If You Kinda Do It... It Kinda Works...

​Only a few days ago I found this saying... And, it resonated so much.

With anything in life, your return is directly related to what you're willing to invest, and weightloss is no different. 

For as long as I can remember I was a dieter. I'd find the latest thing, give it a go, be all enthusiastic for a week or two, then give up. It was all very temporary, and each time I was left feeling more and more deflated. When would I ever get my weight off?

Diets don't work. This time around though, it's different. Why?

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I'm following my six fundamentals of weightloss.  I have made a commitment to myself to keep going, even when it gets tough.

Yes, I have overeaten at times, yes I have done less exercise than I could have some days because I was being lazy - I'm human, and you are too. Cut yourself some slack. You're not going to do your weightloss journey perfectly. Some weeks you will gain, some weeks you will stay the same. This is the journey. You gotta take the good with the bad and keep going.

But, I can guarantee you one thing: If you kinda do it, it kinda works. If you really do it, it really works.

Make a PLEDGE to yourself with my six weightloss fundamentals:

1. Plan your food and exercise ahead of time - Making a plan has so many ramifications. By doing this you are making a commitment to yourself. You are giving yourself the best chance of losing weight because you're actually thinking about what your meals and exercise ahead of time. This way you can make conscious choices, rather than grabbing whatever is close by, easy or that tastes good. This way you won't get to the end of the day and think that you didn't have time to exercise and you'll do it tomorrow. That was a great one of mine, and I'm still working on it. 
2. Leave food (Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're satisfied) - This is a very simple strategy, but it works! As I travel on my weightloss journey, I'm realising that it was little wonder I was overweight given the amount of food I was eating compared to what I actually need to fuel my body and keep me satisfied. Paying attention to how my body feels as I'm eating gives me the opportunity think about when I'm starting to feel as though I have had enough. What I have learned is that I tend to pause from eating when I've had enough. Sometimes I may have another mouthful, but more often than not these days I do not. What I have discovered is that I actually need very little food compared to what I used to eat. Similarly, only eating when I am truly hungry (not bored, angry, sad, fed up, frustrated or because it's there or I'm on holiday or I'm at a function) has been another key factor to my weightloss. Contrary to what many of us were led to believe as children, leaving food is not a crime. 
3. Eat whatever you want - Now this is a game-changer. No more diet plans, no more food lists, no more banned food groups. You can eat whatever you want. But, you must plan it. You must write it on your plan for the day, ahead of time. I didn't say whenever you want or as much as you want. No spontaneous random grabbing of whatever you feel like, when you feel like it, it must be on your plan. 
4. Drink 2L water - Every day you need to drink 2 litres of water. When I'm at home, I find that filling up a 2 litre container first thing in the morning works well. I leave it on the bench (because I like my water at room temperature) and I'm reminded to have more when I see it. It's too easy to forget otherwise. When I'm out, I take my aluminium drink bottle that I know has 750ml and I make sure I drink three of those throughout the day.
5. Get moving - Being active is so good for us in so many ways - not only will you lose weight, but you'll feel so much better. Make sure you choose something you enjoy and do it regularly; every day if you can. I walk 4-5 days a week, sometimes more. I really enjoy yoga too, so I now do that at home each day.
6. Evaluate - Develop an awareness so you are conscious about everything to do with your health. Think about what you're eating. Think about how you will feel after eating that sweet treat or having that extra few mouthfuls of dinner. Think about how you feel before you eat, particularly when you have an urge to overeat or binge. Really examine your feelings and write them down. Evaluating by journaling is one of the contributing factor to my weightloss this time around. Our thoughts and feelings have such a huge part to play in our daily lives, and in the choices we make and they hold so many answers for us.

Awareness is the key
to unlock the answers that lie within.

Following these fundamentals is how I have lost 12kg, and I'm still losing. 

Join me on my journey to create a healthy lifestyle for yourself here in my Facebook group and on my Facebook page.