THE Best List of Tips to Lose Extra Fat & Start Living Healthy

Okay sooooo I am still alive..! The summer is flying by! I can’t believe it’s already August. I have been working way too much!! But, ANYWAY, enough with the chitchat - here it is. Finally I am revealing my list of tips! I’ve learned a lot this year and the following tips have helped me tremendously in changing my lifestyle into a healthier one, losing weight and surviving workouts when I have zero motivation. 

1. At the very beginning of my journey my super awesome personal trainer Ashlee Hoffman, kept telling me over and over, that “this was a lifestyle change”. She would tell me “you’re not on a diet, you just eat healthy now”. To those around me that are trying to lose weight, I find myself repeating the same mottos. The truth is, in order to lose weight and keep it off, it is necessary to change your lifestyle and frame of mind; it is definitely a learning process. My whole life I thought that taking diet pills or starving myself for a month was the key to a skinny body and happiness. Finally I have realized that no amount of pill popping or any crazy European diet can make a person lose weight and keep it off. As a society of instant gratification we want something that is going to work overnight. Here is the reality: with weight loss, this does not exist, end of story. The pricey pills that we see all over TV commercials may help you lose a couple of pounds, yes, but these pounds are almost always just lost water weight, which you will inevitably gain back. My point is that you need to get it into your head that it is impossible to transform your body overnight, it will take time and dedication and a total change in lifestyle.
2. Find a partner to do this with. LOSING WEIGHT IS NOT EASY. If it were, then we wouldn’t have a global obesity epidemic would we? Even though it isn’t easy, it is not unattainable and it can be accomplished. Personal experience and statistics have proven that having a workout buddy increases weight loss. The July/August issue of Women’s Health magazine discussed a study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh, the study reports that women who exercised with a partner lost a third more weight than their fellow solo gym goers. When you have a workout partner you have another person to hold you accountable, if you bail on a workout you won’t just be letting yourself down but someone else too. Find someone that’s at a similar fitness level with similar goals and start working out with them!
3.  DON’T MAKE EXCUSES. Simple as that.
4. Schedule your workouts!!! SCHEDULE THEM. Do I need to explain this further? Get out your planner and figure out what time each day you are going to work out. Schedule your workouts like you would appointments.
5. To lose weight it is necessary to start making healthier food choices and to pay attention to portion sizes. I hate to break it to you, but you can’t keep eating the same crap if you want to lose weight and be healthy. My dietitian told me not to cut anything totally out of my diet. Let’s be real here, it’s not possible to never eat chocolate/Starbucks/ice cream EVER AGAIN. Load up on fruits and vegetables, opt for whole wheat bread, and eat junk food in moderation. In moderation meaning, every now and then / on special occasions. Many studies report that junk food triggers similar pathways and reward systems in the brain as substances such as heroin and cocaine. It’s true! After cutting out junk food that’s loaded with sugar and preservatives for about a week I stop craving it and start desiring healthier food. Start cutting it out and you will see exactly what I mean.
6. Planning and preparation is key. I need to say that again, planning and preparation is key. Go out and get a nice fancy lunch box and start using it. Stop eating out & start packing. The night before, prepare your snacks and meals for the day ahead.
7. I’m sorry but in order to lose weight you have to exercise. Not only do you need to do cardio but you need to strength train too. Here is the good news… The more you work out, the more you are going to start enjoying it and the more of a habit it is going to become. You’re just going to have to take my word on this one. I’m not going to lie, it’s probably going to suck at first and the gym is probably going to be the last place in the world that you want to be, BUT YOU JUST NEED TO SUCK IT UP AND PUT ON YOUR GYM SHOES AND GO. It will continue to get easier and easier and easier each time you go I PROMISE!!   
8.  Don’t forget your headphones! Make a playlist full of upbeat tunes to accompany you during your cardio sesh. Better yet, tackle the elliptical / treadmill / Stairmaster, not just with your headphones but with a good magazine too! I just don’t understand how some people workout without either of these essentials. I promise that time passes soo much faster when you’re distracted. I love my Cosmo subscription and get excited when it arrives each month in the mail. I don't let myself so much as open the cover of it though unless I'm on a cardio machine.
9. If its financially possible (sit down & take a good look at your budget to see where you can cut spending – eating out !) get yourself a personal trainer… Even if it’s just for a few sessions. I never realized how important proper form is when it comes to exercising and targeting specific muscles. A trainer will teach you how to use weight machines as well as show you different exercises you can do right at home. Personal training may be more affordable than you think; the Rec Center has got some great deals! I promise the investment is worth every single penny.
10. Consider keeping track of your food intake by writing everything down or using myfitnesspal.com. Downloading the myfitnesspal.com app to your phone makes keeping track of your food fast and easy as it allows you to simply scan the barcode on a food label to add it to your daily list. Doing this will make you more conscious of your food choices and their nutritional content. Many of you will be totally shocked at the actual amount of calories you’re consuming each day.
11. Keep track of your progress. Progress made is one of the biggest motivators to keep going.
12. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/index.html <- check out this website. It’s one of my favorites… The website has got all the information you could ever want to know about living healthy and working out. From REAL (unedited) success stories, to detailed “how to” videos of every exercise you can imagine… It seriously has everything. When I’m not in the mood to hit the gym I start browsing through the bodybuilding website, it’s an instant motivator. Create a bodyspace profile to keep track of your progress…
13. Replace sodas and other sugar & preservative laced drinks with WATER. You will cut out sooo many calories by doing just this. Plus, water is so good for us! It helps to detoxify the body, keeps us pooping regularly, will help to keep you feeling full and will reduce cravings.  
14. Read nutrition labels and educate yourself on what they mean.
15. This tip is a great one which I borrowed from Mike Roussell, Ph.D… Increase NEPA (Non-Exercise Physical Activity). When you are trying to drop body fat every extra calorie you can burn will take you one step closer to your goal. Increase you NEPA and burn more calories. Examples include parking farther away at work or when shopping, take the stairs instead of the elevator, don’t drive around the corner to the store, walk!
16. Keep your eyes on the prize.
17. If you skip the gym or eat something you shouldn’t have, don’t fret about it. Remember, this is a lifestyle change; you aren’t going to eat perfect and make it to the gym every single day of your life.