How I Safely Lost 12 Pounds in Less Than a Month
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Losing weight is one of the hardest things we tackle in life. Losing weight in a healthy way, is a whole other ball game. Extreme weight loss tactics like juice cleanses, fasting and starvation dieting seem to be a temporary fix for most. I think many of us have found that after a while, the weight starts to creep back on and we’re back to square one.
I have certainly struggled with weight management and have tried ALL the different strategies from counting calories to intermittent fasting, with little to show for it. Even when I found certain diets that seemed to work for a short time, I always ended up putting the weight back on and having to start over. Finally, after a year of really struggling to get back to my goal weight, I stumbled upon the solution to successful weight loss and maintenance. I lost 12 pounds in less than a month and didn’t count a single calorie. I feel so much better about myself and actually enjoy getting dressed in the morning!
If you are sick of this rollercoaster lifestyle and want to learn how to reach your goal weight in a healthy way and stay there for good, then you are in the right place! In this post, I will share:
- How I lost 12 pounds in less than a month
- How your hormones affect your weight and how to reset them
- The importance of counting macronutrients over calories
- What to eat and when for the best weight loss results
- How to achieve long-term results for yourself
How I lost 12 pounds in less than a month
After going off the birth control pill, my hormones went crazy and I gained 10 pounds in just two weeks. I continued to gain after that and no diet or eating plan seemed to work to get rid of it. I tried eating only 1,000 calories in a day, eating organic, healthy meals with more protein and even upped my workout routine and intensity and still nothing. The scale did not budge and my favorite jeans no longer fit. I was so frustrated!
I decided I needed a different approach and started researching hormones and weight loss. That’s when I stumbled upon The Stark Naked 21-Day Metabolic Reset.
I knew I needed some sort of reset to get my hormones and metabolism back on track and after reading the reviews from this book, I decided I had nothing to lose and gave it a shot. It changed my life. I completed the 21-day reset and lost 12 pounds. The lessons in this book have truly altered my way of living and how I think about food.
I continued with the maintenance plan provided in the book after the 21-day reset and have continued to lose weight. I feel amazing! All of my favorite skinny jeans fit again, I enjoy getting dressed in the morning, and have WAY more energy than I ever have. All it took was 21 days of commitment, learning, and discipline and I can honestly say, I am living my best life. If you have been struggling with your weight and feel like you have tried all the fad diets and eating programs and still haven’t been able to achieve your goals and stay there, I encourage you to order the book and give the 21-day reset a try.
How your hormones affect your weight and how to reset them
In addition to many other vital functions in the body, hormones play an important role in weight loss and management. When your hormones are out of whack, it’s very possible that your metabolism and how your body processes food can also be altered…and not in a good way.
Stress, for example, can cause an increase in the cortisol hormone. Increased cortisol can trigger other hormonal imbalances causing excess weight gain, fatigue, sleep irregularities, and more. Managing stress is vital to balancing out your hormones and getting to your goal weight. Meditation, deep breathing exercises, and walks in nature are a few good ways to lower stress levels and ensure those cortisol levels stay in check.
Decreasing exposure to and consumption of toxins and chemicals is another important factor for managing a healthy weight. Pesticides, plastics, and dairy are all culprits of hormonal imbalances that lead to weight gain and weight loss resistance. Try to limit your exposure to plastic water bottles, Teflon cookware, and eat organic fruits, vegetables, and meats when you can. For more information on how hormones can affect your weight, check out my blog post How your Hormones can Prevent Weight Loss and How to Reset them. Also, be sure to check out my resource library to view all of my favorite hormone-friendly products.
The importance of counting macronutrients over calories
I have been a calorie counting fool since I was 13 years old. I was a chubby kid and learned at an early age that counting calories was the best way to lose weight and keep it off. So, I became an avid calorie tracker. I downloaded the MyFitnessPal app (once apps became a thing, before that it was a sticky note on the kitchen counter). Kids these days have no idea how good they have it. I digress. Every day I logged my calories and made sure not to go over 1,200 calories per day. However, I was eating like crap. Mini frozen pizza, hot pockets, and sugary cereal were my go to’s. However, at that age, the calorie counting worked and I was able to maintain a weight I was “happy” with for years using that method.
After I went off birth control though, my hormones were not cooperating with me and it didn’t matter how few calories I consumed, my body was fighting back. This is when I switched to counting macronutrients or macros, for short. Macronutrients are proteins, carbs, and fat. Your body needs certain amounts of each in order to function properly. Who knew?
After reading Brad’s book, I had a much better understanding of exactly how much of each macronutrient my body needed and the weight started falling off. Counting macros can help regulate hormone levels which in turn can result in productive and healthy weight loss. When you feed your body the right nutrients at the right times, it tends to perform better. What a concept!
What to eat and when for the best weight loss results
Tracking macros can be extremely helpful in reducing that number on the scale but it also matters when you eat them. For example, complex carbs (rice, potatoes, bread, etc.) for breakfast actually slows down your metabolism for the rest of the day. It’s due to the hormonal response that your body has to carb consumption. This is why Brad’s book has you start the day with a green smoothie instead. You still get carbs to fuel your body first thing in the morning but you get them from fruit, rather than a bagel or cereal.
Be prepared to have veggies with every meal. Vegetables help the liver process excess toxins so they are super important for balancing out those hormones and encouraging weight loss. In addition to the green smoothie in the mornings, you’ll have 2 cups of vegetables at lunch and two cups with dinner. I have never eaten so many vegetables in my life but I also have never felt better.
If you were concerned about the lack of carbs for breakfast bit, don’t worry, I got you. You still get to have carbs on this eating plan. At dinnertime, you can have one cup of rice, red potatoes, sweet potatoes or gluten free pasta. The concept behind this is that carbs trigger a release of insulin in the body which makes you sleepy. So, carbs are allowed closer to dinnertime to help you sleep better. Better sleep reduces stress. Reduced stress equals balanced hormones. Balanced hormones result in weight loss and easier weight management. Sounds pretty good, right?
How to achieve results for yourself
If you’ve found yourself feeling frustrated by the number on the scale, exhausting yourself with rigorous workouts, and driving yourself crazy with counting calories, please check out the Stark Naked 21-Day Metabolic Reset. After completing this reset, I find myself craving my kale salad. Mmhhmm, that’s right, I said “craving” and “kale” in the same sentence. I no longer crave my old go-to junk food snacks anymore and have so much more energy for doing things I love. It’s honestly one of the best things I have ever done for myself and it wasn’t that hard. The recipes in his book are delish and easy to make so, even if you’re not much of a cook, you will find this reset totally doable. If you are concerned about the cost of the groceries that you will need to buy, sign up for Thrive Market and save on all of the healthy groceries you will need to complete the reset! You can learn more about Thrive Market in my “How to Save on Organic Groceries” post.
If you’re not ready to commit to the reset, I have put together 3 of my favorite simple recipes (inspired from the book’s eating guidelines) and you can get access to them by subscribing to my newsletter below.
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