose 25 pounds so I can look good in that bikini this summer, then I can go back to eating like crap.”
I mean, if that’s your desire, by all means, go back to the ways that made you gain all the extra weight in the first place. You can’t honestly say that carrying around those extra pounds and eating more artificial and fast food than you do whole foods makes you feel super awesome.
I can’t say that feeling sluggish and bloated is my favorite feeling in the world. Definitely not.
Do you want to know how to make losing weight, and keeping it off so much easier? Make it a lifestyle choice. If eating healthy and working out is your new default, it will take minimal to zero effort to do these things on a daily basis.
Once you turn healthy habits into a lifestyle, going back to any unhealthy ways will feel just wrong.
Getting started will be the hardest part. Once you have some momentum going, and you’re seeing and FEELING results you won’t want to turn back.
5 Simples Ways to Begin Turning Bad Health Habits into Good Health Lifestyle Choices:
- Replace one unhealthy snack with a good one:This particular tip is one that I personally have found to be super helpful. In the past five months or so I’ve been eating a plate of fruit and cheese for my evening snack if I end up wanting a snack. Rather than say, ice cream or chips. After about 4 days I found myself craving strawberries (my fruit of choice over the spring) and looking forward to eating them when I got home from work.
The fruit satisfies that craving for something sweet, while the cheese (or sometimes I add a hard-boiled egg) makes me feel full because of the protein. I’ve been eating a snack like this every day now, and I absolutely credit this choice towards me losing some weight in that time frame. - Cut back on all drinks that aren’t water or tea:If you’re an avid coffee drinker like myself, nothing comes between you and your morning coffee. This I can understand. One big change I’ve made in my daily habits over the past few years is that after I finish my morning coffee, all I drink for the rest of the day is water or tea.When I say tea, I mean unsweetened, plain and simple tea. Though if you like honey or agave in your tea go for it! Those sweeteners couldn’t be more natural. Green tea is especially good for supporting healthy weight loss. I personally gave up drinking soda about 7 years ago now.I have zero regrets or cravings. Although, I will admit I do indulge in a diet coke every so often if I go out to eat. Yea, yea, yea I know diet is technically so much worse for you. If you drink it on a daily basis, absolutely. I’m talking about maybe once or twice a month here.
Get your blood pumping. Some Exercise is better than no exercise:
- You don’t have to become one of those fitness freaks who always drink their pre work out and post workout shakes, and goes on and on about gains. There’s definitely nothing wrong with falling in love with fitness, but that life isn’t for everyone.
For those of you who don’t find enjoyment in lifting heavy hunks of metal up and down, or sweating it out on a treadmill for longer than 10 minutes. I don’t blame you. - Personally, I really enjoy working out, but I don’t judge you if the gym isn’t your cup of tea. I strongly recommend finding a different way to incorporate some sort of exercise into your daily life though. The gym isn’t the only place for fitness.
- This can be anything from taking your dog for a walk for an hour, or turning on your favorite playlist and dancing around in your living room for half an hour. Anything that gets your heart rate up and blood pumping for more than 10-20 mins daily. You’ll find that doing this, along with changing your eating habits will show some weight loss results over time.
Give your self a bedtime that allows you to get an adequate amount of sleep every night:
- There are several ways that getting adequate sleep each night can help you on your weight loss journey. First of all, and probably most the most enticing fact of all, getting adequate sleep boosts your fat loss. There have been scientific studies conducted, proving that getting eight or more hours of sleep per night, rather than less than six, significantly increases the amount of weight someone is able to lose.Another awesome fact about getting good sleep is that you are less likely to consume additional, unnecessary calories. The later you stay up at night the more likely you are to indulge in some late night snacking. Not only are you eating extra calories, eating less than 3 hours before going to sleep causes your body to store more fat. Since your body isn’t burning as many calories as you sleep.
Recognize what stresses you out, and how you react to stress:
- Stress eating is a serious problem for a lot of people. A lot of us associate food with emotional situations. I personally am guilty of this one. As a nursing student, being under constant stress is part of the job. I recognize this about myself and do my best not to indulge in this bad habit.
- Identify your emotional triggers and find a different, healthier way to cope with these feelings. Like working out for instance. Knowing the difference between emotional/bored eating is super important. Eating food for reasons other than actually being hungry is just putting so many extra calories, fats, carbs, etc, into your body.
Changing a lifestyle is so much easier said than done, that’s for sure. Life is too short to allow yourself to make it any shorter by choosing to live with unhealthy habits, or thinking you can take the fast and easy way out. Do your research before jumping into any of those “miracle weight loss” ordeals. They might help you lose weight fast, but are they really benefitting your mind and body long term? Your mind and body will thank you for choosing to lose weight and be healthy in the most natural way possible, I promise.
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