Welcome back to Thank God It’s Monday!

tl;dr Since we’re approaching the summer months, I thought it would be a good time to do a recap of the basics for those looking to shed a few pounds of that winter weight.

1. First and foremost, you must eat in a calorie deficit. That doesn’t mean you have to track calories, but it does decrease your margin for error. Instead, you can practice eating until you’re 80% full (meaning you have room to eat more, but you stop anyway). This may take practice if you’re not used to listening to your body cues, but it is the second-best alternative to counting calories. Don’t let yourself get too hungry because you will be more prone to binging. Increase the foods you can have high volume with lower calories (vegetables, lean protein, berries, melons, etc). And be consistent, because a calorie deficit during the week can be offset with two or three high-calorie meals on the weekends.
2. Second, move more. You don’t need the perfect workout plan or the perfect sets and reps. You need to increase your daily energy expenditure. Take the stairs at work, park further away at the grocery store, and go on a walk after dinner. The little bursts of movement throughout your day are more reliable than trying to cram in extra workouts.
3. Limit the calories you drink. Ideally, you should minimize your intake of liquid calories. Especially when you’re trying to eat in a deficit, drinking calories is not as satiating as eating them (so they make it hard to use that “eat until you’re 80% full” rule). Decadent coffees and alcohol are decisions people make without thinking because they’re normalized by society. However, they add up to hundreds of calories and make the difference between a calorie deficit and a calorie surplus. I’m not saying you can’t drink those, but don’t complain about why you’re not losing weight if you’re choosing to have several alcoholic drinks or decadent coffees a week.
4. Plan your exceptions. I’m not a bodybuilding coach, and you’re probably not looking to be a bodybuilder. Life is meant to be lived. But a calorie deficit takes planning ahead. If you know you have three graduation parties, two weddings, and a birthday before July, allocate the days you want to splurge a little and which you want to stay on track. If you use every event as an excuse to “live a little,” you’ll never reach your goals. Planning helps you stay on track to save your splurging for the date saved and helps you skip the not-so-worth-it days like pizza at work or the same work happy hour that goes on every week.
5. Find accountability. That may be your significant other, a friend, a coworker, or a coach, but you have to find someone to hold you accountable. We are human, and most of us have things in our lives that are prioritized over nutrition. But if this is a goal you’re serious about, find that accountability partner or that coach who will help you through the days you don’t want to show up for yourself.

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It’s not easy, but it is simple. Move more, take in less. It becomes difficult when you have a ton of baggage and emotional overwhelm that impact your decision-making. I have a coach when I want to push myself further than my current standards, and if you’re looking to grow, a coach might be the difference maker for you, too.
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If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to get TGIM.
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This week, my podcast recommendation is from Hidden Brain, “Radical Acceptance.”
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With that, if you are considering coaching, email me back, and we can talk about the next steps for you. I also have tons of free PDFs and resources that I’d love to share if they help your particular goals.
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Until next time,
Shannon