how do i start losing weight this is the first question that pops up when i am going through a new pattern of dieting whether it be eating clean or cutting calories and my stomach hurts from being hungry my husband tells me to stay hydrated so i tend to drink quite a lot of water however there are times when this event can not be enough there have been days recently when i have had an energy crash and just didnt feel like eating for those who are reading please understand that im not talking about a major illness and dont have a mental health condition i eat food as much as i want this has happened before with both men and women but we know what works for us now because i live alone especially during winter people think that if you are single or living on your own that you must be doing something wrong please understand i am neither making anything fun of anyone nor anything they should do if someone said they were having similar things to me then they would be lying you are not alone my husband told me once that we needed to go make some changes to our routine as usual he was correct the way i live my life in the last few years has slowly started taking its toll on my body people say to get rid of all the junk but you will never actually get rid of it its only part of your life now once you find the motivation you will be able to cut out everything that doesnt serve you anymore so without further ado here are the steps i take every day to lose weight and prevent myself from putting on weight again step 1 reduce calories by 200-800 we are starting at a healthy calorie goal of 1200 we do this by reducing the amount of processed food that we consume i tend to make sure that whenever we go out to dinner that i make sure that we eat lots of vegetables sometimes the best option is to use fresh veggies at least one of them cooking vegetables in soup or stews is a great idea if it doesnt come as part of the meal thats okay too just keep it simple and easy dont make them too thick just try different ways to prepare them a variety of fruits are also nice to add to meals they are filling and nutritious not everyone loves fruit as much or wants to eat such huge amounts of fruit for example lets say you work in a grocery store or supermarket one of the items that you like is grapes you might not even like it when you see it alone when we shop in bulk bins or boxes at costco we dont get to buy any grapes that means theyre always in excess instead i make a small batch of jelly and freeze it then if i go shopping i usually grab a handful or two if we are craving something else i will either grab a bag full of dried apples or berries or i will whip up some whipped cream either way i get to enjoy these yummy treats without having to worry about overeating by using this method to reduce calories i do not have to worry about running out of money therefore i dont need to spend hours researching recipes for snacks if it is going to cost a dollar or more i will just grab a cookie or a hard-boiled egg this method cuts down on my expenses most importantly we are getting a healthier meal every day even if it is just a small snack for lunch or dinner

step 2 eat more fiber and protein the next step is to increase our fiber intake to help our bodies better digest it since we are aiming for 1200 calories per day the recommended daily allowance for fiber is 256 serving my husband suggested that we increase our protein intake as well he suggested including chicken wings which can also be low in cholesterol chicken wings have a high satiety index so if you are craving something spicy youll quickly be satisfied to help with this we often have large meals with steak or meaty dishes on non-spicy days i prefer salmon or tuna or ham steak each of these options has a lower saturated fat content than other meats additionally salmon can be purchased frozen instead of canned both of these options have less of a higher sodium content so it is safer than canned products the benefits of having fish in your diet far outweigh any negatives plus salmon makes for less expensive meals as well step 3 increase your exercise in addition to increasing our intake of vitamins and minerals exercise is vital to our overall physical well-being exercise does a lot for your muscles muscle is more efficient at functioning compared to fat hence more muscle allows for increased circulation in the body making weight loss easier exercising helps me stay active throughout the day being active is very important for reducing the chances of gaining weight because it keeps you from becoming lazy working on my endurance and strength i can fit into smaller clothes these same activities provide me with little moments of joy and inspiration where i can stop and reflect on my successes having regular workouts that are high intensity for 30-60 minutes most at 5-10 times a week while working out with weights i will practice balance with a yoga mat taking time away from work and having the proper form will help strengthen my lungs and heart which will result in burning calories i am currently looking into trying interval training although since we do not have equipment quite as advanced as the ones we used growing up i need to switch to low-impact exercises for added resistance again i would recommend against any injuries going forward doing high-risk high-impact exercises can have more damage to your body than moderate or light exercises step 4 get enough sleep i believe that