weight loss diary + glow up guide ♡

• 10 basic weightloss tips •

first, i have to say 2 essential things!!

number one: don't starve yourself. eating to little will not help you in ANY way in the long run. you're basically DESTROYING your relationship to food which can lead to eating disorders. not only that, your hair, nails and skin will be in the worst state EVER because of all the nutrients that are missing. and don't let me get started on your energy levels, mood, and concentration.

your body isn't dumb - when you're starving, it's clever enough to save up a lot of energy for basic tasks like cell repair or blood flow so it can hold on to that stored fat. this is neccessary in order to survive if you're actually starving to death. it's called slowing down your metabolism. and if you do that long enough, it can actually be permanent.
simple version: if you eat 800 calories everyday to lose weight, you have to eat 800 calories for the rest of your life or you'll gain weight. sounds horrific, right? 

and number two: the only way to lose weight is to be in a calorie deficit. otherwise your body won't lose fat. you HAVE to eat less than you burn. but it's not as hard as everyone makes it look like. you just need to build good habits and stick to them. your body burns a lot of calories already, more than you probably think - alone by basic metabolism, digestion, temperature regulation and daily activites. a calorie deficit is less about science, strict calculating and working out endlessly - more about moving more in general, eating healthy and building good habits.

i can't give you general advice apart of this that will 100% work for you. every body is different - and i can only give tips that i found out made MY weight loss journey easier, and maybe that can help you too. but don't try to rely on it too much. everyone can and should find their own way.

now i want to share 30 tips with you guys that you can maybe try and see if it works for you - personally, it helped a lot!

1) PROTEIN is your NEW BEST FRIEND, okay? protein prevents you from losing muscle (no one wants that, you're just going to end up looking skinny fat), it keeps you full longer AND it burns more calories digesting. so protein actually speeds up your metabolism - in the short run by digesting it and in the long run because muscle burns more calories than fat even if you're not doing anything.
high protein foods: dairy products like milk, yogurt (unflavored, e. g. greek yogurt), cheese, cottage cheese or curd cheese, of course eggs and meat (chicken, beef, even pork or processed meat), fish (salmon >>) and some vegan options: tofu, lentils, beans, edamame, nuts and seeds, oats, quinoa

2) eat more vegetables and fruits is sooo helpful. (tip: buy frozen instead of fresh, it doesn't get bad and it's not as pricey) it contains fiber which keeps you full longer and has very few calories. (doesn't mean you should stuff yourself with it!)
also it's unprocessed so it's more healthy and it contains sooo many great things!! (vitamins and stuff)
recommended: kiwi, berries (strawberrys, raspberrys), melon (watermelon, kantaloupe), apples, brokkoli, tomato, cucumber, carrot, greens, avocado, banana

3) NEVER weigh yourself after eating or even drinking. of course you're 5 pounds heavier on the scale after a massive dinner. that doesn't mean your progress is ruined. it's not fat - most of it is just simply the weight of the food you ate plus water weight.

4) don't rely on the scale too much. it fluctuates - sodium intake, water intake, hormonal changes, sore muscles - all of this can cause inaccurate measurements even on an empty stomach. so please don't think you gained 3 pounds of fat overnight. most of the time it's, again, water weight.

5) you can speed up your metabolism a lot by walking more - for example 15 to 30 minutes after every meal, even in your room. it flattens glucose spikes so you don't get intense energy crashes even after eating a lot of sugar.

6) don't rely on those pinterest "1000-calorie-workouts". most of the time, just someone who doesn't know anything about workouts just threw together a bunch of exercises until it looked like a lot and called it 1000 calories. also, it depends on your weight and individual speed or intensity how many calories you burn.
fitness trackers and smart watches often tend to overestimate burned calories even though it's more personalized. your workout app is not going to show you an accurate number either.
a thing i would recommend here is MET formulas. you can calculate how many calories you burned with your activites throughout the day and workouts, it's really helpful and in my experience the most accurate.

7) i heard you should not lose more than 1% of your body weight per week. if you weigh 70 kgs, you can lose 0,7kg a week MAXIMUM. if you weigh 80 kgs, you should lose no more than 0,8 kgs. i recommend 0,5 kgs per week, it's sustainable and moderate and shows results fast enough if you do it consistently. 0,5 kgs = 550 calories per day. 1 pound per week is 500 calories per day. and that is the deficit you should follow! (e. g. burning 2000 and eating 1500 calories)

8) try to fix your sleeping schedule and fast overnight. for girls and women, eating first thing in the morning is really good, but you should try fasting 3 hours before you go to sleep. if your body has to digest food in your sleep there's less time for muscle regeneration and cell repair. i always try to fast after 8 pm, but everyone do it their own way.
(cutting out late night snacking also saves calories, so it's easier for you to stay in a deficit)

9) you don't need a gym membership. home workouts are effective too especially if you're a beginner. consistency beats intensity everytime. working out for even 15-20 minutes 3-4x per week is much better than working out for 2 hours 1x per week. don't work out everyday - your muscles need rest to actually grow. sounds silly, but it's true!
try to split your week into upper body or lower body days. (or other splits, like core, arms + back, glutes, legs... but just start with upper and lower body first) also, increase the difficulty over time, it's so much more effective.

10) don't try to be "perfect". perfect doesn't exist!! doing something is better than not doing something at all. you can't cut out your favourite foods? no need to. it can fit in your calorie deficit. you hate working out? go for a walk or dance around your room. you don't have a lot of money? you don't need a gym membership or perfect "clean eating" recipes. who can afford that anyway?

it's about staying consistent, not about knowing everything and always having the perfect plan. i started with no clue what i was doing exactly, but my routine got better and better and i got used to eating healthy. at first, i didn't workout regularly because i thought i hated it, but now i love strength training and pilates so much.

i'll be posting other weight loss tips really soon, including more advice on how to stay consistent, how to lose weight as a teen, sharing my workout routine and much more!

if you have any questions or need help, just ask me <3

you can also send me weight loss tips, workout routines or meal plans to try or rate!! i feel like that would be so fun!

please vote and comment if you found it helpful ❤