BeFinallyFit

12 Simple, Doable Weight Loss Tips from Women Who Have Lost 45+ Pounds

In need of weight loss tips you can actually apply in REAL LIFE?

When it comes to weight loss, many of us feel that no one understands what we’re going through.

“I feel like I’m just living a life of… dieting. Yep, I’m a professional dieter.”
“I’m just so tired of failing yet another weight loss attempt.”
“I’m a yo-yo dieter. I lose weight all the time, but it keeps coming back!”

Sound familiar?

Trying to lose weight can be a lonely journey… but the women below? They get you.

They know EXACTLY what you’re going through.

So just go ahead and benefit from their experiences. Find out what helped these wonderful women lose over 45+ pounds.

Weight Loss Tips from Women Just Like You

1 I stopped drinking soda and putting sugar in my drinks.

“As weird as it sounds, NO ONE drank water in our household. It was always soda or concentrated fruit juice. I honestly don’t know why. It’s just always been this way.

At one point though, at work, I just noticed that everyone’s drinking water. So I did too.

It was hard. I wasn’t used to it. So at the start, I only drank water at work. At home, I still drank juice. After about a week, I got semi-used to it so started drinking water at home too. (Drinking water was the easy part, discussing this with my family was harder 🙁 )

After about two weeks, I stopped putting sugar in my coffees and teas altogether. Believe it or not, i lost around 20 pounds just doing this! It was shocking to me and the perfect way to start my 47 lb weight loss.”

– Monique Plum, 41 yrs old, ⬇️47 lbs

2 I realized weight loss really does start in the kitchen.

“I’m not a great cook but I know my way around the kitchen. Along the way though i started opting more and more for ‘convenience’ which meant frozen dinners, boxed meals, take-outs, etc.

One day I woke up, got the courage to step on the scale and WHOA! I didn’t even realize I was THAT heavy already. So I took back control step-by-step.

I limited myself to 1 take-out every other week, and no more packed mixes or canned sauces. After a while I weaned myself from frozen dinners too.”

– Lisa Gardner, 43 yrs old, ⬇️45 lbs

3 It’s ok to start slow… but structured.

Most people, especially women, overwhelm themselves when it comes to weight loss. They believe that for pounds to melt, they need to completely overhaul their way of eating AND spend hours at the gym… on Day 1.

This is the perfect recipe for weight loss failure.

“I have a daughter, twin boys below the age of five, and a full-time job. I just don’t have time so I knew I couldn’t go all gung-ho with my weight loss efforts. One day, I just sat and thought… FINE! one thing at a time.

I looked for a weight loss program online because I didn’t want to think and plan and learn this and that. Too much time and effort. I just wanted to follow something.

I joined BeFinallyFit thinking the weight loss would be slow but boy was I wrong!”

– Kelly Gills, 47 yrs old, ⬇️45 lbs

4 I didn’t banish any food group… because I realized I’m not strong enough to live without rice 🙂

“I’m Asian, I cannot imagine life without rice 🙂. So I learned the art of ‘food swapping’.

I no longer eat white rice, but brown rice. No white bread, but whole-wheat bread. No sugar-heavy, white flour-heavy cookies but healthier ones made with coconut oil, oats, and fruit as natural sweeteners.

I tell friends I’m still a foodie, just a healthier one.”

– Neri Tan, 32 yrs old, ⬇️48 lbs

5 It’s ok to give into cravings.

Depriving yourself of your favorite foods can deter your weight loss success in the long run. It’s human nature to start craving things you’re not supposed to have and once you finally give in, you may find yourself binge eating instead of just having a normal serving.

“I’m partial to anything chocolate. But since I’ve gone on this journey, I only eat dark chocolate and limit myself to a single piece after dinner with my black coffee. And instead of having it on weekends, I have it on weekdays. 😉”

Afraid your cravings are getting out of hand? Click here for real-life tips to manage your cravings.

– Carol Peek, 37 yrs old, ⬇️46 lbs

6 I started taking yoga… because it’s the only ‘physical activity’ I can do.

Don’t be pressured to do anything you’re not physically and/or mentally ready. Focus on what you like or what truly interests you… the rest will follow.

