Me again. How are things? Were you able to read through my first  2 posts and get started on your 30-Day Fat Loss Jump-Start?

If you haven’t started yet, it’s ok, but I really encourage you to make at least one change today to get started, even if it’s just cutting out gluten or grains. Either way, it’s really easy to get all excited about something and then not take action on it. Life just gets in the way – I know how it goes. 

But if you’re serious about losing weight, feeling better, and maybe even getting off some of those meds (if you’re on any), now’s the time!

 

BECOMING A SUCCESS STORY

Alright, so yesterday we talked about the basics of the diet changes you’ll be making, why, and what you’ll be eating. In essence, you’ll be doing a Paleo/Primal diet for this month because in my experience, and as the research shows, it’s the best diet for humans, and definitely the best diet for weight loss.

We’ll talk a lot more about the details of that over the next month, but today I want to help you make this official by helping you record your “befores” and “afters”.

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE seeing success stories in the Paleo/Primal world. Let’s make you into a success story, shall we? 

 

TRACKING YOUR PROGRESS

The best success stories include a lot of details, and those details often keep people motivated. What I mean is that the more evidence you have of success, the more motivation you’ll have to stick with it.

Photos, weigh-ins, bloodwork, measurements, and journals all help a lot with this. You obviously don’t have to do any of this, but try doing at least one of the following so you have something to guage your success with.

1. TAKE SOME PICTURES! 

Before and after style – you know the ones! Take a picture in the mirror (or have someone else take it for you) in the least amount of clothing you’re comfortable taking a photo in. Take another front shot, and if you can, take a back shot, too. All full body, and in a place where you’ll be able to take a follow-up shot later on.

2. DO A DIET LOG

You can use www.myfitnesspal.com or some other free online diet journal. This is not going to be forever. This is just to get you in better touch with what and how much you’re eating. By using the online tracker, you’ll be able to see how many grams of carbs, protein, fat, sugar, and fiber you’re consuming. This is a great learning experience and you won’t forget these numbers. Some of them are surprising! 

3. WEIGH YOURSELF WEEKLY 

Get on that scale in the morning before you’ve eaten, and after you’ve gone to the bathroom. This is how I do it when I’m weighing myself because it’s the most consistent weight you can record, in my opinion.

Now, weight is definitely not everything. This is called the “Fat Loss Jump-Start Program” for a reason. Oftentimes people will lose fat and gain muscle during this program, and thus not lose any pounds at all. But by their photos, their measurements, and the way their clothes fit, they know something has changed. Having said that, weighing yourself is a good indicator of fat loss in a lot of situations, especially if you’re very overweight.

4. TAKE SOME MEASUREMENTS

Get a tape measure and wrap it around your waist (at your bellybutton for consistency), hips, thighs, biceps, chest, etc. Do those last ones at the largest part of the area. Write it down. Or go get your body fat percentage measured at a health club, with a DEXA scan, at a CrossFit gym, or somewhere else in town. Measure yourself weekly or just once before and once after the 30 days.

5. WRITE DOWN HOW YOU FEEL

Write down how you feel physically, emotionally, how much energy you have, how you feel in your clothes, if you have more or less confidence, etc. Do this once a day, once every few days, or once a week. 

6. DO A BEFORE AND AFTER WORKOUT

Obviously right now you can only do the “before” part of this. You’ll want to pick something simple, like how many pushups you can do in a minute, how long it takes you run or walk a mile or a half mile, or how many abdominal crunches you can do in a minute. Or all of the above!

Write down your results and do the exact same workout in 2 weeks and at the end of the program. 

7. GET SOME BLOODWORK DONE

You might end up being very surprised by the positive change in your health markers after this month. A lot of people’s cholesterol levels improve, their blood glucose levels drop to a healthy number, blood pressure can normalize. I even changed my hypothyroid to normal thyroid by changing my diet this way!

Anything can happen, and I want you and your doctor to have proof. So if you can, go get a check-up and do the blood tests your doc would normally run. Then make an appointment for a month from now to see how things have changed.

And now you begin! Good luck, and I’ll be checking in with you very soon with some more tips. In the meantime, keep up with your diet changes, even if you’re making them gradually. And don’t forget about your downloads! If you haven’t made changes, or you’re confused about a certain food, just read through these and I guarantee your questions will be answered.

—>>>DOWNLOADS<<<—

——> Food Guide for Fat Loss (PDF)

——> What Is Paleo? (PDF)

——> Meal Planning and Recipes Guide (PDF)

 

Yours,
Neely 

neelyquinn.com