Want to lose weight? Get smart first.

A fun quiz on weight loss dos & don’ts & a few tips from me

It’s the New Year, so lots of people have embarked on a goal to lose weight and eat healthier. I don’t know about you, but my email is inundated with diet gurus providing tips on how to lose weight and much of the information is confusing, conflicting, and/or soliciting me to sign up for their particular program.

After losing and keeping off 200+ lbs, people also ask me for weight loss tips: How did I lose my weight — what nutritional plan did I follow? Did I track my food, why is that important and what tracker did I use? Did I weigh every day, and do I believe in that? How often did I exercise and how much? And more.

So, I’ve decided to get back to basics and write a series of blogs on nutrition and where to start. I’ll be sharing some of my personal stories, tips, favorite recipes and answering some of your questions. I urge anyone who has a question or topic for me related to nutrition or diet tips, to reach out.

Please know that I am not a nutritionist or an expert. But I did have success at losing and keeping off a lot of weight and I know what worked for me. I believe that when it comes to nutrition for weight loss (and healthy eating in general), you have to get smart first. You have to stop making excuses, take charge of your health, and know the basics on nutrition. This will probably include educating yourself and learning what resources to trust. Hopefully, I can help.

Most of us didn’t like pop quizzes in school, me included. But now when I come across a quiz on healthy eating and living, I jump at the chance to test my knowledge. Today, I feel pretty knowledgeable about healthy eating and the dos and dont’s of weight loss. But I’ve been an active student for five years. The first thing I did to become successful this time: I started taking charge of my health.

Start where you are & take small steps if need be. Just start.

When I started my transformation journey five years ago, I didn’t have a clue. I didn’t know there were three basic types of carbohydrates — starchy, sugar and fibrous — and I definitely didn’t know the difference. (I just knew I ate a lot of them!) I had to educate myself not just about WHAT to eat and the nutritional facts in food, but I had to learn a bit about HOW the body processes the food I eat — because it turns out that really matters to fat loss. I had pay attention to what I ate, how much I ate and when I ate. I learned to read labels, plan and prepare food for the week to increase my success at staying on track. And, I learned that water intake and sleep really matter.

YES, it’s true! Learning what to eat for weight loss (when/how often) can be overwhelming. If we rely on the front of the labels on our food, or the information we get online, we can easily get overwhelmed, misinformed, even mislead. I’ve had many people inquire about how to get educated and what sources to trust when it comes to learning what to eat for weight loss.

So here you go. Start here, start today, start small. And follow this blog over the next several weeks and I’ll point you to some great resources.

Get “smart” about weight loss today with this fun quiz

Let’s give it a shot by starting with a fun weight loss dos & dont’s quiz from WebMD. It does a pretty good job of educating you on some of the very basics. I’ll admit I took it and scored 100% today. But if I had taken it five or more years ago (when I didn’t know fruit was a carb), I would have flunked.

As you take the quiz, take note of the facts that will help you with eating for weight loss and the tips it provides — like the importance of food tracking and why.

Weight Loss Quiz: Dos & Don’ts (by WebMD)

Have fun and good luck. Let me know how you do. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some of my tips on snacking, water intake, favorite recipes and websites that have become great resources for me. I hope you’ll take charge of your health and start today and I hope these blogs help. Let me know.

Remember, you’ve got this! You can do it.

XXXOOOO

Lori

Here are some of my other blogs that may help you get started:

• Meal Prep. Works for me! — Oct. 2015
• Confused about what to eat to lose weight & maintain a healthy body? — Jan. 2015
• Nutrition: Do you know the basics? (take the quiz) – Dec. 2014
• Sugar smarts – Sept. 2014
• We overeat because we’re fat (NY Times Research) – May 2014
• Track it: Food and activity trackers – Jan. 2014
• Sugar turns you into a junkie – Dec. 2013
• Carbs trigger food cravings. Yep! – June 2013
• Shopping to eat healthy & stay on track — Jan. 2013
• Food and addiction. Research and hope. Yes! — Oct. 2012
• Think twice before that glass of wine with dinner — Aug. 2012
• Step away from the refrigerator (my battle with food cravings & emotional eating) — July 2012
• Nutritionally sound. Healthy as a horse?! – Dec. 2011