sleep affects many aspects of the body and body weight lack of sleep affects your metabolism which in turn increases cravings for food and sugary beverages research shows that lack of sleep also causes poor cognitive and memory functioning without adequate sleep body temperature and mood can fluctuate due to this fluctuation you risk gaining and developing unwanted body weight getting enough sleep is essential for the body and mind after i read and learned about why you lose sleep due to stress and anxiety i became aware of how much of my sleep schedule was affected with my job and busy schedule i do not have much time to sleep thus i need to make adjustments to be better adjusted as well as manage my emotions thankfully i found a solution sleeping on my side in bed or laying in bed sleeping on my left side for the most part i have become accustomed to lying on my back but sometimes i find myself rolling over when i drift off regardless i sleep at night at my specific preferred hour around 8 pm no matter what happens during the night i feel much more rested after i have had a good nights rest and i feel mentally renewed and ready to continue the day besides this activity i love having at least four hours of uninterrupted sleep each night this activity is crucial especially because we cannot always maintain a consistent sleep schedule our routines can be disrupted due to various reasons nevertheless it still helps to ensure that i am in the right mood set-up to handle any problems that may arise step 5 stay hydrated as caffeine drinking water tea coffee etc is highly beneficial for maintaining a balanced body weight especially during the cold season more than ever i crave coffee and tea this habit of mine leads to a couple of other bad habits which include snacking between meals making sure to bring a glass of water or another beverage with me wherever possible while eating helps me avoid unnecessary hunger pangs occasionally i will have dessert as well because i always end up feeling empty drinking water before meals is one of the easiest ways to have a healthy meal before you head out the door make sure to drink plenty for the whole meal to get those nutrients in before you head outside another tip is adding some ice water to your drinks as i usually do for extra flavor this not only adds electrolytes to your drinks but also takes out any negative effects of sugar be selective too much sugar can lead to obesity remember this is a general guideline everyone is unique and will have their body type some of us have larger appetites and more energy to work towards goals others are more social are sensitive to caffeine andor have the tendency to be picky eaters and would rather have candy as opposed to fruithow do i start losing weight this is the first question that pops up when i am going through a new pattern of dieting whether it be eating clean or cutting calories and my stomach hurts from being hungry my husband tells me to stay hydrated so i tend to drink quite a lot of water however there are times when this event can not be enough there have been days recently when i have had an energy crash and just didnt feel like eating for those who are reading please understand that im not talking about a major illness and dont have a mental health condition i eat food as much as i want this has happened before with both men and women but we know what works for us now because i live alone especially during winter people think that if you are single or living on your own that you must be doing something wrong please understand i am neither making anything fun of anyone nor anything they should do if someone said they were having similar things to me then they would be lying you are not alone my husband told me once that we needed to go make some changes to our routine as usual he was correct the way i live my life in the last few years has slowly started taking its toll on my body people say to get rid of all the junk but you will never actually get rid of it its only part of your life now once you find the motivation you will be able to cut out everything that doesnt serve you anymore so without further ado here are the steps i take every day to lose weight and prevent myself from putting on weight again step 1 reduce calories by 200-800 we are starting at a healthy calorie goal of 1200 we do this by reducing the amount of processed food that we consume i tend to make sure that whenever we go out to dinner that i make sure that we eat lots of vegetables sometimes the best option is to use fresh veggies at least one of them cooking vegetables in soup or stews is a great idea if it doesnt come as part of the meal thats okay too just keep it simple and easy dont make them too thick just try different ways to prepare them a variety of fruits are also nice to add to meals they are filling and nutritious not everyone loves fruit as much or wants to eat such huge amounts of fruit for example lets say you work in a grocery store or supermarket one of the items that you like is grapes you might not even like it when you see it alone when we shop in bulk bins or boxes at costco we dont get to buy any grapes that means theyre always in excess instead i make a small batch of jelly and freeze it then if i go shopping i usually grab a handful or two if we are craving something else i will either grab a bag full of dried apples or berries or i will whip up some whipped cream either way i get to enjoy these yummy treats without