My Top Ten Tips For Weight Loss is 2017!

There is no calorie counting! These rules focus on the quality of the food you’re consuming as well as the quality of life you’re experiencing.  Create a plan that works for you and your lifestyle and incorporate each of the following steps to ensure success.

1. Drink Water:  Drink a glass of water with fresh squeezed lemon every morning. This detoxifies the body and nourishes your cells.  You may drink it cold or hot, just be sure to add ½ fresh squeezed lemon to 8 oz of water.  After your refreshing morning drink, continue to drink a minimum of 64 oz. of water throughout the day.  Every process in your body depends on it!2. Eat 2 cups of leafy greens per day:  kale, spinach, Swiss chard, spring mix, romaine, broccoli, etc.  Enjoy them scrambled into eggs, mixed into your smoothie, as a salad for lunch or sautéed as a side with your dinner entrée.3. Go Green:  Enjoy two cups of unsweetened green tea every day.

4. Add one ½ cup serving of vegetables to your daily diet every week until you achieve a total of 4 cups per day.  (This is in addition to your servings of leafy greens).  Incorporate vegetables into breakfast burritos, salads, sandwiches, wraps, soups, spaghetti, and every other meal.  It is possible, start small and work up from wherever you are today!

5. Enjoy one cup of fruit per day.  Be sure to eat your servings of fruit before 2 p.m.

6. Incorporate a minimum of 3 Tablespoons of good fat into your daily diet.  Good sources of fat include avocado, avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.  If you want to enjoy the healthiest form of fat, eat two servings of WILD CAUGHT salmon every week.

7. Balance protein, carbohydrates and fat with every meal.  Healthy protein sources include beans, nuts, seeds, egg, fish, turkey, chicken and on occasion red meat.  Carbohydrates include vegetables, fruit, leafy greens, and whole grains.  Healthy fat sources include salmon, halibut, seeds, nuts, and the oils mentioned earlier.  Be in tune with what serves your body the best; guidelines often suggest a balanced diet of 30% fat, 30% protein and 40% carbohydrates. Start with this ratio and tweak as necessary to achieve the best balance for your body.

8. Shift your mindset:  Remember that your body is designed to heal and be healthy when given the right tools.  It took time to put the weight on which means it’ll take time to take it off.  Make sure your thoughts about your body and image are positive ones.  Beating yourself up with negative self-talk holds you back from achieving your goals.  Nurture your body with love, extra self-care and a positive mindset.

9. Honor your sleep:  Work your way into a routine that’ll allow you to get 7-8 hours of solid sleep each night.  Turn your technology and TV off at least one hour before you head to bed.  Read a light hearted book (nothing full of horror or drama) or listen to soothing music.  Give gratitude for the beauty in your life every night before you fall to sleep and know that tomorrow is going to be a wonderful day!

10. Be patient:  In today’s world, there seems to be a quick fix for most things but this just isn’t true when it comes to our health and wellbeing.  It takes work, and you have to implement healthy habits consistently over time to see results.  Take it one day at a time, create a plan that’ll work for you and make small changes that you build on over time.  Be kind to yourself every day, know that you may veer off track but you have the ability to come right back, and in the end you will achieve what you set out to do for yourself.

Focus on how you nourish your body with the quality of food you consume and the quality of life you create for yourself, and less on the need to lose the weight.  I promise, when you feel fulfilled and decide to truly support your body and mind, all the rest falls into place.