HOW I LOST 125 POUNDS AND 10 TIPS TO HELP YOU GET STARTED!
I’m Brittany and I lost 125 pounds by eating whole foods at home! In January 2017 I felt like I needed to be more diligent in my food preparation for my family. I am easily overwhelmed and 2015/2016 were rough years for us. I relied heavily on takeout and processed prepackaged meals.
I needed help managing our diets but didn’t know where to begin.
This is a how-to guide of sorts, something I wish I would have had when I began this process and something I hope helps you!
{this post contains affiliate links}
1. CLEAN OUT THE CUPBOARDS
Getting rid of temptation is key to success in this process. The first step was cleansing my kitchen. I got rid of the cookies, chips, soft drinks, processed freezer meals, candy, cereal, and any and all junk. If it’s not in the house, I can’t eat it.
It’s important to get everyone on board with this step, including your children. For your young ones, you can turn it into a game with a lesson. Have them search labels for things like monosodium glutamate (MSG), high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, carrageenan, yellow dye #5 (any dyes really).
Once found, Google the ingredients. Read aloud what those ingredients mean and what the side effects are.
Although my children can’t quite read yet, they can tell me (and others) about the dangers of processed sugars and how they can negatively affect our bodies. We discuss the ingredients in food and how some food can make us healthy and strong while other food can make us unhealthy and harm us.
2. RESTOCK
Planning is key.
Once your pantry has been overhauled, it’s time to shop! I use a Meal Planner called Plan To Eat. It’s similar to pinterest. You can find recipes online and import them into your meal planner. Once you’ve gathered enough recipes, you can drag and drop them into your calendar within Plan To Eat and it will make grocery lists for you!
To read more about what I’m eating, click here.
3. EAT FAT BURNING FOODS
There are three things that I try to work in to every single meal: fiber, protein, and healthy fats. These three things are key to assisting your body in getting rid of stubborn fat.
Fiber helps detoxify your body and cleanse your colon. It also keeps you feeling fuller longer.
Ex. Chia seeds, Flax Seeds, Hemp Seeds, Leafy Greens, Almonds, Black Berries
Protein helps maintain and increase muscle tissue. Healthy muscle tissue burns fat and encourages your metabolism to keep working.
Ex. Eggs, Chicken, Wild Caught Salmon, Nuts, Bone Broth, Collagen Peptides
Healthy fat helps your cells absorb vitamins and nutrients and aids in the weight loss process. A gram of fat produces twice the amount of energy of a gram of carbohydrates or protein.
Ex. Organic Extra Virgin Coconut oil, Avocado Oil, Avocados, Nuts
*Bonus*
Herbs contain compounds that help you get rid of body fat and reduce inflammation.
Ex. Turmeric, Cayenne Pepper, Ginger, Basil, Garlic, Rosemary
To read more about what that looks like practically, start here.
To take a peek inside of my pantry, go here.
4. AVOID SUGAR, GRAINS, AND DAIRY
Your body stores sugar, dairy, and conventionally processed grains as body fat. Not only do these three hinder you from losing weight but they can lead to leaky gut syndrome, bacteria and yeast overgrowth, autoimmune issues, and inflammation.
5. REWIRE YOUR BRAIN
Begin practicing mindful eating. I am an emotional eater, so this was a big one for me! Instead of eating for pleasure or out of necessity, I would chose a couple days a week where I planned meals around food that would give me the best performance for the activities planned that day.
Because I’m a mom with young children that doesn’t drink coffee, eating high energy foods helps me keep up with my littles and be the best mom I can be.
Keeping emotions from dictating what I consume was a form discipline I had never enacted over myself. Momentary sacrifice is worth the end result. Don’t sacrifice what you want most in the long run for what you want right now in the moment!
6. WRITE IT ALL DOWN
The majority of us don’t realize how much food we’re actually consuming. The human stomach is only supposed to be the size of a clenched fist. That’s why the body does better with 5-6 small meals a day instead of 2-3 large ones.
Most of us in America have stretched out our stomachs so that it takes a lot more to fill them and feel full. Did you know that over 200,000 people in America have weight loss surgery every year? The surgeries are designed to shrink the stomach, forcing patients to eat smaller portions.
