FOR SO long I tried to lose weight. But every time I tried, I would just gain it all back right after. It was a five-year battle filled with tears and occasional binge eating.
It was only last year that I successfully lost weight and managed to maintain it as of writing.
To everyone out there who have wanted to lose weight but don’t end up successful for one reason or another, don’t lose hope.
All that you need to jumpstart you into your weight loss journey is first and foremost love and respect to yourself to do it for yourself whether for health reasons or in a bid to increase your confidence, whatever, as long as it’s not so you can prove yourself to anyone or to gain other people’s approval.
Read on to know how I lost 24 pounds in 3 months from August to October 2017 with the unique dieting mantra: never go hungry.
Herbalife
I took Herbalife for three months. I finished 2 canisters and 10 sachets of the Herbalife shake and followed a meal plan strictly.
I replaced breakfast and dinner with Herbalife shake and consumed two bottles of Herbalife fiber supplements which I took six tablets of daily at 2 tablets per meal.
If I’m not taking herbalife in the morning, I eat a bowl of Nestle Fitness cereal paired with low fat milk. I alternate between Jolly Cow and Nestle low fat milk.
However, I only replace my meals with Herbalife shake if I know the day is going to be light.
For snacks, I eat one boiled egg paired with fresh fruits. I eat this combo 2-3 times a day. I always pair it with diced papaya and mangoes which I would mix in a bowl. I do this to help speed up my digestion.
I also eat yogurt and/or peanut butter on wheat bread sandwich as my snacks. My favorites!
For my meals, I ate moderate amounts of vegetables and meat and made sure I never exceeded 2 cups of rice daily.
I learned from one of my previous diets that eliminating meat in my diet makes me weak and unable to perform well in school. I was finishing my Bachelor’s Degree at a local university then.
If I have time, I would cook my own meals. For fried food, I would use vegetable oil. Sometimes I would steam the meat also. I put little to no salt and load up on spices instead. I seldom cook, so I know I get enough salt intake from most of my meals outside home.
I drank lots of water too.
And here’s the twist: the key to making this diet successful is to NEVER GO HUNGRY. Hunger pangs lead to binge eating which isn’t good at all.
Also take lots of protein and calcium as well as vitamins.
I ate every 2-3 hours in small portions because this helps the body digest food better and keep your bowel movement running smoothly.
I also kept count of my calorie intake using My Fitness Pal app on my smartphone.
Home exercise + waist training
I never went to the gym. In fact, I’ve never actually been to one. I bought a yoga mat at a local store for 300 pesos and it’s where I do my home exercises. Having exercise apps on your smartphone is helpful too. There are plenty of exercise videos on YouTube as well.
I also used a waist trainer whenever I’m at home and during my work out sessions to help my tummy sweat more. This has helped me lose a few inches off my waist until I felt confident enough to wear body contour dresses.
After three months of taking Herbalife and doing home exercises two-three times weekly, I lost 24 pounds. I went from 160.9 lbs to 136.6 lbs.
But since I didn’t want to be dependent on any weight loss supplement, I stopped taking Herbalife and gradually ate normal food portions again, until I feel like I’m not on a diet anymore.
Surprisingly, the only maintenance that I do is occasional work outs at home and walking a short distance to and from work.
However, I have stayed away from soft drinks and other processed food and beverages. But I let the desserts stay. Cakes, ice cream, pizza, chocolates, donuts won’t hurt. Just remember to take it in moderate amounts only.
Weight loss (or weight gain) is a wonderful journey filled with lots of self-realizations. Remember to shower yourself with love, lots of it, and choose to be with people who will love and respect you regardless of how your body looks.
Are you finding it hard to lose weight? Do you have any other weight loss tips and advices? I’d love to hear from you.
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Andrea Isabelle Mejos is a young writer from Davao. She likes to seek beauty from all angles – people, products, places – and writes them down. For inquiries, you may reach her at mejosandrea@gmail.com