How to Diet Properly & Actually Lose Weight (in 6 Steps)

You’re trying to lose weight, but it’s harder than you thought.

You feel frustrated and angry that you’re unable to shed the weight as easily as your co-workers.

Did you ever think that there could be more to it than just losing weight? There could be underlying issues that haven’t been addressed.

I mean, you hear it alllll the time!

Try this XYZ diet & you’ll shed those pounds. Of course, you will. I’m not saying you won’t, it’s just will you KEEP it off? Also, during the diet, you start depriving yourself & fall into a DEEP, DEEP hole once the weight comes back.

Not to mention, you can only enjoy salad so many days in a row. Am I right? It gets BORING & watching your co-workers eat cookies and cake in front of you is PURELY EVIL.

I want you to stop following the advice of “so-called professionals” who tell you you can’t eat this, that & everything else.

HERE are a few steps you NEED to take before you start altering your food choices.

STEP 1: focus on the inside before the outside.

I want you to ask yourself the following questions –

are you emotionally stable?

how’s your mental health?

are you an emotional eater?

are you happy with your life?

are you in a good head space?

are you struggling with anxiety, depression, or stress?

Here are a few things you can do to help yourself –

• free write – every morning, jot down your thoughts. write down whatever comes to mind and don’t stop until you feel a bit lighter.
• seek professional help – if you feel as if you’re struggling with sifting through your thoughts, a counselor is always an avenue you can explore!
• learn to love yourself – you need to ask yourself why you don’t love yourself in the first place. Explore your past by asking questions about your childhood, family life, environment and relationships.
• meditate – there are plenty of youtube videos out there that will guide you through a meditation
• practice daily gratitude – every day, list the top 5 things you’re grateful for
• daily affirmations – each morning, recite 5 positive things you love about yourself

STEP 2: get rid of toxic people

Focus on who you’re surrounding yourself with. Do you feel like you are dealing with toxic people who put you down instead of lift you up? If you feel like these people are bringing you down, you should consider cutting ties with them. If you don’t want to exile them for good, consider spending less time in their company.

Here are a few things you can do to help yourself –

• set boundaries – don’t just say “yes” every time someone asks you for something
• set a time limit – tell the person you can only help them from 1pm – 3pm.
• don’t provide an explanation – if you simply don’t have the bandwidth to keep saying yes, don’t feel like you always need to explain yourself
• create an exit strategy – if you feel like a situation is getting out of hand, kindly excuse yourself
• only apologize when you mean it – only say sorry when you make a mistake
• do activities that make you feel good and energized – write down your top 3 favorite things you enjoy doing

STEP 3: create a meal plan

think whole foods – fruits, veggies, protein, complex carbs, less processed foods, frozen dinners, junk food, sugar. You can definitely still have sweets once in a while, but swap out the refined sugar for coconut sugar, maple syrup or honey! Add in veggies such as black beans (yes, they’re considered a vegetable) , zucchini, and sweet potato to your desserts!

Healthy Swaps >

refined sugar  ———>   coconut sugar/honey/maple syrup

butter ——–>   coconut oil

sugary drinks ————> water infused with fruit

sour cream/mayo   ———>  grass-fed yogurt/plant-based yogurt

rice ———> quinoa

white pasta ———>  chickpea pasta

STEP 4: Exercise

at least 30 minutes a day – any sort of movement is 🔑

• yoga                                 
• meditation
• go for a walk
• bike ride
• Pilates
• swimming
• jogging
• treadmill
• kickboxing
• elliptical

STEP 5: learn how to handle stressful situations

learn what triggers your stress.

learn how to feel less stressed.

learn how to de-stress from a stressful situation.

ask yourself – what can I do before a stressful situation arises?

Here are a few things you can do to help yourself –

• write down the top 3 stressors in your life so you can avoid a stressful situation before it occurs
• describe how you feel when you’re stressed
• make sure you fit in small acts of self-care on those days
• think about what you can do in that given moment to calm yourself down
• be extra kind to yourself on the days you feel most stressed
• in a stressful moment, do deep breathing exercises

STEP 6: implementation

utilizing these strategies will be key to actually losing weight and feeling good about yourself!

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Hoping this guide will help you finally lose weight!