Weight loss can be a touchy subject, especially for women. I recently lost 45lbs, so I wanted to share what helped me throughout my fitness journey. I am not a health and fitness coach but I’m sure the tips I share with you are something you can have that helps you throughout your journey at becoming the best version of yourself.

Your mindset matters, change your way of thinking.

I know that’s not the first time that you’ve heard that before, but whoever was the first person to say that statement isn’t wrong at all. Mentally prepare yourself for where you want to be, that way your body just has to catch up. Sometimes we want to be at a certain place in our life or have a certain image of how we want to see ourselves but mentally we can hold ourselves back.

My perspective last year had to change in the beginning, before the year started I said I am going to make sure I make it to the gym at least 3-4 times a week!

I was mentally ready before the time came because I knew if I wasn’t the results wouldn’t be the same. Your mind will beat you there before your feet get you there.

My Diet Plan

Now I think you should always eat whatever you want, to a certain extent. You are what you eat so I will admit that I did change my diet a little. I am a pescatarian when I want to be…but I do listen when my body says it wants some chicken. Listen to what your body is telling you, trust me it talks and not just when you’re hungry. You just have to listen to the signs your body is giving you. I chose this type of diet because I wanted to cut out red meat and eat a little cleaner. I noticed that anytime I ate ground beef or red meat I felt so bloated and a little nauseated after.

If you want a few meals that I love to eat that are my go to, let me know in the comments and I’ll drop a recipe for you. I don’t believe in depriving yourself from the things that you love which is why whenever I wanted a cookie I ate one. Hence which is why I’ll call this the Cookie Diet. Because if you really know me, then you know I will eat a whole 24 pack of cookies all to myself. As you work out you’ll notice your body will ask you for different things. Which means taking in a little more calories that you probably didn’t normally have like adding a lunch and breakfast to your diet instead of just a big meal for dinner. ( As a busy nail tech, I am so guilty of this) That type of eating won’t help you throughout your fitness journey at all. I didn’t stick to a diet plan to lose weight nor would that even be a good fit for my picky self. I suggest you figuring out what are some healthy alternatives that work for you and your household. Here is what I have been eating.

Things I ate to lose weight

Eat what you want! Just in moderation and if you can cut out the horrible bad eating habits then sis do it! If you’re a pop drinker substitute it for water. Add as much water especially in the beginning as you can.

• Salmon and lots of other fish (fresh never frozen) just personal choice

• Water, Cranberry Juice, Green Tea, Coffee. Everyday I have a coffee because I just love the taste but I did substitute my creamer for a plant based creamer. I use Oatmilk and another good alternative is almond milk but I love the Planet Oat creamer and they always have it at Giant Eagle.

• Apple Chips, Fresh Baked Cookies, Kettle Chips. My snack choices as you can see aren’t the healthiest but I ate them in moderation. If I went to the gym that day absolutely I was baking some fresh cookies but I would eat them before 9pm. Be mindful of the times your snacking.

• Plant Based Pasta, Basmati & Jasmine Rice. We know pasta is loaded with carbs which is why I did switch the type of pasta I ate but trust me when I say you can’t even tell the difference! My favorite brand of pasta is from Barilla they even have a chickpea kind which I wasn’t a fan of but another great alternative.

If I could sum my diet up plain and simple it would be what I listed above. I didn’t go to a nutritionist to see what they thought my body would need I just chose better choices when it came to eating. I didn’t make any huge major changes besides eating more fish than anything in my diet.

I could go on and on about the things I do and don’t eat but what I would love for you to take away from our conversation today is that you can achieve so much with just a simple mindset switch. Maybe your not ready to make that change today.

The truth is we all struggle with something and we all need help and encouragement along our journeys no matter who we are. I’m always going to be here encouraging you and giving you support in anyway I can, because thats what friends are for. You don’t need a special diet plan or a fancy trainer you just need to be serious and consistent and you’ll get the results you’ve been waiting on.

I always love when you leave some love in the comments and get a conversation going. By showing love to the blog you get entered into my monthly giveaway to win a gift card to one of our favorite stores. I look forward to our next chat!

Chat soon! Love Brionna<3