SIMPLY STRONG: How I Lost 25 Pounds This Year

It's been a while since my last post -- too long of a while! Along with beginning my studies to become a certified personal trainer, I started a job as a barista at a bookstore and have been thoroughly enjoying getting to spend more time with friends and family during this busy holiday season. However, I miss blogging and definitely hope to do more of it again in the upcoming new year!

One question I've been asked a lot in the past few months is, "How have you lost weight? What's your secret? What diet are you doing?"

All I've really said is, "I'm not on a diet. I am just trying to live a healthier lifestyle."

It seems the simplicity of that answer takes some people by surprise. You often expect results to come with a long list of rules and strict dieting and killing yourself at the gym. That may work for some, but it didn't work for me. What worked this year started with a mental change. For once in my life, I didn't want to look better for other people or to live up to some unrealistic expectation society often tries to place on us women. Instead, I was tired of feeling tired and bloated. So I changed...for MYSELF. I became simply strong because I wanted to be, and it would not have happened without a change that first started in my mind and lead to healthier eating and exercise habits.

I say all that knowing I'm still not quite "there." I'd like to lose a little more weight and tone up some more, and I definitely still have moments where I eat way too much; but overall, I've changed drastically in this past year, and being asked how I've done it made me decide to really reflect on it.
It all came down to taking my journey one day at a time with "strength" in mind for each choice I made mentally, nutritionally and physically.

I decided this morning to write it all down in detail as I reflected on the year, so I could let friends read it when they asked me what I did. I decided to share it on here, too, as (hopefully!) an inspiration to you! So keep in mind, I'm by no means a nutritionist, psychologist or trainer (YET!)... this is just what I did this past year that worked for me personally. Always check with your doctor to make sure you're doing what's best for YOU. :)

SIMPLY STRONG

How I Lost 25 Pounds Without Dieting or Following a Complicated Exercise Program

MENTAL STRENGTH

Strength is more than a physical attribute, but a mental one. Gaining mental strength is the foundation on which physical strength is built. You've got to believe you can do something before you can actually do it. You've got to believe you're worthy to make those positive changes in your life. You've got to see the healthy, happy person waiting to be let out on the inside for that person to appear on the outside. You've got to love yourself enough to work hard for a healthy, strong body everyday. That can only happen when you allow yourself to see the beauty that already exists within you and know the only person you're wanting to be even better for is yourself.

You have the power to create a healthier you one tiny step at a time – you just have to choose to use it. It won't happen overnight, but it will happen sooner than you think if you never give up. You just have to stay focused on the positive even on the bad days, keep your long-term goals in mind when you face temptation of any kind, and never let a setback take you all the way back.

Love yourself as you already are so you'll treat your body like it deserves.

NUTRITIONAL STRENGTH

Feel deprived at the thought of not eating a cookie or cupcake? I get that. Missing out on sugar means you'll miss out on having less energy, fewer nutrients, and a weaker immune system. Eating that piece of fruit instead might do something crazy -- like give you an energy boost and a decent dose of vitamin C while actually making you feel satisfied and full! ;)

To be nutritionally strong, you've got to ask yourself if treating your taste buds to something seemingly delicious for a couple minutes is better than treating your body to something that will make it feel amazing for the rest of your life. You can't think of eating healthy as deprivation or a diet or something that causes you to miss out on fun. Focus on what you can eat rather than what you feel like you can't.

The occasional dessert or piece of pizza won't hurt you. You can eat it whenever you want – just don't do it every day. You've got to make the healthy choices more often than the not-so-healthy ones and really think about why you're doing it. I like to study up on the health benefits of different fruits and vegetables, because it always makes me want to eat more of them, rather than waste my calories on foods that don't benefit my body.

So, to feel healthy and lose weight, it's really very simple: Eat healthy and not too much.

On average, people burn 2,000 calories a day – the more active you are, the more you burn. Just like if you sit down a lot, you're probably burning fewer. You can search for calorie calculators online that tell you what you burn naturally everyday based on your weight, age and activity level. Eat 500 calories less than that to lose about a pound a week. I wouldn't recommend eating much less than that, and NEVER eat fewer than 1,200 calories. Slow weight loss is lasting weight loss.

