My 4 Steps to Losing Weight

by Anna Aguilar

In this day and age, there are so many options and programs to lose weight which is quite overwhelming. If you type “weight loss program” in Google, you will be blown away by the amount of different offers screaming at you from the page. They range between magical, fast, best, easiest, etc. But honestly, take my advice and don't Google “weight loss” because once you do, you will be chased down by the targeted commercial articles anywhere you go. So just keep reading this article.

If you are looking for a program where you don't have to do anything, this article will not be helpful. There are no magical pills or injections here that can help you get in shape without moving a finger. It takes some amount of dedication and hard work to lose weight no matter what way you choose. If you are not ready to put the work, ask yourself a question, maybe you are not 100% ready to lose weight. Maybe you are comfortable with your own body and you don't need to change. And that’s great! I am sincerely happy for you. However, if you have realized that you feel heavy and don’t like what you see in the mirror and you are ready to act on it, you are in the same position I have found myself about a year ago. 

I felt big. I felt heavy. I noticed the rolls on my stomach, sides, and legs. I didn’t like it and one day I realized that it had to stop. Prior to that I have never really worried much about my weight but I just felt really uncomfortable in my own skin. That was the sign. I really needed to do something. I got myself a scale to understand my “point A” and started looking at options.

If you are looking for a sign, here it is. This is your sign.

As I’ve mentioned in the beginning, there are a ton of options for weight-loss. Some programs and techniques seemed complicated and very time-consuming. They required calories counting, joining some groups and buying only certain foods. I tried several things like frozen meals and some weight-loss pills (Garcinia Cambogia). But I felt like it wasn't giving me any results that I could actually see.

Playing around with different combinations of food and exercise I came up with the following set that helped me lose about 20 pounds in 2 months. This is my personal result and I want to share it with you. I thought that maybe it will help somebody else understand that you can achieve good results if you are consistent and ready to put some work in.

4 steps to better, slimmer self.

1) Drink water every morning.

I start every single day with a glass of water and continue drinking plenty of water throughout the day. I have never really measured exactly how much water I consume, but no matter what, I start with 300 meals in the morning. And then I drink as much as my body craves swapping it with tea or sometimes carbonated water with lemon.

Let water be the first thing that enters your body. Wait a little after you drink it before jumping into breakfast. You will feel the boost water gives you. Make this your habit and you will not be able to function till you had your water.

Water naturally helps you clean your body from the inside. It literally washes off all the toxins away. This is the cheapest and most affordable cleansing procedure you can do for yourself. More on the benefits of drinking water read our legal here .

2) No meat.

This part was a pretty hard decision for me. I am a huge foodie and I love myself a good meal that normally involves some sort of animal protein. I have decided to cut out beef and pork completely and go for seafood and chicken very occasionally. However, I discovered that it is easier to rip the Band-Aid off completely and leave yourself no wiggle room. I love cooking at home and Pinterest and Instagram helped me become more creative with cooking vegetables different ways or eating raw foods in order to fill my body with the beneficial vitamins and nutrients veggies and fruits offer. I can tell you that that was the best decision I have ever made and I'm sticking with a plant-based diet for good.

Educate yourself along the way too. Read books (Happy Herbivore by Lindsay Nixon) and watch documentaries (Forks vs. Knives) that will help you realize that not only you are doing well for yourself; you are contributing to a better future for the environment.

3) No food 3 hours before bed.

Our body takes time to process the food. Don’t load it up and go to bed. Your digestive system needs proper rest too. Experiment and adjust your cut-off time. Mine was 7 pm. Even if I went to bed past 10 pm I didn’t eat anything after 7 o’clock. It fit my schedule just fine and I was very particular about it. Few times when we had to go out I tried to eat light. But for the span of 2 months, I was avoiding all the temptations.

4) Exercise.

This is the most dreaded part. Don’t panic. My exercise routine was 3 sets of 10 squats 3 times a day. So you do 30 squats with mini breaks in the morning, afternoon and evening about an hour after your meal. It is so easy - you can do them anywhere. I did them in the bathroom because I was ashamed of what my colleagues will say, but honestly I wish I got them all involved too. 90 squats per day was my minimal base. I did it no matter what. Consistency is the key here. I was adding planks or push-ups or yoga class every once in a while. Depending on the area you would like to work on, your additional exercises may include crunches or weights. You will feel strong and once you do, you can add 5 more squats to each set.

That’s about it. It is easy and if I did it, anyone can. You can! The key is to be consistent, yet pay very close attention to your body needs. If squats are not available to you, choose something else. If 7 pm cut off time if not working with your schedule, choose a different time. It will take some adjustment and alignment, but the results will be worth it. Make sure to keep track of your progress by weighing yourself every morning. Celebrate every pound lost! Do it alone or with friends. No matter how you do it - just do it!

Good luck!