Today, I am SO excited to have a new friend be my first guest blogger!!! I met Angelique on facebook and knew I liked her spirit right away. I quickly fanned her page Healthy Living for All and appreciate the encouraging posts and helpful hints she posts. I asked Angelique to share some encouragement for those of us who are seeking weight loss and here is what she has to say:
Hello to everyone! My name is Angelique Mirhige Guisto and about 2 years ago I decided to make a lifestyle change for good. After suffering through 3 back surgeries and fusion, I was in a wheelchair for 6 months of my life and overweight. I never had a weight problem but being immobile for so long and on so much medication I packed on the pounds - we didn't know if I would ever walk again. So I decided after my son's High School graduation that was it no more and I changed my life to a healthier one. I have since lost 90 pounds and have kept it off for a year now. I went from a size 16 to a size 4. I first started a support group on Facebook with a few friends and it eventually grew and grew. I created a Page as well to reach the public and help more people and our page has grown to over 19,000 likes now and our members and fans have lost over 1,735 pounds!! I couldn't be more proud of everyone's hard work. I post meals daily, there is a recipe section, before and after pictures, motivation and tons of support. The best advice I can give to all of you is this is not a DIET this is a lifestyle choice.
Here they are – 20 of the best healthy weight loss tips that have helped me and many others lose weight.
Drink Water
One of the biggest common denominators amongst people who lost weight is they all switched over to drinking water. They gave up the sodas and sugary drinks and instead quenched their thirst with water. This tip alone helped hundreds of people lose weight. I drink 12 bottles of water daily and stopped drinking soda 5 years ago.
One of the biggest common denominators amongst people who lost weight is they all switched over to drinking water. They gave up the sodas and sugary drinks and instead quenched their thirst with water. This tip alone helped hundreds of people lose weight. I drink 12 bottles of water daily and stopped drinking soda 5 years ago.
Keep a Food Journal
Write down everything that goes into your mouth. Most people were surprised to see how much they were actually eating. It wasn’t until they wrote it down that they began to realize the cause and effect of what they were putting into their bodies.
Write down everything that goes into your mouth. Most people were surprised to see how much they were actually eating. It wasn’t until they wrote it down that they began to realize the cause and effect of what they were putting into their bodies.
Count Calories
What a boring and tedious job but probably one of the most effective undertakings for losing weight. There is no getting around calorie balance. If you want to lose weight, you have to eat less than you burn. I personally use the Lose It app or My Fitness Pal to track my food calories (calories in), and the BodyMedia FIT Armband to track my daily calorie burn (calories out). I stay under 1,200 calories daily that varies on age, sex, height and weight.
What a boring and tedious job but probably one of the most effective undertakings for losing weight. There is no getting around calorie balance. If you want to lose weight, you have to eat less than you burn. I personally use the Lose It app or My Fitness Pal to track my food calories (calories in), and the BodyMedia FIT Armband to track my daily calorie burn (calories out). I stay under 1,200 calories daily that varies on age, sex, height and weight.
Control Portion Sizes
In our super-sized food culture, portion sizes have gotten out of control. Eating portions the size of your fist is a good start towards controlling your food intake. Getting in the habit of measuring your food with a digital food scale is a great way to learn how to eye portion sizes. Also, don’t feel like you always need to finish off all the food on your plate. Leaving a couple bites will teach you self-control. I no longer eat on dinner size plates I eat on salad plates for all my meals making it easier to eat less.
In our super-sized food culture, portion sizes have gotten out of control. Eating portions the size of your fist is a good start towards controlling your food intake. Getting in the habit of measuring your food with a digital food scale is a great way to learn how to eye portion sizes. Also, don’t feel like you always need to finish off all the food on your plate. Leaving a couple bites will teach you self-control. I no longer eat on dinner size plates I eat on salad plates for all my meals making it easier to eat less.
Don’t Diet
The best “diet” is the one that best fits into your lifestyle. Once you find that, it’s no longer a diet – it’s just a way of life. One of the best healthy weight loss tips people sent in was to approach weight loss as a lifestyle change, and not as a diet. Once you get it out of your head that there’s an end date, you can start focusing on the day-to-day realities of living a healthy lifestyle. Being fit is not a destination – it’s a way of life. I want to live a longer life watch my son grow older and have children don't you?
The best “diet” is the one that best fits into your lifestyle. Once you find that, it’s no longer a diet – it’s just a way of life. One of the best healthy weight loss tips people sent in was to approach weight loss as a lifestyle change, and not as a diet. Once you get it out of your head that there’s an end date, you can start focusing on the day-to-day realities of living a healthy lifestyle. Being fit is not a destination – it’s a way of life. I want to live a longer life watch my son grow older and have children don't you?
