4 Ways to Lose Body Fat Without Sacrificing Your Lifestyle

Let me first start out by saying I am not competing for any bikini competition right now. I am about 7-10 pounds up from my competition weight, which is totally natural. Right now I want to slim down just a little bit but the thought of going back on a diet and saying no to happy hour just doesn’t sound appealing. With these 4 tips not only have I been able to lose a little weight but I have also started creating a healthy relationship with food. I hope these tips will help you as they have helped me 🙂

1. Drink lots of water throughout the day. When your dehydrated your body can think it’s hungry and those end up being wasted calories. If you aren’t a big fan of water try a club soda, or add lemon to your water.

2. Find easy swaps for your favorite foods. You don’t have to give up for favorite foods, just find healthy swaps. Almost every food has some sort of healthy swap here are a few of my favorite swaps.

• Sour cream »»»» plain greek yogurt
• French fries »»»» air popped popcorn
• Mayo »»»» Mustard
• Maple syrup  »»»»  Walden farms zero calorie syrup
• Wine »»»» Fit Vine Wine or Skinnygirl wine

3. You have to get moving! I encourage you to try weight lifting but I understand that isn’t for everyone. Find what you enjoy, this can be a group fitness class, swimming, hiking etc. Also in your everyday activity, park in the back of the lot, take the stairs at work or take the dog on an extra walk.  You will burn more calories and distract you from food. I have been using a Fitbit for 3 years now and LOVE it! My goal is to get 10,000 steps every day even on rest days. It’s a great way to keep track!

4. The biggest key to losing weight is to be in a calorie deficit. Calories in versus calories out (burned). This is good because once you know your maintenance level of calories you need to consume then you can add in the foods you already love. You can achieve this by eating less, burning more calories or a combination of both. This is similar to macro counting. As always I suggest still adding in proteins, healthy fats and veggies etc but this way you can also still enjoy the foods you love without binging! All foods are okay in moderation.

Tell me what your favorite food swaps are?

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Photography by Jordan Hibbs Photography