My Weight Loss Experience including Advice, Tips and Tricks

Hello everybody! 

Apologies for my extended absence! This summer 2016, I've been so busy with new projects, that I took a four month leave of absence from blogging.  However, I'm now back and refreshed! 

I have just updated and launched a new video on youtube documenting some of my shocking before and after weight loss pictures.  The video talks about how I felt before my weight loss when I was overweight, and then how different I was after losing 20 kgs (44lbs) at the age of 30.  I got focussed, worked hard, totally changed my eating habits, all in 5 months.  There isn't anything better than photographical evidence to support my story, so please view it here:-

Secondly, if you want to know more about how and why my weight loss journey began, I explain it all here:-

With regards to advice for people, I can recommend you to really start thinking about what you are eating; develop healthier eating habits and be more active.  People who are overweight, are normally so because they eat and drink more calories than they need to. I am here to help you to reduce the number of calories you consume.  This will help you to work towards losing weight at a safe and sustainable rate of 0.5kg to 1kg  (1lb to 2lbs) a week. For most men, this will mean consuming no more than 1,900kcal a day.  For most women, 1,400kcal.

Cutting Down on Calories

If you normally eat a lot more than the recommended 2,500kcal for a man and 2,000kcal for a womanyou may find it hard to cut back to my suggested calorie limit. If so, aim to reduce your calorie intake gradually over the next few weeks.  

I’ve been on all sorts of diets and have learned there’s no miracle cure, but  losing weight doesn’t need to be complicated. If you learn to keep an eye on the calories you’re eating and those you burn off during physical activity you’re halfway there. Organisation and planning are also crucial. Spend some time thinking about your meals in advance. If you know what you’re having each day you’ll spend less time thinking about food and you’re less likely to snack on impulse buys.

BMI (body mass index) is a great indicator of how overweight, obese, morbidly obese or underweight you are.  Have a look at my BMI calculator here to see what category you fall in to.    If you’re not in the 'healthy weight' range, work out how much you need in order to lose to be in the healthy range.

Ideally, you should aim for a target weight that gives you a BMI in the healthy weight section (18 to 25).

If you have lots of weight to lose, then losing enough weight to achieve a healthy BMI may seem quite daunting.  Instead, you might prefer to set an initial target weight that will improve your general health. Losing 5-10% of your current weight has been shown to have great health benefits.  Some people like to set themselves small weight loss goals to stay motivated as they start to work their way towards their overall target weight.

Here are some weight loss tips for you:-

My Top Tip # 1

It may sound obvious, but stop eating before you feel full!  I actually needed to hear this in order to be aware of how much I was overeating. It was news to me that it is okay to leave the table after a meal, and not feel completely stuffed!

My Top Tip #2

Refrain from consuming appetisers - including bread with a meal, olives and nuts.  This takes self-control and discipline, but when you do it the first time, the following instances are easier to deal with

My Top Tip # 3
Change your pallet and train your brain and transform your tastebuds into liking new, different foods and disliking the old ones.  This needs to be a lifestyle change, not just a 'diet' for a limited period of time.  It takes around 12 weeks to form a new habit, so stick to it!

My Top Tip #4
Giving yourself non-food rewards as you try to lose weight can help you stay motivated.  
You could reward yourself each time you achieve a mini-goal, which can be anything you want. For example, it could be losing 1lb or achieving 150mins of activity in a week.

Here are some examples of rewards:
bubble bath
bunch of flowers
new music for your MP3 player
new outfit
new book
coin jar – add £1 for every pound lost or create your own reward system. The growing collection of money will be a visual reminder of what you've accomplished and get you motivated to add to it
trip to the cinema
new exercise gear
pedicure
new running shoes
new hair accessories
new cosmetics
manicure
 massage
 massage
haircut
night out dancing
a healthy recipe book
professional teeth whitening
a session with a personal trainer
a day off work
a healthy cooking class
a spa day

In case you want to know more, I have explained these in more detail and devised some more tips and sound advice from my own weight loss and healthy eating journey and experiences here.  In addition to this, here is some weight maintenance advice for the holidays:-

All the best, and I hope I am an inspiration to you!  Feel free to subscribe to my youtube channel here and also please visit my Instagram page, my facebook page, my pinterest page and my twitter account.

Enjoy your week!

Love Lou X

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