I have seen a lot of posts wanting weight loss and fitness tips (especially at home workouts), so I figured I would post what has worked for me. I am NOT a medical professional, but I do have a lot of experience with nutrition and fitness. Please remember that what works for me may not work for you, and always consult your physician if you have any questions.

1. Instead of 3 moderate meals a day, eat 6 small meals to keep your metabolism going and hunger cravings down. Try doing a fasted cardio session some mornings as well.

2. Cutting your calories too drastically low and depriving yourself won’t be sustainable in the long run. That will lead you to crash dieting and succumbing to cravings because your body feels so hungry, and then you’ll end up binge eating. A 1,000 calorie diet is not feasible in the long run, and will do more damage than good.

3. In order to lose weight, you must be in a calorie deficit. To make sure you are in a deficit, track your macros (carbs, protein and fats). I use the app called My Fitness Pal to record everything. I also don’t let the app factor in my calories burned through exercise (if you do that, it will add more calories to your daily allotment to compensate for the ones burned and you won’t necessarily end up in a calorie deficit like you want). In order to be accurate, get a food scale and weigh/measure everything you consume. You would be surprised how “eyeballing” and guessing amounts can be waaaay off. Also, don’t underestimate how much sauces (ketchup, mayo, BBQ, etc.) or things like olive oil can add up in your daily calorie count, so be mindful about how you’re cooking/flavoring your food. Actually measure out that ketchup or that olive oil so you get a better understanding of how it’s contributing to your daily diet. After a while, you’ll get in a flow of how much mayo to add to your tuna, but you’ll be really surprised at first at how much more “sauce” you’re adding than what you think you are - I know I was!

4. Most importantly, everybody’s nutritional needs are different. In order to lose weight, you must operate at a calorie deficit (without depriving yourself too much, as mentioned above). You naturally burn calories by being alive-which is called your basal metabolic rate, and it’s different for everyone. So I’ll give you my numbers, but keep in mind that they won’t necessarily apply to you. I’m 29 years old, 120lbs, 5’6” and exercise 3-4 times a week with a basal metabolic rate of 1334 calories (amount I burn just by living!). With my exercise, my total daily calories burned (basal metabolic rate + calories burned through exercise) is around 1800-2000. So, if I want to function at a calorie deficit to lose weight - based on my activity level and my basal burn rate, I need to consume approximately 1350 calories per day with my calorie breakdowns being about 35% protein, 35% fat and 30% carbs (you can set all of these values in My Fitness Pal to track where you are with your meals). AGAIN, these numbers are personal to me and will not necessarily account for your basal daily expenditure, so you can’t just take my numbers as your own.

5. Diet + exercise and lots of high quality H2O is the BEST thing to do for your body. I HIGHLY recommend the SWEAT app by Kayla Itsines for a progressive at home workout. She’s tailored her program to be started at any level of fitness from beginner to expert and even has a program for postpartum mums. I shed major pounds and inches off my body (from my booty, waist, hips and shoulders) in just 4 weeks of sticking to her workouts, and this is what I used to get ready for my wedding. I AM NOT AN AMBASSADOR NOR DO I GET PAID OR FREE MEMBERSHIP FROM THE APP - it’s just something I used for a long time and works for me.

This photo was after 4 weeks of the app. I’ve taken a hiatus from it, but I’m getting back into now!

Nope-not benefitting from sharing my success -  They have a free 7 day trial, and the monthly fees are cheaper if you pay up front rather than month to month (I need to switch mine back to the yearly membership to save money now that I’m back to working out consistently again).

6. Don’t underestimate supplements! Some days I don’t feel like working out at all (or getting off the couch for that matter), but if I take my preworkout I feel like I can conquer the world after it kicks in 30 minutes later. 😂 And not all supplements work for everyone-the C4 preworkout made me feel like I was going to pass out while the MTNOPS Yeti (watermelon is delicious!) gives me the motivation without feeling the jitters. It all depends on you and your body, so do your research and if one doesn’t work for you, try another!

And remember, color is your friend where food is concerned! This is what my late lunch/post workout meal looked like today. I also drank a protein shake as well to make sure I had enough following my workout.

Good luck, loves. I hope you all get the results you want! You’re beautiful the way you are, but there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be your best self! Healthy looks good on anyone!!!