Be Consistent
No one is perfect. We are all going to make mistakes. However, successful people are consistently living a healthy lifestyle. Over a period of time, they are eating healthy 90% of the time, and they are exercising several times a week. Make exercise and healthy eating part of your everyday routine and soon it will be as second nature as brushing your teeth. I allow myself one cheat day usually Sunday's and I eat something I normally wouldn't eat however I still watch my portion sizes.
No one is perfect. We are all going to make mistakes. However, successful people are consistently living a healthy lifestyle. Over a period of time, they are eating healthy 90% of the time, and they are exercising several times a week. Make exercise and healthy eating part of your everyday routine and soon it will be as second nature as brushing your teeth. I allow myself one cheat day usually Sunday's and I eat something I normally wouldn't eat however I still watch my portion sizes.
Plan
A healthy lifestyle takes planning. Most mistakes occur from a lack of a plan. Plan your meals in advance so you know what to buy every week at the grocery store. Only buy what you plan on eating, and try to cook your meals ahead of time. The simple nature of reheat and eat makes it much more likely that you’ll stay on track. I plan my meals every Sunday for the week and shop Monday mornings for what I will need for the week.
A healthy lifestyle takes planning. Most mistakes occur from a lack of a plan. Plan your meals in advance so you know what to buy every week at the grocery store. Only buy what you plan on eating, and try to cook your meals ahead of time. The simple nature of reheat and eat makes it much more likely that you’ll stay on track. I plan my meals every Sunday for the week and shop Monday mornings for what I will need for the week.
Make Small Changes
Make small changes consistently until they are habit and you no longer have to think about it, and then make another change. There’s no need to completely change your lifestyle all at once. You’ll be much more likely to stick with your new healthy lifestyle if you make small changes. Try changing one thing at a time. Be patient it doesn't happen over night.
Make small changes consistently until they are habit and you no longer have to think about it, and then make another change. There’s no need to completely change your lifestyle all at once. You’ll be much more likely to stick with your new healthy lifestyle if you make small changes. Try changing one thing at a time. Be patient it doesn't happen over night.
Educate Yourself
Learn the whys. Don’t just do something because someone said to. Understand the purpose behind it. Many people just want a meal plan or blueprint to follow for weight loss. However, the successful people that lost weight and kept it off long term started taking an interest in how nutrition and exercise impact their bodies. They learned the “whys” behind what they were doing, and they were more successful because of it. Last summer I got certified in nutritional counseling to better educate myself and others.
Learn the whys. Don’t just do something because someone said to. Understand the purpose behind it. Many people just want a meal plan or blueprint to follow for weight loss. However, the successful people that lost weight and kept it off long term started taking an interest in how nutrition and exercise impact their bodies. They learned the “whys” behind what they were doing, and they were more successful because of it. Last summer I got certified in nutritional counseling to better educate myself and others.
Get Active
Nearly everyone who lost weight has added in some form of physical activity. Even if it is just a little bit, the fact that they were more active helped them lose the weight. The trick is to find an activity you enjoy. Not everyone likes the same exercise. Find an activity you love to do, and then push yourself out of your comfort zone. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I never had joined a gym before, I didn't think it was possible with a cage in my back that I could lift weights, do Zumba, let alone do a 5K last summer, from a wheelchair a few years ago!
Nearly everyone who lost weight has added in some form of physical activity. Even if it is just a little bit, the fact that they were more active helped them lose the weight. The trick is to find an activity you enjoy. Not everyone likes the same exercise. Find an activity you love to do, and then push yourself out of your comfort zone. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I never had joined a gym before, I didn't think it was possible with a cage in my back that I could lift weights, do Zumba, let alone do a 5K last summer, from a wheelchair a few years ago!
Don’t Beat Yourself Up
You’re going to mess up. We all do. Successful people don’t beat themselves up over it. They get right back on track. They don’t wait until tomorrow to do so either. Their healthy lifestyle and weight loss continues to move forward and make progress because they allow themselves to make mistakes, learn from them, and then end up stronger as a result.
You’re going to mess up. We all do. Successful people don’t beat themselves up over it. They get right back on track. They don’t wait until tomorrow to do so either. Their healthy lifestyle and weight loss continues to move forward and make progress because they allow themselves to make mistakes, learn from them, and then end up stronger as a result.
Surround Yourself With Positive People
We are highly influenced by the people close to us. As successful people we have to move forward with our lives and leave old friends and lifestyles behind. It was a hard decision to make, but understood how important it is to surround yourself with people who believed in your dreams. I cut out the negativity in my life years again people who are not supportive are not going to help you succeed. My biggest support comes from my husband and my son. They cheered me on every step of the way.
We are highly influenced by the people close to us. As successful people we have to move forward with our lives and leave old friends and lifestyles behind. It was a hard decision to make, but understood how important it is to surround yourself with people who believed in your dreams. I cut out the negativity in my life years again people who are not supportive are not going to help you succeed. My biggest support comes from my husband and my son. They cheered me on every step of the way.
