By: Paige Valentik

Now that I got you here (thanks to my catchy title), I have bad news: there is no secret to weight loss. And there especially is no one-size-fits-all secret to weight loss. What works for me will more than likely not work for you. Then again, I’m not even sure I’ve figured out what works for me now that I’ve had 2 babies in 2 years!

Scientifically speaking, the secret to weight loss is to consume less calories than you burn each day. If only it were that simple. If it was, none of us would struggle with weight loss and/or weight maintenance. But, give me a chance to share just a few of my “secrets” as a nutrition counselor that DO work for my clients.

Patience

Super annoying first one, right? I bet you were thinking I’d share some sort of low calorie easy recipe that you could eat every day and never get sick of. (Don’t worry, I do share one of my recent go-tos at the bottom of this article). But no, seriously, patience. Weight loss shouldn’t be fast. A healthy weight loss is roughly 1lb per week…give or take depending on the individual. If you are looking for a quick fix, the chances are very high that you will not be successful long-term. Commit to making changes and give your body time to reap the benefits. Be consistent, don’t weigh yourself every day and just know that weight loss is not linear.

Make the right decision more often than not

Weight loss does not require perfection. Perfection is impossible to achieve and it’s even more impossible considering we are faced with hundreds of nutrition choices per day. I don’t know about you, but I am completely overwhelmed at the thought of needing to eat “perfectly” every day for a week let alone any longer than that. I encourage clients (and myself) to make the right decision more often than not because it is completely possible to lose weight with that approach. And this way you avoid the feeling of missing out on the things you love and the all or nothing approach of “my diet starts on Monday.” See the last secret…

Give yourself grace

Most of you can probably relate to the “my diet starts on Monday” feeling. A common example for me: I decide to have a Reese’s after my healthy lunch and then think, “well I just ruined my weight loss goals, I might as well have that bowl of cereal I’ve been craving.” And it completely spirals from there. But, one really important thing to remember is that one small mistake does not mean you won’t lose weight that week. I’ve learned to give myself grace, accept my “wrong” decision in that moment and help myself make the “right” decision the next opportunity. It is possible to lose weight without being perfect, so give yourself grace.

As I’ve written this article I’ve realized just how much I needed this for myself. So, thank you for helping me recenter. As promised, I want to share one of my recent go-tos for an easy, lower calorie lunch. Microwave a bag of Bird’s Eye shredded veggies (yes, frozen vegetables are just as healthy as fresh vegetables and wayyy easier) then throw in some protein. I’d recommend either chickpeas, shredded rotisserie chicken, leftover Mississippi pot roast from Sunday’s crockpot meal or even just your kid’s leftover chicken nuggets. That whole meal will probably only cost you about 350 calories. Enjoy!