“I’ve never been an ‘active person’. And as the pounds piled on, I was just too heavy to do any physical activity and too embarrassed to go to the gym.

The only thing that remotely interested me was yoga because I liked the ‘quietness’ and peace I’ve always associated with it. I tried one session, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Once I lost a few pounds and felt more confident, that was when I became more serious and tried a weight loss program.”

– April Rainier, 45 yrs old, ⬇️49 lbs

7 I plan when I indulge.

“I work in marketing so eating out is a given. What I do is control when that happens as much as I can. So normally I would schedule dinners with clients 2x per week max. Then I would check the menu in advance so that I can plan what to order.

If there are unplanned lunches or dinners out, or I give in and order something decadent, I don’t beat myself up about it. I just compensate the the rest of the week as best I can.”

– Melody Powell, 44 yrs old, ⬇️45lbs

8 I learned how to cook.

Women who don’t cook or are not fond of cooking often feel that making meals from scratch requires HOURS of effort. That’s not true at all because studies show… we’re really not as varied or diverse as we think.

“I’m a nurse and work crazy hours so take-outs were my life. However, it’s hard to talk to people about their health when you’re overweight yourself. I felt like a hypocrite. ☹️

However, cooking and prepping my meals were out of the question. I just don’t have time. Until the day my new roommate came into my life.

She was a nurse too and she had it all together! I couldn’t believe it. She would cook on her day off and pack and freeze and she wouldn’t even spend hours in the kitchen. She told me to just cook something simple, and don’t over complicate things.

Well, here’s what I found out… chicken and brown rice are life. I love eating this day in and day out. I would vary it a bit of course but that’s how I started losing weight, and keeping it off. 😀”

– Carolyn Adler, 41 yrs old, ⬇️47lbs

9 I created my own hunger suppressing tricks.

“I’m single so I don’t like to take walks out at night. This means coming up with other ways to battle after-dinner cravings. I would normally drink first: water or flavored water. If that doesn’t work, I’ll have hot tea or some bone broth I’ve previously made.

I would drink this slowly while I watch funny YouTube videos or workout videos online. Sometimes, I’ll visit health and wellness sites. This is often enough to put my mind back on the ‘healthy track’.

If not, I grab an apple or banana and eat that with almond butter or any nut butter I have in-house.”

– Lannie Smith-Mills, 33 yrs old, ⬇️46 lbs

10 One goal at a time.

“A lot of people don’t realize the depression that can come over you from so many failed diet attempts. They think that you don’t have willpower or you’re lazy or that you prioritize a donut over yourself.

At one point, I was just tired. Tired of trying, starting, losing, stopping, gaining, repeat repeat repeat.

Luckily I met someone who actually told me that I was doing too much. Changing too many things. And that I was trying too hard. Huh? I thought I wasn’t trying enough!

She helped me focus on ONE THING first — what I was eating. Just that.🙂”

BeFinallyFit is a science-based 28-day unique eating strategy for weight loss. It turns your body's fat-burning switch 'ON' by correcting the hormone imbalance that's making your body store fat... instead of burning it. If you're 40+ and overweight, then BeFinallyFit is for you.

– Antonia Moore, 42 yrs old, ⬇️53 lbs

11 Low is high, and high is low… what?!?

The food industry is not doing overweight people any favors. They label food items as ‘low salt’, ‘low sugar’, ‘low carb’, ‘low fat’, and on and on.

But here’s the problem, any product ‘low’ in one thing is normally ‘high’ in something else. So often, people are just replacing one unhealthy thing for another.

“I don’t read labels. I understand that it works for many people but it doesn’t for me. When I grocery shop, I just ask myself ‘where does this come from?‘. If it’s in any way man-made or processed, I don’t buy it. Simple.”

– Sammie Law, 48 yrs old, ⬇️51 lbs

12 I stopped being a ‘secret eater’.

“I’m a lazy person, I don’t ‘journal’. I also told people I have no idea why I’m so overweight when I cook my own meals and eat ‘healthy’. ha!

A visit to my doctor changed all that. He told me I was prediabetes and that I needed to change how I was eating ASAP. But how can I change something I thought was already ok?

