10 Ways to Finally Lose the Weight

Everyday there is a new diet craze, a new exercise, and a new pill that promises to help you lose the weight and maintain a lifestyle that’s comfortable for you. They work for some people but, there are simple ways to change your routine that will help you overcome that plateau.

I have been struggling with this my whole life. I had never had a set routine because of my busy lifestyle in the restaurant. Every day I would put in about 16 hours and sometimes not take the time to sit down and eat one meal.

It takes a toll on your body and makes it that much more difficult to shed the pounds when you’re actually trying to make it happen.

These are the ways that worked for me. To some people they may sound pretty simple; to others they make a difference if you have no other options.

1. Fiber, Fiber, Fiber

   Very few individuals can say they reach their daily allowance of Fiber every day. You should be consuming up to 25 grams of Fiber a day. This may be difficult considering that most foods have barely enough grams to even make a difference. However, there are so many health benefits to consuming your daily allowance of Fiber. For starters, Fiber is a natural colon cleanser. Any fatty foods that you consume in a day attach themselves to these fiber particles and don’t get left to rot in your intestines. They are excreted during your bathroom visits which may not seem to pleasant at the time but, this allows you to get rid of the not so healthy foods that may linger around causing you to be stuck at your plateau for weeks. Try some of these very simple food items that you may already have in your cabinets.

   • Raisins
   • Plums
   • Beans
   • Whole grain wheat breads
   • Oatmeal (also great for lowering blood pressure)
   • Figs, blueberries, pears, oranges, dried apricots, peaches
   • Wheat pasta
   • Peanuts, pistachios, almonds, cashews
   • Peas, carrots, brussel sprouts, artichokes, turnip greens, corn
   • Benefiber

2. Cutting Saturated Fats

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   Although the American Heart Association says that 7% of your daily calories should and can come from saturated fats; they do still have some serious repercussions. Eating foods that contain saturated fats raises the level of cholesterol in your blood. This, in turn, will increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Avoid these foods at all costs if you are serious about beating the bulge.

   • Fatty beef, pork, poultry with skin
   • lard and butter
   • Cheese made from whole milk
   • anything fried
   • baked goods (cookies, pastries, cakes)
   • Palm and coconut oil

     “Most oils are high in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, and low in saturated fats. Oils from plant sources (vegetable and nut oils) do not contain any cholesterol. In fact, no foods from plants sources contain cholesterol.”
     Good Oils: extra virgin olive oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, and safflower oil

3. Cut down on sodium.

   “The sodium recommendation made by the Federal Government’s National High Blood Pressure Education Program NHBPEP is less than 2400 mg per day (~1 tsp of salt).” Sodium was never a huge issue for me because I never added salt to my food. However, when you start comparing the foods that you buy to the daily allowance of salt in your diet, it might surprise you. I have found that many canned processed foods are extremely high in sodium. A jar of tomato sauce alone contains close to 2500mg of sodium and a can of Campbell’s soup contains up to 1600 mg. I try to purchase foods that either contain low or reduced sodium amounts if I have to buy canned foods. Otherwise, these high sodium foods will make you bloat and increase your blood pressure. Here are some examples:

   • Breakfast cereal
   • processed meats such as bacon, ham & sausages

   smoked/cured fish and canned soup

   • canned vegetables and beans
   • frozen dinners
   • cup noodles/soup-to-go
   • frozen pizza
   • sauce, marinade & dressings
   • meat
   • crackers & cookies

4. Stop eating fast food.

   To put it simply, there are no good fast food restaurants. On Weight Watchers, they’ll give a guide to use when you visit certain fast food restaurants. They pick out the healthiest alternatives that are usually salads, fruits, and veggie burgers. The problem is that most of these alternatives have more fat and calories than the burgers on the menu. Take the Big Mac for instance. The Big Mac contains over 540 calories, 30 grams of fat, and close to 50% of your daily allowance of sodium. The Premium Southwest Salad with Crispy Chicken contains close to 430 calories, 30 fat grams, and 920 mg of sodium. So, if you do choose to splurge, just pick the Big Mac because you know you want it. Just be prepared to work it off later.

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