Unfortunately most patients find that weight loss is not about altering the body it’s about altering your thinking. If you don’t break the physiological hold that food has on you, you can alter your body however you like but you’ll end up in the same place every time.
It’s so important to track what you’re eating. I have a Daily Calendar that I track all of my food and water consumption on. I did this for 6 solid months before I felt that I was able to be accountable without it.
7. Accountability
This is very important, maybe the most important. Breaking addiction is hard, it’s even harder without help. When I made the choice to make over my lifestyle I knew that the more I kept it to myself the easier it would be to go back to old habits
I had to expose myself. I had to say the hard words “I’m addicted to food. I have a problem. I can’t control myself.” I had to go to my closest friends and family members and ask for their help. I needed their support and quite frankly I needed them to be strong for me when I couldn’t be.
I had to tell my husband that I needed him to watch me because I know myself, I know that I sneak food. I needed him to tell me “No, you can not eat that. No, you can not go back for seconds.” I needed him to call me out.
The first time he told me “no” it stung so bad. My gut reaction was anger followed closely by humiliation. And then I had to ask myself why it made me so angry?
His response was perfect, “Babe, I love you too much to let you hate yourself tomorrow morning because you ate this when you really didn’t want to.”
I can’t stress enough how important community and accountability is during this process. To help I created a Facebook Community Page where we can encourage one another on our journeys, go here.
8. INTERMITTENT FASTING
Fasting is a principal that has been used for thousands of years. It is a valuable tool for burning fat fast. I came across intermittent fasting incidentally. I found myself doing it unintentionally a couple times a week. It just felt good to give my body a break.
I practice intermittent fasting once or twice a week. It sounds scary but all it means is choosing a six hour window during the day where you consume your meals. The rest of the day you fast in order to give your body time to rest and cleanse. This diverts energy, normally used to break down food, to your organs instead. It also releases more human growth hormone, which aids in the weight loss process.
9. GO TO BED!
There’s a draw for me to stay up late every night. My kids are asleep, the house is nice and quite, I finally have a moment to myself! But I’ve found the later I stay up, the more I want to snack. I tend to be much more successful when I go to bed at 10pm. I lose more weight, I’m more well rested, and I’m not (as) cranky when my kids wake me up between 6am and 7.
Dr. Axe says, “Every hour of sleep you get before midnight can count as double the amount of rest you get after.”
If you’re getting less than seven hours of sleep a night, you may be causing your body to store an increased amount of body fat. Getting eight hours or more of quality sleep during the night helps your body burn fat rather than store it.
10. TRY SOMETHING NEW
I was the picky kid growing up, the one who only ate chicken nuggets and ketchup. I was a menace.
Being an adventurous eater just isn’t in my nature. If you’re like me I want to encourage you to give the foods you don’t like another try throughout this process. We have a new rule in our house, you can’t say you don’t like a food until you’ve tried it nine times.
Over the last six months I’ve noticed that my tastes have changed. Foods I formerly couldn’t stand have become some of my favorites; onions, tomatoes, pickles, peppers, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, kale, cabbage, just to name a few. I have also gained the courage to try new things!
It’s never too late to retrain your pallet!
For a look at what supplements I take and the vitamins I give to my kiddos, click here!
Thank you Brittany I HAD TO READ this again! I am 72 yrs old & 161 lbs. also am slow at everything, slow to read, slow to learning, slow to everything except to EAT! I am going to really try to follow the plan of how you have learned to eat correctly. I DID clean out my cupboards and DID buy some necessary cooking items, BUT I feel empty, not really knowing how to cook correctly because I don’t know how to follow recipe directions however I am really trying – I know ‘trying’ is a word that I need to take out of my vocabulary. Again thank you for your openist and being able to help someone else/me.
I highly recommend reading the book “It Starts With Food” – much of what Brittany is sharing is also well-articulated in that book. Start searching for paleo recipes – there are tons of them and cooking that way is really easy.
I appreciate your blog, Brittany – you are helping to inspire many!
