10 simple life-changing tips to lose weight

MANILA, Philippines – Today, I’m over 50 pounds lighter than I was when I started my weight loss journey two years ago. It improved my relationships. It boosted my self-confidence. It changed my life.

A few years back, I looked at the mirror and told myself that something had to change. So, I started reading some fitness blogs and reviews online.

I have lost more than 50 pounds since March of 2014. I started out weighing 210 pounds, and now I’m down to 155 pounds. My pants size went from 38 to 30 inches and my shirt size went down to a small from XL. This has been my life’s biggest accomplishment.

It’s been a long and painful journey. It is crazy to look back and see how far I’ve come, and it’s amazing to see what your body is capable of when you actually put time, effort, and God into working out and dieting properly. The “No Rice Diet” and “Boiled Cardava” for a year really gave me amazing results.

These are the changes that I made that brought me this outcome:

1. Write down your fitness goal.

Writing down your goal may help you to stay motivated and to remind you of the importance of your personal goal. Focusing on your big goal will help you to regain your drive.

2. Start small. Dream big.

I began walking for 15 minutes and then increased it again. It was a gradual process until I could run on the treadmill for 30 minutes.

3. Be realistic and Keep it simple.

Set an achievable goal before you start. I challenged myself to lose 50 pounds in 3 months. My diet consisted (for the first 6 months) of lean protein (chicken, eggs, fish) and boiled cardava. Wheat bread, oats and fresh vegetables. No carbonated drinks. No sweets. No dairy. No fast-food products. Presto! I lost 45 pounds after two months with daily work out!

My Sample Menu:
Breakfast: 1 cup of Oatmeal + 1 slice of wheat bread
Lunch: 2 pcs chicken meat + 2 pcs boiled cardava
Dinner: 2 pcs eggs + 2 pcs boiled cardava
Snacks: 1 pc boiled cardava (optional)

4. Don’t give up.

If you are working out but not seeing results, simply back off for a few days and reduce your intensity. But you have to push through and keep putting in the effort for your plan to work. You can’t get discouraged and depressed. Pray.

5. Quit carbs and sugar.

I realized that a lot of sugar and calories that I consumed came from drinks and sweet goodies, so I challenged myself to drink water only – no sugary drinks and goodies – for one year. Since rice was my greatest enemy, I’ve totally removed it from my diet for almost two years now and replaced it with boiled cardava or nilagang saging na saba, wheat bread, or quinoa, if available.

6. No rest days.

For the first 6 months, I worked out 6 days a week and took an active rest day once a week where I would hike, run outside, do laundry, or take a spinning class, and maintained at least a 4-times-a-week work out.

7. Mix it up and make fitness fun.

Doing the same routine over and over can easily start to feel boring. Therefore, you must increase the challenge. If you can add an element of fun in exercising, then it will be something to look forward to, like buying a new pair of running shoes or fitness suit.

8. Drinking water may speed weight loss

Always drink at least 3 liters of water a day.

9. Prepare for heavy meals.

If you have plans to eat extra calories on your special day like birthday dinner with your family and friends, make sure to eat lighter meals on your breakfast and lunch like salad or fresh juice.

10. Any small milestone is worth recognizing and celebrating.

Sharing your before and after pictures would help you to motivate and to inspire other people.

My weight loss journey has been so much bigger than 50 pounds. You can say what you want, but I’m extremely proud of myself for coming this far and still wanting to improve. I hope this motivates at least one person, as much as it motivates me. It’s never too late to be what you might have been so why don’t you just make it happen? Keep going and good luck! – Rappler.com