I started taking pictures on my phone of every single thing I was eating and drinking. I mean, everything. And I was just shocked!

I never realized how much MORE I was eating. I would remember my ‘light’ breakfast and healthy lunch or dinner but I wasn’t aware of the so many unhealthy things I was eating during the day… the ‘small’ slice of co-worker birthday cake, the little candies on my desk, the chicken nuggets (or donut holes) I would munch on as a mid-day snack, the glass (or 2) of wine at dinner, and most of all… I was shocked by the 1,0000+ calorie bomb of a coffee frap I was having almost everyday!”

– Daniela Maria Keaney, 42 yrs old, ⬇️67 lbs

Weight Loss Calculator & 3-Day Meal Plan

This free online calorie calculator will help you in your weight loss journey.

Use this Weight Loss Calculator and find out exactly how many calories you should consume each day to achieve your body, health, and fitness goals. Whatever the results, there’s a corresponding 3-day meal plan for you… absolutely free!

HOW: Indicate your health details, including gender and height, and then choose your current daily activity level from the available pull-down menu.

WHAT’S NEXT: After you click CALCULATE, you’ll see your recommended daily calorie intake to lose weight. There will also be a customized 3-day meal plan for you to get. 😃

You need 2000 Calories/day to maintain your weight.	2000
Slow, but sure: You need 1500 Calories/day to lose 1 pound per week.	1500
Advanced: You need 1000 Calories/day to lose 2 pound per week.	1000
You need 1700 Calories/day to lose weight slowly but steady.	1700
You need 1600 Calories/day to lose weight at an average pace.	1600

10 Simple FOOD SWAPS to Lose Weight Fast

Here are 10 simple food swaps you can adapt to lose weight… FAST.
Don’t worry though, you don’t need to apply these changes all at once.

Just choose one for now and let that habit sink into your daily routine. And then go from there by making another swap, and so on.

Before you know it, choosing the healthier alternative will come naturally to you. No struggles necessary 🙂

10 Easy Food Swaps to Make You Lose Weight

- SWAP cola for water. If switching to water 100% seems too daunting then simply swap to drinking other, less-sugary drinks such as flavored waters, green tea, etc.

- SWAP ONE white for ONE brown. For example, swap your usual white bread at breakfast to brown bread; or swap white rice for brown rice.

- SWAP sugar for raw honey.

- SWAP couch potato-ing for brisk walking. If you’ve allotted that one hour to watching TV, then swap that for 60 mins of walking outdoors instead. Can’t bear to miss your fav TV program? Do some form of activity during TV commercials such as marching in place, doing lunges, etc.

- SWAP your regular cooking oil for olive oil or better yet, coconut oil.

- SWAP salt for a mixture of salt and spices.

- SWAP taking the elevator for climbing the stairs, or at least do 50/50.

- SWAP dessert for a salad. You don’t need to do this all the time. That would be boring! Just ensure that you’re not ALWAYS going for dessert.

- SWAP chips for nuts.

- SWAP processed food for REAL FOOD.

Remember, just make small tweaks into your everyday routine and what’s a change today will be a habit tomorrow.

Good luck!

How Much Water Should You Drink Each Day?

Use this calculator to quickly find out how much water you should drink every.single.day.

Water intake is an integral part of any successful weight loss program. But first, you need to know how much water you should drink each day, right?

Water makes up about 60% of your body weight. Your body requires water to function properly, and it helps regulate your body temperature.

If you don’t drink enough water, you will become dehydrated and you will feel a lack of energy. So be aware of dehydration symptoms like a dry mouth, dizzinees or light-headedness.

Ideally, you simply rely on your body to signal you when to drink. The kidneys use water to remove waste from your blood and dispose of it through your urine. Looking at the color of your urine can be a good indicator if you are drinking enough.

But being human, we benefit from a routine! So, having an idea of the amount of water you should drink will help establish a routine and prevent dehydration-related problems.

Water Intake Calculator

Use this Water Intake Calculator and find out the recommended amount you should be drinking every day based on your age, weight, and activity level. Leave exercise duration blank, or enter 0 (zero) if not applicable.

Your recommended daily water intake is 72oz, or 9 8oz glasses.