I am really going to try this, I know it’s best to eat a bunch of little meals , but I barely eat 1 meal a day. This is my problem besides being an emotional eatter…. I recently lost my job and my home and the stress is affecting my sleeping eatting everything. So 8 am taking my life back. Any advise is appreciated. I get bored easy..so I do okay for a few weeks and then I forget. Please help me
Catherine, I am so sorry to hear about your troubles. 🙁 Emotional turmoil and stress has always been a trigger for me. Let me know if you have any questions, I would love to help anyway I can.
I’m going to ask my husband for an Instant Pot for Christmas!
It’ll be one of the best gifts you’ve ever received! 🙂
Is this something a single person can do or is it too much food to try and lose weight?
Hello my name is ronda i have been trying to lose weight for the past 6 months do you have any advice for me
Hi! I saw your story on people’s magazine news feed and read your article. Thank you for the inspiration. I just received a Power Pressure cooker as a gift and am going to try using it. My weight as been fluctuating for the past few years because I have few of the 10 tips to work on. I need to make some changes. Sorry to be negative but I think one of the lines above under tip number 6 needs a correction. I think you were trying to say “psychological”, but used “physiological” instead. The line that needs correction is “If you don’t break the physiological hold that food has on…” To match the context of what you are saying in the lines before and after, I think it should be “psychological”. Thank you again for sharing your story, you are an inspiration!
The supplements that you share…how often do u take them and with or without food etc.
I take one a day of each with lunch. 🙂
Congratulations to you on your success and journey. I just purchased the Week 1-4 meal plans. I see a lot of things on the shopping lists are organic. I live in a small town and the grocery store which generally has a good selection of organic options is some distance away. Do I have to purchase all these organic items to be successful with the meal plan and weight loss?
Julie, Not at all. I list organic for the items that tend to have more pesticides but it’s not essential for success at all. 🙂
I just found your blog, and you have inspired me. I like your simple, down-to-earth approach. I’m a 48yo homeschool mom of 4, so I am super tired and busy. I have tried to lose pregnancy weight for so long, 15 years now, and it is practically impossible for me. I’ve been on a plan that “everyone” loses easily on, and I’ve gained! I read your post about MTHFR, and it triggered a memory for me. I also lost a baby boy, at 18 weeks, 10 years ago. My wise midwife had me tested for a whole battery of things, and the result was a previously unknown (to me) gene mutation (I don’t remember what, but there were letters and it started with M). She said I needed to be on added Folic Acid, which I started at that time and am still taking. Now I am wondering if taking that extra folic acid is causing part of the problem. I am going to see if I can find those old records, and I’m also going to stop taking the extra folic acid. I am looking forward to trying some of your recipes and seeing how my family likes them. Thank you!
Hi Brittany,
Congratulations on your success! I am wondering what functional diet doctor you found? I can’t remember if I read in one of your posts about contacting Diet Doc and through them you were able to identify your deficiencies etc.
Thanks
Jules
First of all – congratulations on your hard work! My husband recently had his annual heart test and the results came back less than satisfactory. I think it was a real eye opener for him. I am praying it has gotten his attention so that we can together make 2018 a healthier, leaner year! I love love love my Instant Pot and never thought it could help me eat healthier and lose weight, but I am going to give it a try!
My question for you is, I also use and LOVE Plan To Eat, do you share recipes on there? Could I friend you? I realize you are selling meal plans as well, that I am interested in, but love the convenience of using Plan To Eat to keep us on track. Thank you for sharing all of your tips and ideas and showing us all that making good choices can have some pretty great results! Keep at it!
Why is that one supplement free of folic acid? I thought folic acid was really good for you especially if you’re trying to conceive. I’m also not trying to conceive so do I need that prenatal?
Folic acid is the oxidize form of folate. Once oxidize the body doesn’t recognize it as folate but a foreign substance. Folate is what your body really needs, your body doesn’t need folic acid at all. I have the MTHFR gene mutation, which means that I can’t process folic acid and it’s actually toxic to my system. I took it during my pregnancies and had 2 miscarriages and a full term still birth. As always, consult with your doctor, but if you can, it’s best to take a prenatal with folate or methylfolate. 🙂 For further reading check out Dr. Ben Lynch’s website MTHFR.net
I just wanted to say how inspiring your story is to me! I have over 100 lbs to lose, and I’m on track, but this helps motivate me! Thank you!
