Healthy Weight Loss

Did you know that just by eating breakfast when you get up, you can speed up your weight loss? That's sounds pretty simple, and it is!
Here's the secret to weight loss....move in closer, listen up closely, here it is... there is no secret!! We've known it all along. The calories that you burn have to be more than the calories you consume.
I know we all know that. And, I also know that its hard to put it all together and know which diet really works and what supplements a person should be taking and the best time of day to exercise. So, I'm going to break it down for you.

First let me tell you just a little about my dieting history. I've never been overweight. I have been really thin at times, a little chubby at times, pregnant once, and on the verge of anorexia once.

As a teen, my dad would every now and then call a family meeting and tell us that we've become spoiled and we need to get back to basics (never mind that we were poor and didn't have much! But ok Dad!) So we'd all have to start a new workout regimen. For a couple of weeks when I was in eighth grade, he made us all run around White Rock Lake....before school....without breakfast first. That's when I learned what dry heaves are. So, we'd all run several miles, get in the truck when he decided we had enough, and then he would cheerfully call out, "Who wants a big donut?"...Me! Pick me! I do! That's just one example of my dad's crazy fitness plan. But, I did learn a love for fitness from him.

I took an aerobics class in college for a pe credit and loved it! I joined a gym and after my son was born I decided it would be fun to teach aerobics. Actually, I really just thought it would be a good way to earn enough extra money to buy workout clothes. PLUS, you get a FREE membership to the gym! Yipppeeee! I loved it and started teaching all over Dallas. Then, I thought it would be cool to be a personal trainer. And it was for awhile. So, at one point I was teaching about 15 classes a week and training people, AND lifting weights, AND closely monitoring my fat intake. I got all my diet info from reading fitness magazines. For some reason, I decided to only allow 10% of my calories to be from fat.

I had gotten to the point where I was working out ALL the time, eating a decent breakfast then eating again around 4 pm after all my classes, clients, and personal workout. I would drive home trying to not fall asleep at the wheel and then think 'Man, I saved up all these calories all day, I can eat a pretty big dinner.' I was doing all that and I had no energy and I couldn't do anything to lose weight. I met a PhD in molecular biology who does nutrition counseling and hired him to help me. He told me something. It really works and I'm going to share it with you. He told me I was not eating enough fat, protein, and calories. Thank God!!!!! I already knew I couldn't eat less and I for sure couldn't workout any more. So this is what he told me to do:

1.NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST!!!!
Our metabolism is the highest its ever going to be all day long the minute you wake up. It requires a tremendous amount of energy just to wake up. Then, as the day goes on, your metabolism gradually starts slowing down. If you workout, your metabolism will briefly speed up and then slow down even further than if you hadn't exercised. Also eating raises your metabolism. It requires some energy to digest food.

2. So, you should eat small meals frequently. For example, For a 1500Kcal diet, maybe eat 300 calories 5 times/day. This will keep your metabolism going all day.

3. When you eat, try to divide your plate into 4ths. You should have a protein, a starchy carb, and 2 veggies (or sub a fruit) one cooked and one raw. At least have a protein with your carb to keep your blood sugar from spiking. When your blood sugar spikes, your body releases insulin. Insulin pushes the sugar into your cells. Too much sugar causes your body to store fat.

4. Eat like your eating a rainbow!! Try to eat foods from the whole color spectrum to assure you're getting the maximum number of nutrients. Different colors offer different nutrients.

5. If you have a history of disease in the family or you workout alot you need even more fruits and veggies than every one else. Believe it or not, exercise actually increases the number of free radicals in your body. Think about it, when you run, you're improving your cardiovascular fitness which means you can utilize oxygen more efficiently. The free radicals are a by product of oxygen consumption. Don't stop exercising. It's important!!! Just eat more fruits and veggies, otherwise, you might have a killer body but be called dog face!! You don't want that!

Here's an example of what I ate and immediately dropped 5 pounds.

Upon arising: a bowl of cereal with goat's milk and 1/2 banana

midmorning: small can of tuna, a few crackers, and the other half of that banana.

early afternoon: 2 slices of cheese, 2 Ry-Krisp crackers and pickled okra

mid afternoon: apple with peanut butter (un-hydrogenated of course)

dinner: 1/2 bbq chicken breast, small caesar salad, broccoli with cheese, a little pasta or roll (never both!!). I eat this on a small plate and don't measure anything. I only eat what will fit on the plate.

That is easy breezy and I promise if you do that, you will lose weight!!


You're welcome! :)

Leave a comment and let me know how it goes. Or leave a comment if you have any questions.
BTW, a friend of mine followed the Perricone diet which is basically what I've told you with more info and how to look younger with diet as well. My friend, Melanie lost 150 pounds following this diet. Check it out!