Lose Weight and Keep it Off

I started my June challenge of tracking every day so well. I thought I'd be able to keep up with it and then I stopped tracking for a couple of days. I just couldn't get back into tracking after that. Did you know it takes 6 weeks to set a new habit? I've gone so long without tracking that I've fallen out of the habit and I'm finding it hard to get back into the habit of tracking. I'm finding it hard to stick to goals that I want to achieve. This is completely normal. I refuse to beat myself up for it. After all, my wants and needs over the last two months have changed considerably. I'm actually not following the Weight Watchers diet at all right now. But that doesn't mean I'm eating whatever I want. I'm actually still losing weight, but without Weight Watchers to do it. I'm sticking to smaller portions and a healthy diet. I've cut back on sugar and treats without really thinking about it. When I do snack, I opt for a handful of...

There’s a misconception that when you want to lose weight you need to cut out fat. And then there are weight loss diets that tell you to cut out all carbs. I never recommend these types of diets. Let me make it clear that there is a big difference between low-carb diets and no-carb diets when it comes to weight loss. Low-carb diets make you think about what you’re putting in your mouth. They encourage you to focus on healthier carbs that won’t lead to high blood sugar levels and energy crashes afterwards. And the no-fat diets? Well you can’t cut out all fats—and you really shouldn’t. Yes, your body needs some fat. No sure about this? Really don’t think your weight loss diet needs carbs and fats? Well let’s look at what they do. Carbs give you energy: while protein is good for energy levels, carbohydrates are better. They metabolize a little quicker. Carbs are actually the main energy source for your body. Carbs help the digestive system: you know fiber is import...

Whatever type of weight loss diet or regime you’re on, make sure you’re getting enough protein and fiber. Most diets out there will include at least one of the two in large amounts, since they encourage you to at least eat vegetables. But why are the two so important? Couldn’t you go a diet without both? Well, you could but you wouldn’t have the healthiest lifestyle. You may even find it harder to feel satisfied while you lose weight. Protein and fiber in your weight loss diet helps in a few ways: They help you feel fuller for longer: both of these food groups break down slower than the likes of carbs and fats. Have you ever wondered why you feel fuller after a bowl of porridge than you do after a couple of slices of toast? Well, this is why. By the food breaking down slower, your body uses it up over a longer space of time. They make you feel fuller quicker: on top of that, you’ll find that you don’t need to eat as much to feel fuller. Fiber is especially beneficia...

I came across this question recently. My husband uses protein powder after exercise to help him repair his muscles. While they’re mainly used by men, there are also some women who use them. But do you really need protein powders to lose weight? Can they help or will they just make it harder to shed the pounds? Your body needs protein Let me start by saying that our bodies need protein. I’ll get into that in more detail later this week, but cutting protein out of our diets is bad. The protein helps with the building of muscle and aids with losing weight because it fills us up for longer. You can get protein from all sorts of foods. There’s no need to use protein powders really, but they can help to increase the amount you get if you don’t eat the right type of foods. There are vegetarians and vegans who can struggle to get enough protein. Those who workout a lot may find they need extra protein to help their muscles repair. Protein powders can help you lose weight...

Late night snacking is a pain when it comes to weight loss. We always reach for the bad stuff, thinking we need to eat more or just because we’re bored. When I looked at emotional eating the other day, I mentioned that boredom was my issue. To be honest, it was the boredom at night which always led to late night snacking. I needed to curb this if I wanted to lose weight and keep it off. I put a plan together and made sure I lost the weight. The best thing about the Weight Watchers diet was that I could find a way to still snack without resorting to the bad stuff. You can do it on diets like the paleo, keto, Atkins, Slimming World and so many more. Here are my tips for curbing late night snacking so you can lose weight and keep it off. Recognize you’re doing it: This has to be the first step. If you don’t realize that you’re snacking, then you’re going to struggle to curb it in the first place. Food diaries are great—but you do have to make sure you track every lit...

It’s the middle of the month. This is the point where people start to fall off the wagon. They forget about their weight loss goals or may find that their goals are no longer relevant. I’m a great believer that goals are the key to success. You may have found they haven’t helped in the past, but be honest with yourself. Have they not helped because you didn’t think they were worthwhile reaching or because you started making excuses? If you don’t make goals, how do you know you’ve achieved something? How do you know when you’ve reached the end of your weight loss journey? The truth is you don’t! You’re more likely to not even bother because you don’t have goals in the first place. But what about when those weight loss goals are no longer relevant? What about when your life takes a different direction? Back in January, my weight loss goals involved the Weight Watchers diet. I wanted to get back to my pre-baby weight. Eight months later I have completely different goals...

There are so many diet plans out there. We can follow Weight Watchers, Slimming World, the Atkins Diet, the Paleo Diet and so many more. It’s actually difficult to keep track of them. Some of the diets have one thing in common: they’re low-carb diets. I want to point out that they’re low-carb and not no-carb . This is important because carbs are still an essential part of our diets. We need them. But you could benefit from reducing the amount of carbs you eat. Especially the types of carbs you eat. Me saying that may surprise some people. After all, I advocate on a healthy and balanced diet, but this does support a low-carb diet plan. The key is in the balanced part of the phrase. There’s nothing wrong with eating a carby meal now and then. Hell, I love pasta dishes and bread is a firm favorite in our house. The difference is we also focus on high-protein and high-fiber meals a lot of the time. We’ll look at low-carb meals because they can help and here’s why: ...

