Five Easy Ways to Lose Weight

I'm posting twice in the space of two days, yes....

Purely because I want to set the scene and give you lovely lot something to read over the Christmas period to get a feel for what this blog is all about. 

 This post is going to focus on easy ways to kick-off your weight loss journey and start to lose weight in a healthy way before you start caning yourself in the gym and completely putting yourself off. I've done it myself, I've seen it happen and I am speaking from experience when I say it's better to take these simple steps before you make any hardcore changes! Forcing yourself into a routine is the road to failure. Taking small steps and adjusting is the best way forward, especially if you're not from a fitness background! 

Take these five simple steps and you will go from couch potato to lean, mean fighting machine. Just like I did! I've got the results to prove it and want to see you succeed, too. 

More shape and definition in the space of three months. But this wasn't the end result!

1. EAT BREAKFAST! - And make it a fairly big one. I've seen the misconception of eating less to get results quicker lead people into not eating breakfast, and then rewarding themselves at lunch with foods that have high sugar/fat/salt contents because they didn't consume the calories they usually would have at breakfast time. I used to skip breakfast all the time and then indulged at lunch because I thought I could get away with doubling up my food intake to make up for missing out on breakfast. But, since having a breakfast in the mornings I feel so much more energised and feel like I am being carried through until lunch time, where I can have another meal and sensible portion of food. Energy is another point. By missing out on breakfast you're going to feel sluggish and in need of sugary foods to give you a boost. Sugar converts to fat and is no good for weight loss, no matter how energised it makes you feel!

Breakfast suggestion- My old excuse for avoiding breakfast was always about how little time I had to get up, get ready and rush off to work in the morning. But Aldi do pots of Instant Oats that you just add hot water and whatever you like to and then you can eat it on the go!  I love to have mine with raspberries. Sometimes I will also mix it up and have it with apple and cinnamon, forrest fruits or banana and honey. 

2. Find alternatives to sugar: A lot of people make the assumption that sugar gives us energy, so we can just burn it off quickly without gaining too much weight. Whilst sugar gives us energy, it is only a very short-term buzz and we will eventually crash, making us want more and more to get the same effect. Sugar causes a build-up of stubborn fat on your body and it takes a lot of hard work to tone these areas and reduce the fat build-up (been there, done that!). But, you can't help having a sweet tooth! So, the best thing to do is find alternatives to sugary treats. Instead of energy drinks, try low-sugar flavoured water. Water is the best energy drink you can get! Put honey in your coffee instead of three sugars. This doesn't mean you cannot indulge occasionally, but it makes things a lot easier when you are dieting as you are still getting that sweet kick. 

3. Stay disciplined: It's so common for people to have a good streak and eat clean for a couple of days and then deceive themselves into indulging in booze, chocolate and saturated fats. Whilst cheat days aid weight loss and shock the metabolism the following few days, it is so important to stay disciplined as you will be cheating yourself out of what you want to achieve. Wait two weeks until you have your first cheat day so you can get into the rhythm and stay on the straight and narrow and then it's also easier to get back into the healthy routine. Be firm on yourself. When you see that Kinder Bueno and can feel yourself getting tempted after having some really good days, tell yourself you don't need it, you just want it. But you want the results more! 

4. Plan and prepare your meals: There are so many benefits of planning and preparing your meals but I don't want to talk you to death! Like the whole breakfast thing, people usually buy food out because they don't have the time to make it before they go to work or school, etc. But there's not many healthy choices when eating out and it's also so pricey! A phrase my dad has ALWAYS drilled in to me is 'fail to prepare, prepare to fail'. Plan out some healthy meals, go on Pinterest for inspiration. I will be sharing some ideas here too in the future! Plan it, then prepare it for the next day, week or however far in advance you like! Without preparation, it is so easy to slip back into buying crappy meal deals and all sorts of rubbish your body won't thank you for. Once it's prepared, it's done and all you need to do is grab it and go! 

5. Exercise should be hard, but not unbearable: Exercise is also crucial for a healthy body. It burns fat and is brilliant for toning. It's important to discipline yourself and make sure you put in a considerable amount of effort to get decent results, rather than just plodding along on the treadmill and lifting the lightest weights because 'it's easier'. But, the minute you stop listening to your body and start making your workouts a living hell for yourself is a minute closer to you caving in completely and quitting the gym. If you're new to the gym, watch some Fitness channels and look for workout inspiration. If you feel comfortable, take note and try the exercises yourself. Vary your workout so it doesn't become boring and try new things. I will be posting some workout ideas here soon so keep your eyes peeled! 

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Thank you so much for reading this post! I hope you stick around for more and get some motivation out of this blog. Make sure to follow now so you don't miss a thing and I will be writing the next post as you read this, so keep your eyes peeled!