My Weight Loss Journey! 11lbs Down and My Easy Tips!

Around 3 months ago I got to the point where I’d began to get uncomfortable with my weight and decided it was time to change. I’d attempted to ‘diet’ a few times over the last couple of years and within around a month I’d always end up back where I’d started and giving up.

But this time was different and as of today I’ve lost 11lbs so I thought I would share my story so far with you seeing as, at least for me, this time my efforts have worked! I wouldn’t normally share specific details about my weight loss but today’s achievement puts why I’m writing into context. I decided to begin to lose weight when I tipped the scales at 10st 10lbs (150lbs) . I think it’s important to state I’m 5 foot 5 inches and whereas I don’t think I’ve been officially ‘overweight’, I was unhappy with my body hence the decision to change my eating and exercise patterns. I’m writing this post today as I achieved my first big goal and weighed in today at under 10st! Now I’m 9st 13lbs (139lbs) and seeing that number on the scales has definitely given me motivation to keep going!

So now I’ll go into how I got there. First I just want to say, although this worked for me, it might not work for you, I haven’t followed a diet plan or used Weight Watchers etc, I’ve just done this my own way. But seeing as this is the first time I’ve lost so much weight whilst actually intending to, I thought I could share my tips and tricks and who knows, they might work for you too!

1. Cut Down Portions

     The main thing I’ve done which I believe has contributed to my weight loss is cutting down portion sizes. I LOVE food and I could never ‘eat clean’ or cut out certain food groups to lose weight. That definitely does not work for me. So for my main meal on an evening especially, our meals consist of a lot of veg as sides anyway so generally I can still have an average sized portion.  But as l live at home and eat with the rest of my family, if the meal happens to be something with higher calorie content, I’ll just have a slightly smaller portion than I would have used to have. And that’s it! Easy peasy,right?

2. Boredom Snacking is BAD

I’ve realised that the main reason that I snack is because I’m bored. Whether it’s whilst doing uni work in the afternoon or watching TV on an evening, I find crisps or chocolate find their way into my stomach so easily! So now I think very carefully whether or not I’m hungry or bored. If I’m hungry I try to snack healthily, on foods like fruit or nuts. But hungry or bored aren’t the only two options, you could be thirsty. A lot of the time when you think you’re hungry, you’re actually thirsty! I found a great tip is to drink a glass of water when you feel hungry, and if you’re still hungry then have a snack, if not, you were just dehydrated!

Which leads me onto my next tip nicely!

3. Drink Water!

It’s a tip you’ll hear again and again but it’s SO important! I try to drink a pint (around 500ml) of water with every meal and then lots of water in between meals too! It will help with weight loss and improve your skin and hair too!

4. Green Tea with Breakfast!

There are varying reports as to the benefits of green tea, with many experts believing it speeds your metabolism. This is yet to be confirmed, but I thought I’d try it anyway! I drink Twinings Green Tea and I was surprised that it doesn’t taste too dissimilar to normal tea! I’m not sure how much difference it’s making but the benefits of green tea besides those for weight loss are enough for me to keep drinking it anyway! I have a glass with my breakfast everyday.

5. EXERCISE!

Exercise isn’t something which is crucial to weight loss but it will speed up the process! Personally, for the first 6 weeks I did Vicky Pattison’s 7 Day Slim which is great if you have a busy lifestyle as it only takes 10 minutes a day! I think during this time I lost around 6lbs. Following this time I had university exams and found myself needing all the time I could get for revision but continued to lose weight through eating healthier. I’ve not actively exercised eg. cardio since this time, but I have done slower paced things such as walk my boyfriends dogs. BUT I still lost another 5 lbs in this time, so exercise is not crucial. Hitting under 10st today has made me decide to start exercising again, and tonight I did 5km on my exercise bike and I now plan to keep this up! So what this section is trying to tell you is, exercise is not crucial, but if you have time, even 10 minutes a day is good, as it will aid weight loss and make you feel healthier!

6. IT’S TRUE! A Little Bit of What You Fancy Does You Good!

Everything in moderation is key. I’ll use my own experiences to explain what I mean here. I started my weight loss just before Easter, and before I knew it I’d accumulated 4 Easter eggs from friends and family! To begin with I kept them in their boxes and as it turned out during this time I hadn’t lost much weight. But when eating a bit of egg in moderation on an evening for example, I found the weight started falling off. I think that sometimes you can deprive yourself too much and I’ve found if you fancy some chocolate, then have some, but in moderation!

7. Find What Works for YOU

It’s taken me a while but I now have a meal plan/pattern that I stick to pretty much every day. I’ll start by saying I barely ever drink anything but water, its good for you and free of calories!

My breakfast generally consists of:

- A slice of wholemeal toast and thinly spread Nutella

- A cereal bar such as Jordan’s Frusli in Juicy Blueberry

This is always with a glass of green tea and a pint of water. My breakfast is generally low in calories, I’m not hungry in the morning and years ago I would never even have breakfast, so this works for me!

An average lunch would be:

- Wholemeal pitta filled with half a can of tuna and low fat mayonnaise

- A low fat yogurt

- Low calorie snack bags/crisps such as Morrisons Nume Baked Salted Pretzels

Evening meals are the only things that differ but will generally be things like:

- Fish with vegetables such as broccoli and potatos

- Spaghetti bolognaise (but in a smaller portion)

- Nando’s style chicken with homemade sweet potato wedges

I will have snacks in between meals if I’m hungry such as fruit or wholegrain crackers.

This meal plan may not be for everyone and I’m no expert in dieting but this is working for me so thought I would include it to give you an idea of how I have lost weight! I hope you’ve enjoyed my story and hope my tips can help you if you’re trying to lose weight too! 

Unfortunately I don't have any full length photos of myself to show the before and after shots but if my journey continues as I'd like it to there will be a follow up post where I'll find a photo from before I began, and a photo of me when I reach my goal.

Do you have any weight loss tips? Are you on, or have you been, on a weight loss journey too?