(Remember, before starting any diet and exercise regimen, talk with your doctor first.)
Last week we heard from Jennifer and will be following along with her journey to getting healthier and dropping those pesky lb’s. Well…I am right there with her.
So, in my journey to drop some pounds and get healthier overall, I have been following Weight Watchers. While I’ve had some success, a few additional techniques have really aided my quest to lose weight. Maybe you’ve heard of some of these tips, maybe some will be brand new. Either way, I hope they can be helpful to you.
1. Have blood work done.
Last year, I tried for months to get back in the habit of exercising. But I was soooooo tired all the time, I could not get my rear in gear. I’m talking I had to lay down in the afternoon for a long nap, just to be able to make it a few hours til bedtime. I thought it was because I was a SAHM with a three year old. I went in for my annual checkup with my doctor, and she ordered blood work. Turns out, I was deficient in Vitamin D and extremely deficient in Vitamin B, both of which can cause fatigue. As she said, “With these numbers, you must be exhausted.” Uh, yeah. She prescribed a Vitamin B nose spray and recommended a Vitamin D supplement to be taken with calcium. After six months, my energy levels are up, my blood levels are within normal range and I have started walking for exercise.
2. Know what the number on the scale means.
Most importantly, you are more than a number. Remember that, queen!
Anyway, some people avoid the scale like the plague when trying to lose weight. Others weight every day. I have found for me, weighing on the same day of the week, once a week, is a good way to check in with my body. My friend Nadine Dumas is a fitness coach and model who has an excellent post on her site about understanding the number on the scale. There are many factors that can make that number move: exercise, hormones, stress and more. Check it out here: https://nadinedumas.com/what-that-number-on-the-scale-really-means
3. Intermittent fasting
Fun Fact: From an evolutionary standpoint, humans weren’t designed to eat three square meals and snacks every day. Say what?!
Way back when, we had to hunt and gather, eating when we times were good and fasting when times were lean. Intermittent fasting means only eating during a set time period of the day. I don’t eat anything before noon or after 8:00pm. I still try to watch what I eat – types of food and portion sizes – during that time. It works for me because I’m not usually hungry first thing in the morning. I drink water or tea and that gets me going.
4. Eat soup
I like to eat and need to feel full after I nosh.
Late afternoon is the worst time for me as far as feeling hungry. I have found that a piece of fruit or some nuts just doesn’t cut it for a snack. Enter soup. A cup or two of soup fills me up, helps me avoid candy and chips and gets me to dinner time. Keep in mind though, the soups I eat do not have cream, beef or pasta. Think chicken vegetable, tomato soup, black bean soup, lentil, etc. Google search soup for any type of eating plan you follow – keto, Weight Watchers, vegan and so on – and you are bound to find a soup recipe you love.