The kids went back to school here in Canada yesterday. With it being Monkey’s first day, I didn’t quite do everything that I wanted. We sort of had a morning of getting grocery shopping done and enjoying the time with just Peanut. This second day is the chance for us to get back on track. In fact, the kids being back to school is perfect for your weight loss journey. This is the time to focus and get back on track, and here’s why. You Get Your Routine Back Having the kids at home all the time is hard. The summer is full of “mom, can we do this?” or “dad, I’m bored.” It’s a time for treats, snacks and lots of meals out. At least, it always seems like that, doesn’t it? When the kids are at school, there’s a routine. You get up for breakfast, have a strict day of work with your lunches and snacks planned out, and then your dinner is organized to make sure the kids get a good night’s sleep. Okay, so it doesn’t always work out how you’d like but there is a gen...

It was a holiday weekend here in Canada (and in the United States), so we decided to have one last vacation. The Monkey is back in school today, so it’s time to really get back on the weight loss wagon. Sometimes after holidays, vacations and even just holiday weekends it can be difficult. We struggle to get our minds back in gear, ready for the journey ahead. I’ve shared some tips in the past , but here’s why I’ve done so far today to help get back in the weight loss mindset, ready for the rest of the month. Started the Day With Fruit Okay, so I didn’t just start the day with it, but I made sure I had some fruit. It just happened that the breakfast I got came with fruit. Starting your day with something health is a great way to get yourself in the mindset. Fruit’s awesome because it’s so refreshing. I happened to have watermelon, but you can get the same feeling from so many other options. It’s also worth starting your day with a glass of water. I didn’t do that t...

When it comes to weight loss, many people will recommend meal plans. It’s something I had to recommend as a Weight Watchers leader, even though it was something I didn’t and never did do. We still don’t set meal plans in the house. We don’t quite plan our meals for weight loss We tried it once, but we just didn’t stick to the plan. That doesn’t mean we don’t plan ahead, but we don’t have a strict set of meals for the week. We’ll work off how we’re feeling and what’s happened in the day. Our way of planning is choosing in the morning what to eat for dinner. When my husband used to work, I’d pull out some meat and we’d work with that when he got home. There would be times that I’d decide as my day went on. If I finished work early, I could do the cooking. If I was still working when he walked in through the door, he’d be the one to choose. Now it works very differently with both of us inside the house all the time. We’ll discuss what we can have for dinner. We ar...

I received a message yesterday from someone looking for some weight loss support. She mentioned that she was eating lots of fruit and vegetables but still not losing weight. Okay, well, eating fruit and vegetables isn’t enough to lose weight. Yes, really! While eating fruit and vegetables can help—it certainly gets you your nutrients—it isn’t going to give you everything your body needs. In fact, too many fruit and vegetables can lead to weight gain. And you need to look at all the other stuff you’re eating! Be honest with yourself. So, let’s look at this in stages… Eating too much of a good thing is bad Yes, you really can eat too much of a good thing. Want to know why? Because you run the risk of not getting a balanced diet. While you get your fibre and nutrients from fruit and vegetables, you need to get carbohydrates, protein, and some fats. Yes, your body needs fat! By the way, fruit is full of natural sugar. While it’s not as bad for you as...

Losing weight is hard. It doesn’t matter how many “quick fixes” and “miracle cures” come out, losing the weight and keeping it off in the long term requires hard work. The truth is nothing worth having was ever easy. Getting back on track after a bad week as soon as possible is essential. It’s the only way you’re going to give yourself the best chance. There’s no point saying the plan isn’t working, when you know you’re not sticking to it. Here are four tips to help you get straight back on track. Face the Scales When you have a bad week, it’s really easy to fall off the wagon. You think that you won’t jump on the scales to see the damage, but you’ll be really good for another week. Does it really happen? I’ve had plenty of members come to me at the scales and tell me they were thinking of missing class. They didn’t want to see the damaged they’d done. But then they knew that they wouldn’t get back on track. The best thing they did was admit that they needed to s...

We all get cravings throughout the day. Every now and then, giving into them isn’t a problem. But if you consistently do it, you’re going to make it harder to lose weight. Rather than give into your cravings, you can plan ahead and add treats into your week. It’s really not that difficult at all. Here are four reasons why you shouldn’t bother giving into cravings. They Make You Feel Sluggish Most of the time, your cravings are going to be sweet treats. I usually find around 3pm that I crave something chocolaty. My body doesn’t need it, but my mind thinks it does. Even if I have it, I end up feeling sluggish afterwards. That’s because of the instant sugar rush and then the sudden burning of energy. I’m not actually taking care of the reason behind the craving in the first place; either the trigger or the issue of just not eating enough of the right things throughout the day. When you feel sluggish, other cravings will kick in. You’ll want more sugary treats and th...

When losing weight, many people start cutting out foods. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve had someone look at me in awe when I’ve tucked into a dessert and then heard them ask me whether I can eat it. Weight Watchers doesn’t cut anything out completely. It’s all about eating food in moderation. This means you can eat everything in moderation, whether it’s fruit and veg or you’re really craving that bar of chocolate in the fridge. Nothing is banned on the diet, and I don’t believe any diet should ban anything. Of course, it’s all about making healthy choices, but that chocolate bar once a week isn’t going to do you much harm. In fact, it will be good for you. Here’s why you should eat everything in moderation. There’s Such a Thing as Too Much of One Thing Sticking to salad every single day will get boring. Yes, you can have too much of it. While it may not do you much harm health-wise, it will do some damage mentally. You’ll start resenting the food you eat...