having to worry about overeating by using this method to reduce calories i do not have to worry about running out of money therefore i dont need to spend hours researching recipes for snacks if it is going to cost a dollar or more i will just grab a cookie or a hard-boiled egg this method cuts down on my expenses most importantly we are getting a healthier meal every day even if it is just a small snack for lunch or dinner step 2 eat more fiber and protein the next step is to increase our fiber intake to help our bodies better digest it since we are aiming for 1200 calories per day the recommended daily allowance for fiber is 256 serving my husband suggested that we increase our protein intake as well he suggested including chicken wings which can also be low in cholesterol chicken wings have a high satiety index so if you are craving something spicy youll quickly be satisfied to help with this we often have large meals with steak or meaty dishes on non-spicy days i prefer salmon or tuna or ham steak each of these options has a lower saturated fat content than other meats additionally salmon can be purchased frozen instead of canned both of these options have less of a higher sodium content so it is safer than canned products the benefits of having fish in your diet far outweigh any negatives plus salmon makes for less expensive meals as well step 3 increase your exercise in addition to increasing our intake of vitamins and minerals exercise is vital to our overall physical well-being exercise does a lot for your muscles muscle is more efficient at functioning compared to fat hence more muscle allows for increased circulation in the body making weight loss easier exercising helps me stay active throughout the day being active is very important for reducing the chances of gaining weight because it keeps you from becoming lazy working on my endurance and strength i can fit into smaller clothes these same activities provide me with little moments of joy and inspiration where i can stop and reflect on my successes having regular workouts that are high intensity for 30-60 minutes most at 5-10 times a week while working out with weights i will practice balance with a yoga mat taking time away from work and having the proper form will help strengthen my lungs and heart which will result in burning calories i am currently looking into trying interval training although since we do not have equipment quite as advanced as the ones we used growing up i need to switch to low-impact exercises for added resistance again i would recommend against any injuries going forward doing high-risk high-impact exercises can have more damage to your body than moderate or light exercises step 4 get enough sleep i believe that sleep affects many aspects of the body and body weight lack of sleep affects your metabolism which in turn increases cravings for food and sugary beverages research shows that lack of sleep also causes poor cognitive and memory functioning without adequate sleep body temperature and mood can fluctuate due to this fluctuation you risk gaining and developing unwanted body weight getting enough sleep is essential for the body and mind after i read and learned about why you lose sleep due to stress and anxiety i became aware of how much of my sleep schedule was affected with my job and busy schedule i do not have much time to sleep thus i need to make adjustments to be better adjusted as well as manage my emotions thankfully i found a solution sleeping on my side in bed or laying in bed sleeping on my left side for the most part i have become accustomed to lying on my back but sometimes i find myself rolling over when i drift off regardless i sleep at night at my specific preferred hour around 8 pm no matter what happens during the night i feel much more rested after i have had a good nights rest and i feel mentally renewed and ready to continue the day besides this activity i love having at least four hours of uninterrupted sleep each night this activity is crucial especially because we cannot always maintain a consistent sleep schedule our routines can be disrupted due to various reasons nevertheless it still helps to ensure that i am in the right mood set-up to handle any problems that may arise

step 5 stay hydrated as caffeine drinking water tea coffee etc is highly beneficial for maintaining a balanced body weight especially during the cold season more than ever i crave coffee and tea this habit of mine leads to a couple of other bad habits which include snacking between meals making sure to bring a glass of water or another beverage with me wherever possible while eating helps me avoid unnecessary hunger pangs occasionally i will have dessert as well because i always end up feeling empty drinking water before meals is one of the easiest ways to have a healthy meal before you head out the door make sure to drink plenty for the whole meal to get those nutrients in before you head outside another tip is adding some ice water to your drinks as i usually do for extra flavor this not only adds electrolytes to your drinks but also takes out any negative effects of sugar be selective too much sugar can lead to obesity remember this is a general guideline everyone is unique and will have their body type some of us have larger appetites and more energy to work towards goals others are more social are sensitive to caffeine andor have the tendency to be picky eaters and would rather have candy as opposed to fruit