When it comes to losing weight, many people get very discouraged. They feel like they can never do it and it is impossible. However, it is very possible and I’ve experienced the miracle. I was 225 pounds and I was never happy about my body. It always upset me when I didn’t fit into the clothes that I wanted to wear and I never felt confident when I was hanging out with my friends. I always felt like everyone looked better than me and I always dreamed of having a nice body. I would sit on the couch and just hope for a miracle that one day I would have a great body, but I was too lazy to actually work for it. That is the only possible way to lose weight. You will not lose any weight if you don’t work for it. You have to really want it and once you put your mind to it, you will find that it actually gets easy. Here are my four key factors for losing weight and keeping it off for a lifetime:
- Running.
- Maintaining a healthy diet.
- Drinking a lot of water.
- Consistency.
When it comes to running, you have to start off small. You can’t start off running 5 miles a day because then you will never stick to it. You have to do what you can but push yourself to work hard as well. Don’t let it feel easy. I started running on this little trail at Wolfs Pond Park that is only about 1 mile, but it was very hard for me, so it did not matter that it was a short distance. The first time I ran it, I pushed myself to keep going until I eventually finished it. I would tell myself, “It’s not that hard and I can do it”, or “I’m halfway there”. I would always think positive about it because that kept me from giving up. It helped me push myself to finish!
The next time I would go to the park, I would tell myself, “I already did it once, I can do it again”. So, I did it again and again. I can now run it three times in a row without stopping. It’s something I feel very good about. Being able to do it because of how hard it was for me in the beginning to finish it just once. It shows how far I’ve come. When I finally reached the end and didn’t give up, it left me with a feeling of accomplishment and that is a great feeling. That feeling of accomplishment is what will keep you going in the long run. You will start to look forward to that feeling on the days that you dread your daily run. These days are the ones where you really have to push yourself to run because if you do that then you will stay consistent forever and running will officially be a part of your daily routine.
You will finally be on your way to an awesome body, I can promise you that. You have to work your hardest on your weakest day, that is how you stay consistent. Staying consistent is the only way to see results. Results in weight loss don’t come in a blink of an eye, they take time but they do come. Most people give up after two weeks because they don’t stay consistent long enough to see the results. Once you get past the first two months, you will begin to see results, and after that the results just keep coming quicker and quicker. It takes the longest to see them in the beginning but just remember that if you keep doing what you’re doing, 6 months from now you will see awesome results. Also, picture 6 months from then what you will look like and so on. Doing that keeps you motivated to not give up because you already know that your hard work is paying off so it will make you excited to see what you look like!
Running is one of the most important parts of weight loss because it burns so many calories and it keeps you motivated to eat healthier. Your diet is another key factor if you want to lose weight and have a great body. It takes so much work to burn off calories that you don’t want to just put them right back in your mouth. If you combined the two, then weight loss is attainable.
One important thing to remember about eating healthy is to not eat anything white. You should only eat wheat bread and make other healthy changes like that. For example, using mustard instead of mayonnaise is a great change. I eat veggie or turkey burgers instead of eating regular hamburgers and that satisfies me. I still feel like I’m eating a hamburger only without putting all that fat in my body which would happen if I were to eat the actual hamburger.
I also feel better by eating healthier. My diet and running was the reason I lost all of my weight. When I ate healthy, it let me feel good about my body because I didn’t have any guilty feelings that I ate something fattening. When I ran, it made me know that I was losing weight because I was also eating healthy. I felt so happy the first time I was able to fit into the pair of pants I haven’t been able to fit into in years. That really kept me going. I would try on a pair of pants that were a little too small and I would try them on every week until I finally fit into them! That’s how I knew my body was really changing because I was seeing the results.
Getting into the whole diet and running routine is the hardest part about losing weight, but once you do it and stick to it, it becomes easy because you learn things along the way and it becomes a part of your daily routine. It becomes a part of your life, like going to work or school. I learned so many things along the way about how to eat right and that is how I now know what is good and bad for me. I’ve developed a big interest in how to eat right and learning the best workout routines. I was 225 pounds and I was the laziest person ever. I never ever thought I would be where I am today but I dreamed about having the body I do now for many years and if I can make this happen than honestly, anyone can.
Running has gotten me through some tough times. Whenever I felt stressed or mad, I would want to just run it off, and that’s what I did. I felt so much better after my run and the stress went away. Stress is what made me start to want to run and that’s what I did. Running is not only essential to weight loss but it’s also a great way to relieve stress. If you’re stressed and you go for a nice hard run, you will feel better after. You will also feel less tense because of the endorphins that are released.
Endorphins are small molecules that are released in your brain after about twenty minutes of cardiovascular activity. They control stress and leave you with a feeling of happiness, which is also known as a “runners high”. Stress is a great motivator because it gives you the energy to keep running further and harder. Stress can be a good thing if you use it in the right way. I was able to lose 66 pounds because of it. It made me get into running and healthy eating. Some people do drugs or drink to get this same “high” but if you can use it to motivate you to run, then you’re in store for a really great body.
Running speeds up your metabolism big time. Metabolism is the amount of calories your body burns to maintain itself. A big key factor for losing weight is speeding up your metabolism. Calories don’t stand a chance once you get a speedy metabolism. Any exercise will get your metabolism going, but running and weight lifting are my personal favorites. I also feel that they are the most effective.
Another key element to weight loss is water. Water is so important in your diet. It is absolutely essential to a successful weight loss plan. You have to make sure to drink at least 8 eight ounce glasses of water a day, if not more. Water keeps you full longer and stops hunger. On those days when you feel like you just can’t get full, you should drink a big glass of water and see how full you feel after. It’s like a secret hunger stopper. You shouldn’t drink water to fill yourself up if you haven’t already eaten, because you need to eat of course, but the water just lets you be able to fill yourself up if you were to snack or eat more than you should. Water also gets rid of the excess sodium in your body. If you were to eat a food high in sodium, drinking a lot of water will make you urinate it out. Water does not just help with weight loss but it is also important for other aspects in your life. People don’t realize how important water really is. It gives you energy and keeps you hydrated, which are very important for weight loss. Many people feel fatigued because they don’t drink enough water throughout the day, so make sure to include this key factor in your healthy weight loss plan.