Please note that the result is a recommendation and it not intended to replace medical guidelines. This amount will further vary depending on environment (humidity and temperature), overall health, and pregnancy.

Also consider that about 20% of your water consumption is from food, so depending on what you eat, the amount of water you should drink can further vary.

The best thing you can do for yourself, if you are not doing it already, is to start your day with a glass of water. Even during sleep the body loses water! Your body’s water balance actually has a big impact on the quality of your sleep.

Drink water during exercise

When we exercise, we lose water through transpiration. As a result, we need to drink more water to compensate. Not just after the exercise, but also before and during the exercise.

A general recommendation is to drink up to 20 ounces of water 2 to 3 hours before exercising. During the exercise (including the warm-up), drink up to 10 ounces of water for every 15 to 20 minutes of exercising. Continue the drinking during the first 30 minutes of the exercise.

These are general guidelines. Make sure the adjust for the intensity of the exercise and the temperature in which the exercise is performed. Both will influence the amount of water intake required due to variations in transpiration.

A lack of water during exercise can result in muscle-cramps, a (too) fast heart rate, or not sweating. It can quickly progress to weakness, confusion, or even loosing consiousness!

FAQ

Can you drink too much?

Although it is not very common, yes, you can drink too much! It actually happens more with (endurance) athletes who drink a large quantity of water at one time. Too much water can dilute the sodium levels in the blood, which can result in something called hyponatremia.

When should I drink water?

Although drinking during the day in general is a good habit, there are moments that are more important. The first moment is when you wake up. Your body loses moisture during the night, so replenishing in the morning is important. The second moment is half an hour before a meal. This will actually help the digestive system process the food. And another important moment is after exercise. Drinking after exercise will replenish the fluids lost by sweating, and it also helps prevent muscle soreness.

When should I not drink water?

This may seem unexpected, but there are moments during the day when it is not advisable to drink water. During a meal, you want to limit your fluid intake. Drinking during a meal will dilute the natural fluids in your digestive system that help digest the food.

Should you sip or gulp water?

Although the question is formulated a bit funny, it is actually important to consider the importance of how much to drink each time. It is generally considered a best practice to regularly drink small sips of water, rather than gulping down a glass in one go. This way you make sure the water intake has the most positive effect on your body and is not simply flushed out by the kidneys.

Should you drink tap water or mineral water?

First of all, make sure to not drink anything with sugar. When it comes to mineral water, there is a lot of environmental impact on making mineral water available. For tap water, this does not generally apply, and it is more convenient and less expensive.

A second aspect to consider when choosing between tap and mineral water is the quality of the water and your safety. For both types of water there are quality standards, but not in all regions of the water can you rely on drinking tap water safely. So, make sure you are informed of the local quality of the tap water!

For plastic bottles, you need to be aware that they may contain microplastics that can enter your body when drinking mineral water from plastic bottles.

If you are concerned with the quality of your tap water, using a water filter may be the better option compared to using mineral water.

How long does the body take to digest water?

The question should maybe be to absorb, rather than digest. Water is absorbed in the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. So, throughout your digestive system. How fast it is absorbed depends on how full your digestive system is. On an empty stomach, water can be absorbed in just minutes. After a meal, absorbing water can take hours.

How can you help the body retain water?

To help the body retain water, eat more food that is high in fiber. It helps maximize the absorption of the water in your digestive system because it moves slower. Salt also causes the body to retain water. But salt is something that can also contribute to a lot of negative health aspects. So, eating salt should be limited to the daily recommendation (less than 6 g). Only when you sweat excessively and lose salt that way, should additional salt intake be considered.

Keep in mind that you actually want to make sure that water gets absorbed in the body to fulfill the proper functions. Excessive water retention is actually not advisable.

What is the role of water in a body?

Water helps the kidneys remove waste from the blood and flush it out. Water also hydrates the cells in your body for day-to-day functioning. And water helps your body regulate the body temperature.

But there are many more functions of water in your body: moistening tissues, dissolving nutrients for access in the body, enabling muscles to function properly, lubricating the joints, helping with skin elasticity, regulating blood flow, and more. In short, water is important!