The Steps I Took To Lose Weight And Feel Better

Everyone’s health and wellness struggles and goals are different. For me personally, eating healthy was difficult. I struggled with craving foods like greasy chips, pizza and fried foods. I struggled with over eating and binge eating. I didn’t understand how certain foods affected the body especially weight. I used to wish I could just eat whatever I wanted (like heavily processed foods) and lose weight. I used to believe I could workout for two hours at the gym and then eat whatever I wanted later and lose weight. At one point I also believed I could lose weight by eating only healthy foods (or what I at least considered to be healthy) during the week and then eat all the crappy foods I craved as well as alcohol on the weekends. As you could probably guess, none of those methods worked.

I struggled with weight loss throughout my teenage years because I lacked an understanding about the interconnectedness between dietary choices, physical activity, mental state, and the body’s functioning. When I was in my early twenties I made one healthy choice which led to making more healthy choices to eventually lead me to losing 25 pounds.

Before I share the steps I took I want to remind you that this isn’t about looking a certain way or being a certain size. Healthy weight loss can help you feel better and live healthier. This blog post isn’t just about weight loss easier. That was just a result of everything I did. This is mostly just about making healthy choices to feel your best and live well. Weight loss is just an added bonus if that is your goal.

I also want to remind you that this is my personal story. Everyone is different and your journey should and will reflect that.

These are the steps I took on my personal journey:

I began by changing my breakfast to a lean and clean one

I took away the bagels and sugary muffins and breads and replaced them with healthier options like smoothies, overnight oats and protein rich breakfast like eggs. Breakfast, in my opinion, is the easiest meal to make healthier. When I shifted my breakfast to a healthier option I noticed that I felt better and because of this I naturally started integrating healthier eating practices throughout my day.

I added in 20-30 minute workouts to my daily routine

I didn’t sign up for hour long classes and I didn’t commit to some extreme program. I focused on prioritizing doable workouts which for me was just 20-30 minutes of working out a day 4-5 days a week. This helped me get into a consistent routine. By working out 20-30 minutes a few days a week I established a consistent routine, I supported my metabolic health, gained muscle and more. Working out, as you may have experienced, leaves you feeling good (thanks to the endorphins that are released during exertion). Because of this, it makes you want to keep up with feeling good by choosing habits that promote similar feeling.

I started doing a daily brain dump

Everyday I would write down anything that was bothering me or a list of everything that I was grateful for in life. I would take a few minutes each night and just write whatever was on my mind, whether it was good things or not so great things. By doing this I released whatever negative energy was weighing on me which helped to eliminate stress which can affect things like weight loss and gut health. This practice, by also listing out things I felt grateful for in my life, helped me to ground my energy, cultivate more positivity and be more present. All of these factors are essential for feeling good and developing a healthy lifestyle.

I started eating more fiber

At the age of 13 I started eating a vegetarian diet. Because there wasn’t much information about eating a vegetarian or vegan diet in a healthy nourishing way, I basically lived off of any plant based meats, yogurts, cheeses, highly processed snacks and other vegetarian items I could find at the grocery store. Due to the lack in fiber and large focus on proteins (especially fake proteins) I wasn’t feeling my best and losing weight was difficult. When I began to educate myself on diet and started eating nutritious fibrous foods like quinoa, fruit, vegetables, leafy greens, etc. I began feeling much more energized and losing weight was easier.

I made small incremental dietary shifts

I did not change my lifestyle all at once. There are a lot of small shifts that were made between my twenties and 30’s. There are even still some small changes I am making now to be healthier. Going from a diet full of heavily processed foods to a diet rich in real whole foods took a lot of baby steps. However, even though it took years to build healthier eating habits, I was able to lose weight and feel better and better with every step I took.

I began writing my goals down often

One thing that had a big impact on my journey was writing my goals down every 2-3 months. While I didn’t necessarily reach every goal I made, it gave me purpose and helped give me something to focus on, to align my lifestyle with as well as to stay motivated. I needed to continuously remind myself of what I am doing and also why so I wouldn’t give up.

I started meal prepping every week

When I first went all in on healthy eating back when I was 20 years old, I started meal prepping everything for the week. I pre-washed and pre-cut vegetables, prepped salads, healthier muffins, proteins, etc. Doing this helped me stay consistent with healthy eating. It took out the guess work and made eating healthier easier for me. While I don’t spend all day on Sundays meal prepping anymore, I do still meal prep throughout the week to help make my week easier and smoother.

Achieving results took a lot of time, patience and effort. As you’ll notice, I didn’t do anything extreme to lose weight in a small amount of time. I have tried to succeed by doing extremes prior to making the shifts shared above, but it never worked and it always left me feeling worse.

If you are ready to start integrating these small changes in your life then my Glow From Within Guide is for you. This guide includes helpful seasonal meal plans, healthy recipes, wellness routines for every season and more.

Want to dive deeper into creating a healthier lifestyle? Check out my 1:1 coaching program here.