As I was sitting here bored with the usual posts and attempting to think of some more creative ideas, I realized I had some good info to share with you guys that I’ve learned first-hand…weightloss tips! Since December I’ve shed 33 lbs, and overall (I started 2 years ago but took a year off in between), it’s a total of 52 lbs off my 5’7″ frame. The best part of it all is, I’m one of the laziest people I ever met and have relatively no willpower…so if you think my tips won’t work for you, think again! If I could do it, I KNOW you can! After the jump, I’ll share what it is that I’VE done to get this far. I know not everything is for everyone, but take my tips and customize and tweak them to work for you and I promise you’ll be looking good in no time!

Marisa Mendez

DIET:
If you’re young-ish (myself I’m 25 next week), DIET is the most important part of it all. However, I know it’s tough to eat well when you’re on a budget because grocery bills can get crazy, not to mention if you join a diet program that charges a monthly fee. Well, I’ve worked my way around that. I’d heard that Weight Watchers was really effective because it’s not so much a diet as it is a lifestyle change. That’s what you really need here, because diets can only last for so long before you revert back to the food you’re depriving yourself of and ultimately re-gain it all. On Weight Watchers, you really can eat whatevz, whenevz! It’s about PORTION control. You think I actually paid for the program though? Yea right!

Simply Google “how to calculate my Weight Watchers points” and you’ll end up here at E-How. A little formula of your height, weight, gender and a few other factors will get you the info you need…your daily point max. Then, bookmark this on your smart phone or computer. It’s your calculator. (You’ll notice there are two calculators…we’re working off the “old” point system because quite frankly the new one is confusing and the old one works just fine). Every time you eat something, simply put the calories, fat and fiber into the calculator and it will let you know how many points it is. Keep track throughout the day, be sure not to go over your limit and that’s all you have to worry about! As I said, you can eat whatever you want but be mindful…a “bad” meal will take away a considerable amount of points and you’ll likely be left hungry later when you’re maxed out.

Some really great food ideas:

• The 100 Calorie snacks are awesome! They’re only 2 points and they’re not DIET food. They’re the real deal, just in good portions!
• Healthy Choice makes great microwaveable meals in the prepared foods aisle with relatively low sodium.
• Smart Ones and Weight Watchers have some AMAZING ice cream options that range from 2 to 4 points. Great for dessert!
• Simple changes like whole wheat pasta instead of regular, skim milk instead of 2% and fat free salad dressings make a world of difference!
• FRUIT and VEGGIES are important! Don’t overdo these either, however…there are sugars in fruit too! I make sure to have at least 2 servings of both fruit and veggies daily. I happen to ONLY like carrots and green beans out of all the world’s vegetables so that’s all I ever have but I still do it!
• WATER, WATER, WATER, WATER, WATER! I firmly believe my water intake is a major part of my success. I don’t drink anything else (you can, I just choose not to) and I have between 5 and 7 bottles a day. Take advantage of your job’s water cooler! Refill your bottle all day long.
• It’s OK to cheat once in a blue! I have about 2 cheat meals a weekend and I LOVE them. I’m still mindful of my water and my portions and everything else throughout the day, but your body needs to be reminded of the not-so-good stuff too. I still have continued to lose at least a pound a week with my cheat meals on the weekends. Weight Watchers actually allows 20 extra “floating” points weekly for things like this!
• If you have a sweet tooth, I find that a Fruit Roll-Up here and there help so much. 50 calories a serving. 1 point snack and sooo worth it!
• Don’t eat too late. I cut myself off at 8pm.

EXERCISE:
Hello. I’m the world’s laziest person EVER! Nice to meet you! I hate exercise with every fiber of my being. If you’re hoping I tell you that you don’t have to do it at all, sorry to disappoint you. However, I’ve found that my short, 3 day a week workouts still do wonders for me! Jillian Michaels is my B*TCH! LOL! From the comfort of my own home (so no gym fee!), I alternate between levels 1 through 3 of Jillian’s “30 Day Shred” workout series. Each one is 20 minutes and combines weight training, cardio and abs. All you need to buy is the series online (it’s about $10 or $20 I think) and a pair of weights. 3x a week since I’ve begun my “lifestyle change” and it’s amazing! I am so much stronger and so much more toned! Promise, even the laziest person can deal with this workout!

PILLS/SUPPLEMENTS:
I’ve tried a variety of diet pills and most of them suck. You don’t even truly need any for an effective weight loss but if you feel that it will help, I HIGHLY recommend Oxy Elite Pro. It’s around $30 a bottle and you can buy it online or any vitamin shop (costs a little more in stores). It doesn’t make me jittery, it doesn’t curb my appetite to the point I don’t want to ever eat (because that’s no bueno for your metabolism! Have a schedule and stick to it! I eat ALL day long!). Google the reviews and ingredients before trying, but I’ve never seen a bad review nor have I had a bad experience with it in the 2 years I’ve taken them.

And that’s it! That’s all I did to get to where I am and I will NEVER look back. Even in my year “off” that I mentioned earlier, I didn’t gain any weight because I maintained throughout the whole time because it is a LIFESTYLE change. I just wasn’t exercising or drinking water that often. If your willpower sucks like me, make sure you only buy things that are good for you! Throw away the crappy food in your cabinets or give it to those in need. They’ll appreciate it way more.

I hope you guys really put an effort into the weight loss if you’re serious about! It’s so worth it!