It’s so nice to find a blog about weight loss and MTHFR. I was diagnosed with it (677TT strain) in September and I’m still learning. It’s overwhelming! I’ve had two miscarriages since my son was born and am currently pregnant. Obviously weight loss isn’t my goal right now, but I do want to burn fat and build muscle. I’m planning to make big diet changes, very similar to what you’ve done (I normally eat mostly paleo but always slip during the holidays :-/ ), so it will be helpful to follow someone who has similar experiences to mine (MTHFR) and eats similar to how I plan on eating. I’ve done some reading on Dr. Lynch’s site, but sometimes it still gets too science-y for me. Haha. Keep up the great blog!
Question: I am 260 pounds and 5’7″ and want to lose 100 to 110 tops, I feel my happy weight is 150 pounds.
HOW do I safely lose weight with the possibility I may be pregnant? Got a very faint 2nd line two days ago, same faint line today.
I’ve never had children yet due to health issues (big 2 pound uterine fibroid caused a lot of my issues). I had an abdominal myomectomy last year (March 2017). I want to safely lose weight while pregnant without harming the unborn child.
I’m also turning 39 on the 12th of May. Hubby is 42.
WE HAVE AN INSTANT POT the 6 quart lux one, not sure how to use it.
We want to ruin its “virginity” with a big half IP of Black eyed peas and a side dish of asian white rice (Nishiki is so delish)
I’m on Facebook if anyone would like to chat about this. Search me under j.leahann.s as my URL on there.
I want to do this … I need to do this!
I need help overcoming my hang up … “Cleaning Out the Cupboards”.
We live on a very tight budget & I find that the thought of clearing everything out & just getting rid of it gives me a bit of anxiety 🙁
It shouldn’t … it’s just food …it’s just money … BUT it’s money! Ya know.
Can anyone help me with this process?
Can I clean it out gradually?
Im 36 and 215lbs.
Weight has always been an issue.
I have started a similar program today and i am optimistic.
Happy thoughts.
I have been an emotional eater since 2012 when my father suddenly passed away and my mother in law had a stroke. All of this while taking cake of twin boys, a six year old and loosing my job. I started binge eating at night, alone when my husband would leave me and the kids to care for his sick mother. I would indulge in sweets and salty chips at the same time. As years went by and things changed in our family dynamics my emotional eating has never diminished. It has been an extremely difficult process. But reading your story & advice has given me hope that I can overcome my stressful emotions by acknowledging them firsthand. Thank you for sharing your story and wiseful tips .
Yolanda,
A heartfelt thank you for your super kind words and for sharing your personal story. I am wishing you nothing but the best on your journey!
I like how you mentioned that one way to lose weight is to eat fat-burning foods such as fiber, protein, and healthy fats. I have been overweight for several years now, and want to lose weight in a healthy way but don’t know what to do. I will definitely keep all of your great tips and information in mind when trying to successfully lose weight.
Hi Brittany
So good to find your blog
I was diagnosed with Compound MTHFR which means I have 2 mutations
Like you I have always struggled with weight and it is almost impossible for me to lose even though my diet and exercise are good
I look forward to following your blog hoping to gain knowledge I can put into action to turn my health around
Janis
I’m looking for a way to lose 125 lbs not only for health reasons but to feel better about myself. However one of the biggest roadblocks I have is most diets require expensive food plans. I find that cheap eating is unhealthy eating. Thoughts/advice?
I love your blog and your journey. I have struggled with anorexia for as long as I can remember and when I got pregnant I was a month out of treatment for the 4th time. I’ve never in my life learned how to eat balanced and never learned how to exercise and lose weight in a healthy manner. About a year ago my doctor tested me for MTHFR because I was constantly tired and turns out I had the gene. It’s been the craziest year and I have not prioritized what I’ve needed to, plus my husband is a huge junk food eater and I’m not. I need to lose 50 lbs that I gained from pregnancy and am terrified to stay the weight I am and terrified of what I’ll look like after weight loss.
I look forward to continuing to read the blog and get resources. You’re an inspiration!