You can have one bad meal a week – not an entire binge day – without losing progress for that week. Just listen to your body – eat slowly, stop before you feel full (it takes about 15 minutes for your body to send a “full” signal), and think before you eat. Focus on your meal – not the TV or other distractions. Being mindful of what you're eating is key.

Always eat breakfast and make it your biggest meal of the day to supply energy throughout the day. Dinner should be your smallest. It's best to eat every three hours – a small 200-300 calorie meal. You'll figure out what works best for you, but eating small meals frequently is typically best for your metabolism.

Drink lots of water. Hydration is important, and I've learned it's easy to think you're hungry when you're really thirsty.

Know your weakness. I tend to overeat chips, popcorn, and ice cream. I can't have that easily accessible or I'll eat too much of it. It's about having good-for-you foods nearby and not-so-good-for-you ones out of reach most the time.

Finally, keep it fun. Try something new once a week. Play with spices. Make eating healthy as fun as possible. I like taking a craving for an unhealthy food and making it as healthy as possible – like pancakes. Instead of using flour, I mix up two eggs and a mashed banana and it tastes just as good! There are all kinds of substitutions you can do like that one.

All it comes down to is burning more calories than you're eating and making healthy choices without allowing yourself to feel deprived. The tips and ideas for doing this are endless, but you've just got to play around with it to find what works for you. Every body is different and needs different amounts and types of food.

PHYSICAL STRENGTH

Finally, exercise plays such an important role in overall health and weight loss. If you don't exercise much, start with a 15-20 minute walk down the street or on the treadmill at an easy pace three times a week. Work yourself up a couple minutes each week as you start intensifying the pace. Just listen to your body – it'll tell you when you need to slow down or if you can go a little faster. It's good to get your heart rate up, but don't overdo it if you aren't used to much activity. Once you feel comfortable with that, try biking or dancing or other fun forms of cardio to switch it up so your body doesn't get comfortable with the same kind of exercise. Your goal should be to work up to getting about a half hour of moderate cardio in 3-5 times each week.

Strength training is also very important. You burn more calories at rest the more muscle you have. Start with one session a week and work up to 2-3 each week. You can focus on full-body workouts or breaking it down into individual muscles groups (abs, arms and legs). The possibilities are endless. You can use weights and machines, or simply use your bodyweight. Plank, pilates and yoga workouts are easy on the joints and great for building lean muscle – a great starting point if working out is new to you. I safely learned a lot of new things by getting a personal trainer for a few months and taking fitness classes.

No matter where you're at with physical strength, it's important to know you DO have the time for exercise and to actually take the time for it. Schedule it into your day like the necessity it is. Make it a priority. Even if you break it up into a 10-minute walk here and there throughout the day, all that matters is you make the effort and move your body – a little bit of exercise is better than none at all.

Switch things up and don't be afraid to try new workouts – classes, DVDs, programs in books. You've got to make it fun and you'll only find what's fun for you by trying new things.

Most importantly, only compare yourself to yourself. It doesn't matter if someone you know can run six miles every day without breaking a sweat, and you sweat after two minutes of walking. Someone will always be faster, stronger and fitter than the healthiest person you know. You've got to be encouraged by your own progress – like being able to walk an extra minute than the day before or simply putting one foot in front of the other and trying your hardest when it's the last thing you want to do that day. No one ever really wants to workout when first starting the journey to better health, but even on my weakest days I have NEVER regretted a workout once I accomplished it. Try each day just to be a little stronger than the person you were yesterday. Weigh yourself and take pictures at the start of your journey and every month after to see your progress and get the motivation you need to keep going. You are worth it!

WHERE TO FIND...

INSPIRATION: Instagram hashtags for fitness, searching quotes online, reading magazine articles about healthy transformations, health documentaries on Netflix

RECIPES: Pinterest has TONS of clean eating, healthy recipes to try out – quick & cheap or more involved & more ingredients – you'll never get bored looking there! You can also find ideas through clean eating hashtags on Instagram or, of course, in magazines and recipe books.

WORKOUTS: Again...Pinterest is loaded with them! Also, check out online versions of Fitness & Women's Health magazines. Bodybuilding.com explains how to do strength exercises at the gym. YouTube has great Zumba workouts to follow. If you want a specific workout program, a personal trainer would be beneficial.