Start
How do you expect to accomplish your goals if you never start trying to achieve them? Beginning is half the challenge. Don’t be afraid of failure. We all fall down but you have to get back up and try again.
How do you expect to accomplish your goals if you never start trying to achieve them? Beginning is half the challenge. Don’t be afraid of failure. We all fall down but you have to get back up and try again.
Stop Making Excuses
Successful people make the shift and once you realize the reasons for why you aren't reaching your weight loss goals that they were actually just excuses. It is a hard idea to accept, but once you are honest with yourself you will spend less time making excuses, and more time finding ways to accomplish your goals.
Successful people make the shift and once you realize the reasons for why you aren't reaching your weight loss goals that they were actually just excuses. It is a hard idea to accept, but once you are honest with yourself you will spend less time making excuses, and more time finding ways to accomplish your goals.
Do It For Yourself
Make ME #1. Lose weight for Me, not because of pressure from other people. We all have our own reasons for losing weight. Don't be pressured into weight loss by friends or family. Do this for yourself! & this has also helped my family as well. My husband eat's much healthier now and has even lost 22 pounds.
Make ME #1. Lose weight for Me, not because of pressure from other people. We all have our own reasons for losing weight. Don't be pressured into weight loss by friends or family. Do this for yourself! & this has also helped my family as well. My husband eat's much healthier now and has even lost 22 pounds.
Be Patient
You didn’t gain your weight overnight, and you aren’t going to lose it that way either. We all want the weight gone quickly, but once you realize that weight loss is a process, you can stop beating yourself up for not reaching your far-fetched weight loss goals. Stop looking at weight loss as a day to day challenge. If nothing changes, nothing changes. This is a lifetime commitment to changing. It took me 9 months to lose 90 pounds so don't expect to lose the weight overnight.
You didn’t gain your weight overnight, and you aren’t going to lose it that way either. We all want the weight gone quickly, but once you realize that weight loss is a process, you can stop beating yourself up for not reaching your far-fetched weight loss goals. Stop looking at weight loss as a day to day challenge. If nothing changes, nothing changes. This is a lifetime commitment to changing. It took me 9 months to lose 90 pounds so don't expect to lose the weight overnight.
Stay Positive
Negative thoughts lead to negative results. You are the result of what you think. Keeping a positive outtake on your weight loss journey increases the odds of your success. You will learn a lot about yourself during your lifestyle transition. There will be many challenges and difficulties, but it’s important to understand that even though it might not be easy, it will be worth it. Join support groups this helps tremendously if you can talk to others in the same situation as you.
Negative thoughts lead to negative results. You are the result of what you think. Keeping a positive outtake on your weight loss journey increases the odds of your success. You will learn a lot about yourself during your lifestyle transition. There will be many challenges and difficulties, but it’s important to understand that even though it might not be easy, it will be worth it. Join support groups this helps tremendously if you can talk to others in the same situation as you.
Discover Your Relationship With Food
Why are you eating bad? Make the connection between your eating habits and your emotions. Get to the root of your negative lifestyle choices. Know when your body needs food and when it wants food, and find new ways to reward yourself. You are not a dog so do not reward yourself with food.
Why are you eating bad? Make the connection between your eating habits and your emotions. Get to the root of your negative lifestyle choices. Know when your body needs food and when it wants food, and find new ways to reward yourself. You are not a dog so do not reward yourself with food.
Don’t Try to Be Perfect
If your goal is to be perfect, you’re already setting yourself up for failure. No one is perfect. Even the people who seem to have the most perfect bodies didn’t get there by being perfect. Perfection is something many strive for, but ultimately something they will never achieve. Do your best!
If your goal is to be perfect, you’re already setting yourself up for failure. No one is perfect. Even the people who seem to have the most perfect bodies didn’t get there by being perfect. Perfection is something many strive for, but ultimately something they will never achieve. Do your best!
Never Give Up
Weight loss happens the moment you don’t give up. Many people don’t realize how close they were to achieving success. There comes a time when things just click, but that doesn’t happen until you’re ready to throw in the towel and call it quits. The longer you stick with it, the higher your odds of success. Keep moving forward, and don’t ever give up! If you believe it you can achieve it!
Weight loss happens the moment you don’t give up. Many people don’t realize how close they were to achieving success. There comes a time when things just click, but that doesn’t happen until you’re ready to throw in the towel and call it quits. The longer you stick with it, the higher your odds of success. Keep moving forward, and don’t ever give up! If you believe it you can achieve it!
Do you see why I love her spirit?!? Wow!! Thank you SO much, Angelique! This makes so much sense but many of these tips are ones I need to apply to my journey stat!
To get more information or be encouraged by Angelique, make sure to like her facebook page or stop by her website
A new page I added is Fav Workout Song - I am always looking for new tunes to download to motivate my workout. I asked Angelique to share her favorite and it is Don Omar featuring Lucenzo and the song is called Danza Kuduro. She also mentioned ANYTHING by Pitbull motivates her.
