I was going to write this bit at the end of my spiel but realised it’d probably get missed so;
FIRST AND FOREMOST: Make sure your MINDSET is in a healthy place. Realise that having some “non healthy” food every now and again is NOT BAD. Realise that skipping your walk/gym/forced excersise for a day or 2 or 3 is NOT BAD. YOU DID NOT FAIL! BECAUSE ITS NOT A JOB/RACE/COMPETITION, It’s your LIFE. You’re SUPPOSED to ENJOY tasty food, even if it’s not a damn salad! You’re supposed to be able to rest when you’re tired, that’s WHY our bodies get tired! It’s so important to remember this because so many people fall back into negative mindsets & depression/anxiety/feelings of inadequacy & failure, all over eating something they wanted or having a break & it’s not worth it. Having a better body is not worth your mental health being damaged. As long as you are still making positive changes, you are doing well! Now onto my original rant/spiel
Don’t diet! You need a sustainable lifestyle change, not a diet change. Unless your diet includes fast food every single day, you just need to rearrange portions of your current food really. And if diet allows it (no allergies, aversions ect) make swaps. There’s plenty of lists online to help but for example: coconut cream instead of regular cream, brown/black/red rice instead of white, wholemeal or at least high fibre bread instead of regular white bread.
If you drink it, have 1 sugar instead of 2 in your coffee/tea & no milk (decent quality coffee could see you drop to no sugars even)
In regards to portions, look up recommended portion sizes for your age, current weight, gender, lifestyle, health issues ect. If you’re eating too much protein for you, it’ll turn to fat. In contrast (like myself for example), you may be eating too little food even! I lose more weight when I’m eating at regular small intervals vs 3 meals a day for example. I lost more weight eating like 1800cal vs the around 800 I eat now thanks to my meds.
If you only eat peas/corn/Carrots (for example), try to incorporate more coloured vegetables into your foods on a more regular basis. You’d be surprised what naturally consumed vitamins can do for weightloss, especially in terms of real energy to increase ability to excersise a bit more, & WANTING to excersise more as well.
Add seeds & nuts to your snacks. (Even if it’s in a trail mix with reduced sugar dried fruit & choc buttons, it’s still good vitamins & minerals!)
Work your way up in regards to excersise. You don’t have to start a 5k run tomorrow. Start with a short daily walk & increase the distance &/or speed over time. While cooking dinner or watching TV or as soon as you step out of bed in the morning before anything else, do 5 jumping jacks & 5 squats. Increase how many over time ect.
Find an excersise you enjoy! I can’t stress this enough! You’re NOT going to excersise if you hate what you’re doing! It shouldn’t be a chore, it should become your lifestyle & it should fit your current lifestyle easily!
I HATE cardio. So, I don’t do full cardio! I do weight training, because I LOVE lifting weights. I learned how to do it in a way that I didn’t get bulky, because that’s not my plan, but that’s what I do. It increases heartrate just as much as ‘boring’ cardio if done properly. I also used to do Zumba as cardio instead of running or HIIT (I also hate hiit). It’s more fun, I could do it at home at my own pace. Do classes instead of going on your own, sometimes having others there makes you work harder. Find a friend to get healthy with. An accountability partner. Or get a really good PT you can bounce thoughts off, tell concerns to. Someone who listens to your needs & goals & plans sessions accordingly.
If you have it available to you, maybe look into a weightloss/health/lifestyle coach or counsellor. Just someone to help you make those changes slowly & sustainably. Someone who can teach you how to fit your current lifestyle & your new wanted one together.
I know its long but honestly it’s all so important so I hope if even you yourself don’t read it, someone else does & it helps them.