You Don't Have to Deprive Yourself to Lose Weight: The Top 20 Ways to Lose Weight and Keep it Off

You aren’t new to the weight loss struggle. 

You’ve tried countless diets and exercise routines. You’ve even been successful at shedding some pounds. 

… but those long-lost pounds seem to keep finding their way back to you and you are just plain tired of this seemingly endless battle. 

Friend, you can lose weight and keep it off by learning the top 20 things that no one tells you about how to truly be successful on your journey. 

This is part two of a 20-part blog series that will give you a strong foundation of strategy you need to lose weight, keep it off, and start living the life you were born to live! 

Some of what I share will be opposite of what all the diet gurus tell you, so read on with an open and prayerful mind and let God work on you from the inside out of your health and fitness journey! 

Part 4: Feeling Deprived is Optional 

It’s Summertime! 

This time of year means a few months of fun-in-the-sun BBQ’s, pool parties, and lots of gatherings with the kids. It also means you will be face-to-face with some of your favorite summer meals and snack foods. 

Ugh! You love this time of year, but it’s just so hard saying no to biting into the perfectly cooked burger fresh off the grill and the familiar crunch of sour cream and onion chips. Oh, and don’t forget about the Oreos and Cream ice cream as the best way to cool down from the summer heat. 

What if I told you that you don’t have to deprive yourself … that deprivation is actually OPTIONAL? 

You might say I’m a little crazy … right? But hear me out! 

The act of deprivation is the first step in the long, winding cycle of food self-sabotage. You know the cycle.

You are determined to get rid of the rest of those unwanted pounds. 

You clean out your pantry of all your favorite, yummy, roadblocks and replace them with the latest items on the fad diet list. 

You break out the food scales and begin the measuring … counting … calculating … 

You are ROCKING it this time. You’ve said no to the ice cream, cake, cookies, burgers, fries, and all the other favorites on your list. 

You’re really sticking to it! 

One day goes by … a week goes by … maybe even three weeks go by, and you have gained the proverbial diet angel wings and halo because you’ve just been so good. 

But each time you say no to that cookie and take a big fat bite of your celery stick, you feel deprived … frustrated … an overwhelming feeling as though you are missing out. 

Friend, you’ve heard me say it before and it’s true. How you lose weight is how you will have to maintain it. So, with that thought in mind, I want you to ask yourself a question and answer yourself honestly. 

Is the way you are losing weight the way you believe you can maintain weight loss? 

If the answer is no, keep reading. 

You see, the more and more you feel deprived means the closer you get to becoming unsatisfied with your “diet” and in turn, the closer you get to giving up. Then, you find yourself sitting on the couch late at night, surrounded by all the snacks you’ve deprived yourself of for the past weeks … treating yourself to all you’ve had to say no to. 

Does this sound familiar? 

Deprivation is optional. 

You don’t have to feel this way. You don’t have to feel frustrated. You don’t have to feel like you are missing out on life to lose weight and maintain your weight loss. 

It’s as simple as a perspective shift in how you see your food choices. 

When you’re at the BBQ and you are having to choose between the potato chips or the carrot stick, take a moment to weigh your options. 

Ask yourself:

If I have this carrot stick instead of a few chips, will I feel like I’m missing out? 

If I have few chips and supplement with vegetables, will I feel like I’m taking care of my body and enjoying my health journey? 

If I choose the carrot stick because I know it will fill my hunger and get me closer to my goals, how will this decision make me feel? 

The problem isn’t necessarily the food. It’s your perspective on the food and HOW you view the choices you have when it comes to the food. 

Do you feel deprived after making your choice? 

Do you feel guilty after making your choice? 

Do you feel empowered after making your choice? 

It’s the latter you are going for … the empowerment found in choosing the food option that will get you one step closer to reaching your weight loss goals and caring for the temple God gave you. 

When you feel empowered you become more conscious of the food choices you make, you then begin to make better choices, you get closer to your goals, and you do it all WITHOUT feeling miserable! 

Find out how you can choose to feel EMPOWERED rather than deprived or miserable with a free discovery call. Set your call with me today and get one step closer to empowering yourself on your weight loss journey and find the best way for YOU to lose weight and keep it off!