How I Lost 40 Pounds! Tips and Tricks!

Hey Everyone! :)

Today, I thought I would do a post that I've been wanting to do for a while now. Recently, I've been noticing a lot of blog posts and videos about how to stay healthy and fit for the summer and I thought I would add in my little tips. I have struggled with my weight for my whole life, last year I just got sick of being overweight and unhappy with how I was feeling. So, I started to exercise and eat healthy and since then I have lost 40 pounds and have maintained it! This post is going to outline my tips for you, but if you would like me to do a post on what I eat specifically and what I do to exercise then comment below and let me know! :)

1. Drink LOTS of water. This sounds simple and it shouldn't be a 'tip' but drinking water is SO healthy guys! It helps your metabolism, it keeps your skin fresh and makes you feel WAY better! I remember before I switched over to a healthy lifestyle, I barely used to drink water and it definitely affected my body and skin. I drink about 7 glasses a day and what I recommend is to drink between meals and snacks!
2. Eat smaller portions more often! This is basically the biggest reason for why I lost weight. Before, I used to skip breakfast, eat a normal lunch and then a HUGE dinner but that is SO wrong. Ideally, you should be eating bigger portions/unhealthier foods at the beginning of your day so your body can maximize that time that it has to burn fat! Anyways, I usually eat about 4-5 meals a day and I love it because I'm always eating and I don't feel gross after like I would if I ate a huge meal.
3. Eat fresh food! Eating fresh vegetables and fruit is so important for your body guys, I can't stress this enough! Not only are fruits and veggies delicious, but they fill you up and help your skin, hair and overall body look and feel its best!
4. Avoid packaged food! This is linked to my last tip, but processed food is filled with unnecessary sugar and fats and can make you feel lethargic after eating them. I'm not saying to never eat a bag of chips, or an ice-cream sandwich again-but try to eat them in moderation!
5. Exercise! This is obviously a key part of losing weight but you have to be careful in deciding what you want to do in terms of exercise. The problem with walking or going on the treadmill everyday is that your body gets used to it and soon it doesn't make a difference at all! I switch up my exercise regimen all the time and always do a different number of reps for strength exercises just to keep my body guessing! Mostly though, I enjoy yoga, core exercises, and cardio like biking/jogging!

These are some of the things I did to lose weight and I hope this helps you guys! Just remember that you have to have balance in your life, so don't deprive yourself of junk food for a long time and then eat a ton of it later! It's all about eating in moderation! If I eat particularly unhealthy food items during the day, I will balance it out by eating fresh, healthy foods for the rest of the day! 

I also want to say that when I was changing my lifestyle, I wasn't doing it for the weight-loss, I was doing it to feel better! The weight-loss came with it. But please remember that your weight has nothing to do with your beauty and if you are trying to lose weight then do it for yourself and no one else! Since last year, I've noticed that you can never please anyone and that someone is always going to be critical about you but you have to ignore all of that! 

Since I lost weight, people have asked me whether I'm anorexic, bulimic or if I took diet pills even though none of that is true! I've had people tell me that I was ugly when I was 'fat' and that I'm pretty now that I'm 'skinny'. When I was younger I always thought that I would be happy when I was 'skinny' but that is not true AT ALL. Happiness comes from within and your beauty isn't determined by how you look on the outside! 

I'm not perfect at all, and by giving you guys these tips I'm not trying to say I'm a professional but I hope you guys found this helpful! Comment below and let me know if you try any of these tips!

xoxo,

N

Above image is from here.