It was not until I became a personal trainer and became pregnant that I began to learn nutrition. I studied my entire pregnancy to eat well for my baby and when I had my son I set a goal for myself: to lose my entire baby weight in four months. I had read about all these celebrities and how quickly they lost their pregnancy weight and sometimes lost it in 3 to 4 months.
I had to have an emergency C-section with my son, so that put me behind eight ball with my goal. I could not even walk much in 6 weeks. This meant that I had to be even more diligent with my nutrition. I did not reduce the calories – I could not because I was breastfeeding. I did not deprive myself, I only made small changes– like the ones described in my book Lose weight like crazy even if you have a crazy life! which has just been released in the audiobook and is read by your really! You can order from Apple Books, Audible, or Google Play.
I was not perfect. Those were good days and hard days. There were times when the scale did not pull out and I felt it was hopeless. I celebrated the small victories and I cried when I was frustrated, but in the end I trusted the process and the path I was on. In the end, I lost all 36 kilos I had gained during pregnancy plus 3 more for a total of 39 pounds. And I did not do it in my 4-month goal but in 3 months and 4 days. It may be the same for you. This is how I did it. You can use the same tips no matter what type of weight you want to lose.
I gave up my sugar-packed cereal in favor of eggs, hell toast and sometimes vegetables for breakfast. I cut down on the amount of sugar I put in my morning coffee. I read food labels and I was especially diligent about avoiding high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS increases inflammation and can raise your blood sugar, eventually putting you at risk for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
For more, read What cutting out added sugars does for your body.
Clean the house of unhealthy foods that tempt you. Start with the drawers and bags. Get rid of all the processed foods. And double check the foods you think are healthy by checking the ingredient list and nutrition facts. Look for sodium, sugar, processed flours and a whole lot of ingredients (ie chemicals) that you can not pronounce. I stopped eating granola bars 2 to 3 times a day as a “healthy snack” and ate fruits or vegetables instead.
Or turn to one of these healthy snack dieters who says you should eat!
When we do not have a plan, when we do not have an alternative to go to, we often do the easiest and most comforting thing to do when we are frustrated or stressed – um, open the fridge or cupboard and grab some edible relief. So plan for the challenging times. Plan your meals! It is one of the best things you can do to eat healthier and lose weight. I started making healthy dinners by planning them and shopping specifically for these meals.
Here’s your ultimate meal plan for eating healthier all year round.
If you master this, you have won the battle because we tend to eat too much every day. After the pregnancy I did not reduce calories but I made sure I ate practical portions. It was so easy to plan my meals and cook at home.
Here are 18 easy ways to control your portion sizes.
After the pregnancy, I drank only water other than a little coffee without sugar. Water is essential for health and fitness. As I say in my audiobook, your goal should be to Drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day. Keep a bottle of cold water by your side all day.
When you sit down for lunch or dinner, start with vegetables. If you want to lose weight like crazy fast, I want you to load up on vegetables first before going for the proteins. It helps you from eating too much other things.
After I was approved to start exercising easily, I started taking my son for two walks a day. I would put him in the stroller and we would go for a 30 mile walk after breakfast. Then I would take a walk later in the afternoon. If the weather was bad, I used the treadmill. If my son was on the floor making a belly, I would go down and kneel or hold a plank. I fit into what I could when I could. But I did it every day. The key is to make it a routine part of life and realize how good it makes you feel.
Related: This simple walking workout is a great fat burner.
This autumn’s Calabrese is Beachbody’s top Super Trainer, author and creator of 21 Day Fix, and Ultimate Portion Fix, and host of the online cooking show FIXATE.
