Weight Loss Tips:
Losing weight can be a hard challenge. It can also be the most motivating and inspiring thing to happen in your life. When I began to really focus on my health and wanted to lose weight in college, I was determined. I was tired of the past ridicule, I was tired of not being able to date the type of women that I enjoyed company with, and I was tired of not being the person I knew that I could be. So I began my fitness journey while I was living at my fraternity house (we’re not all beer guzzling Neanderthals, just a few of us), altering my diet and creating a workout plan. 6 months later, I was 55 pounds lighter.
The Goal to Lose Weight
When you’re overweight and don’t feel good about yourself, the first thing you’re most likely probably say to yourself is “eh, I need to lose a couple of pounds”. Don’t worry, you are not alone. In fact, Americans have been spending over 120 billion on weight loss products in 2009 and it’s only on the rise1. Diabetes become a national health concern for millions of Americans, not including the other diseases associated with being overweight.
So I decided to write this blog post to inspire you, to tell you that losing weight is not impossible, you just have to know and feel what you are doing is right. These are some tips that I have gained and still keep to this day.
1. Stick To The Basics
This is one of my favorites. I’m not a fan of fad diets at all. There is always a new way to lose weight. What about the old way? Fruits and vegetables (go organic, hey if your gonna do it, do it big and do it right!), exercises such as tai chi, yoga, soccer, swimming, good rest, correct portions of food, cutting back on the mickey-D’s (the slang word for McDonalds), soups and salads. I think instead of focusing on new products on the market and focusing on different ways to motivate yourself, your weight loss efforts will be doubled. Hey, I know sometimes we may get bored of doing a single exercise, eat the same food everyday, going to the same gym, so switch it up!
One last tip on new age remedies. Learning is a ongoing process, so new concepts that you learn that can be beneficial to your health can be positive. For instance, as acupuncturist we educate our patients on not consuming foods that are too cold, instead to eat warmer foods or have the right balance. In Chinese medicine theory we believe to lose weight you want to move your qi, keep it circulating, and heat does that. If you consume something too cold we believe it slows down the body metabolism. Soups and salads go great together because they balance themselves out. Drinking room temperature water can help you in your efforts. Do you have to buy the newest weight loss gimmick to apply this to your life?
2. Get Help
You’ll be surprised at who will be willing to help you achieve your goals. Let your family and friends know so that they can support you, and who knows, you might even gain a workout buddy. But remember, you are doing this for yourself. There are many healthcare and wellness professionals here to help you such as doctors and nurses (conventional medicine and holistic), personal trainers, registered dietitians, coaches and so forth.
![Positive Weight loss Healthy Weight Loss Tips From an Acupuncturist](https://csjacupuncture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Acupuncture-For-Weight-Loss-1024x724.webp)
3. Stay Positive
Stay positive! I say this for everything, for weight loss, for diseases, for financial problems, stay positive. Life will work it’s self out if you just put in the work and have a goal in mind. Yes you may cheat sometimes, yes you may have a few days where you didn’t put in your all, but get back on that horse and keep riding. Even if you fall off, the sooner you get back on, the easier it will be to get back to your routine.
4. Use Goals and Measurements
There are many weight loss goal trackers and ways to measure your progress. The one I had used was from www.fitday.com over 10 years ago and it is still around. I was able to track my calorie intake, carbs/fats/proteins (especially if your diabetic is good to monitor your carb intake), my workout and calories burned on average. Then I was able to look at the data weekly and monthly to track any trends I may have. This is very important because it’s too hard to track your food intake by just using your memory. Having data on hand will give you a new perspective, and if you do it once, you’ll have a better idea of how to eat just in case you can’t track your food intake. Just google fitness tracker try the one that works best for you.
5. It Takes Time For Healthy Weight Loss
It took some time to put on the weight, and now it is going to take time to take it off. Unfortunate it may take more time to take of then it did to put it on, but that’s life. Losing weight is a transformation process, and through that change it’s important to reflect on yourself and realize that all this hard work is coming from you, nobody else but you. So when you hit your goal weight, you can say to yourself “I did this”, “Look at what I did”, “I can do anything you mutha…!”, ok maybe the last one was extreme but you’ll feel that way when you succeed. You shouldn’t lose more than1- 2lbs a week, otherwise you’re just asking for trouble and most likely will put the weight back on.
You can do it. Just put in the effort, love your life and appreciate yourself no matter if you’re in shape or not, and always stay positive.
Remember to consult with you primary healthcare provider before starting any health or weight loss regimen.
References
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Carlo St. Juste II, MAOM has a background in acupuncture with over 10 years of clinical experience and over 16 years in the Martial Arts. He has worked with various organizations to implement employee wellness programs including The City of West Covina, The City of Brea, Broadcom, USC, American Suzuki, and Pomona College. He is dedicated to promoting integrative health and has seen the benefits of knowledge and implementation first hand.
I love the number one, Stick To The Basics. Personally, i don’t use or drink diet capsules, medicines etc. Like you said organc is still the best way. I love fruits and vegetables, and I make sure to include them in my diet.
Thanks for stopping by Holistic Blogger, yes avoiding all the junk to get you on fad diets is the key to go. No miracle drink/drug can beat determination. I understand that sometimes people need a boost, so I say go get acupuncture. It’s a natural healthy way to get you started on your weight loss program and really that is all people need to get the ball rolling. We all have lost weight sometime in our life, and if you know how to lose 1 pound, you know how to lose two. If you can lose two pounds, then you can lose five. The key is not to cheat yourself by cutting your calorie intake extremely or acquiring inadequate nutrition because in the end you will only put the weight back on.
Greetings Carlo St. Juste Jr., L.Ac I really liked your great article on 5 Tips For Healthy Weight Loss From a Acupuncturist. so much good information on here : D
Hi Sammie thanks for stopping by. I enjoy sharing my information and experience because it helps me to re-evaluated what I know can help. Healthy weight loss is an issue that many people try to deal with and it helps when you have someone knows what you’re going through!
I like the stick to the basics concept. I personally prefer tried and proven natural weight loss methods and stay away from any fad diet. It may be a slow way to reduce your weight, but slow and steady wins the race.
Hi John, I like your saying “slow and steady wins the race”. That is very true, and what many people don’t realize is that you are gaining such a sense of self-empowerment and will power when you stick to losing weight in a healthy manner. They’re are no shortcuts in life, even though it may seem like there is in our fast paced society!
I’m the one who fail at diets since I always cheat on that ‘cas I’m sugar addicted. I feel thankful that you provide such a helpful info for me and I look forward to reading more!!! Thank you so much!
Great article. It’s interesting, but I did the same thing in college. I also lost around 55 pounds, but I was so desperate to lose weight that I went a bit too restrictive with my diet, which led to binging.
I’m glad you’ve gotten a handle on your weight. The principals of losing weight are so simple, yet it’s such a struggle for many of us to fully implement them in our lives.
Hi Adrienne I think its great that you were able to achieve such an accomplishment. Maintaining and keeping the weight off can be easy or it can be very difficult. I’ve had my ups and my downs, but I’ve always practiced the basic principles and that has helped me to manage the weight very well. Losing weight is definitely an adventure with it’s ups and downs, and if you make a mistake don’t feel bad, because failure breeds pockets full of lessons. Keeping at it is the key and never let anyone put down your attempts.
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