Warning: Adult language

Please do not read any further if you are offended by adult language.

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I was morbidly obese for over 10 years before I finally got my shit together and lost my weight once and for all. It took me nearly two years to lose 120 pounds and I've kept the weight off for over eight years now.

Over the years, I have read thousands of hours worth of research and hundreds of articles on how to lose weight. After reading, trying, and finding out the real dos and don'ts of getting healthy, losing weight, and getting fit, I'm putting it all in one place! This is the first time in my four years of running my Half of Gabby blog where I list, in one article, every single bit of advice and all the weight loss tips that have helped me successfully lose all of my weight. Over the years I've been asked countless times 'How did you lose the weight?' Well folks, this is it. This is how I lost my weight. I continue to use these weight loss tips on a daily basis to maintain my weight, stay in good health, and stay fit.

I'm hoping you'll read some tips that you haven't heard before as well as find some inspiration that will truly help you in your journey. I'm pulling for each and every one of you! Sexy bitches unite!

How can you make losing weight more enjoyable?

I wanted to start with this category because for me the biggest hurdle I had to overcome was to finally stop looking at losing weight and getting healthy as a pain in the ass. I always looked at 'diets' (which you should never go on btw) as torture. Getting healthy doesn't have to be a bad experience. Getting healthy will be the best thing you ever do for yourself. It may even save your life. Don't look at it as something you dread. Look at it as a privilege. Do you have any idea how many people would do anything to be able to get their health back? I bet you do. I bet you know someone, care about someone, or may have even lost someone to illness and disease. This is your chance to get healthy, to live longer, and to really learn to love the life you've been given.

And yes, to also like the way your ass looks in the mirror ;)

1. Food Prep

I cannot stress the importance of this enough! Food prepping has been my single most important and effective tool in losing over 120 pounds and keeping every bit of it off (and then some) for over five years now.

OMG IF YOU GET NOTHING ELSE FROM THIS ARTICLE, FOOD PREP! FOOD PREP LIKE A FRIGGIN' BOSS!

Food prepping will save you over and over again!

You know how you get so frustrated and stressed when you're trying to lose weight because every meal becomes such an ass ache?

Food prepping solves that!

You know how when there's nothing healthy to eat, you'll often eat something unhealthy because it's quick and easy?

Food prepping solves that!

You know how in the morning when you're rushing to get ready to go to work, breakfast is usually skipped?

Food prepping solves that!

You know how on that same busy morning when you skipped breakfast, you also skipped packing a healthy lunch because you had no time. And then you ordered lunch with co-workers and ended up ordering something mega greasy or gooey?

Food prepping solves that!

Are you picking up what I'm throwing down? I think you are. Food prepping saves countless hours during the week of mulling over what to eat for all of your meals as well as what to make for supper.

I take one day during the weekend, whichever fits our schedule best, and I spend 4-5 hours in the kitchen prepping every single meal for the entire week coming ahead. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner... and snacks!

I'm not talking for just me, no siree.

EVERYONE!

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In just a few hours, I have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for my husband, two daughters, and myself. Do you know how effing glorious it feels to know that all meals, for everybody, for all week, are done?!

OMG there are no words!

Now for the dinners, I usually prep them, so come evening I do still have to cook them, but I literally have to just throw it in the oven (or in the morning, I throw it in the crockpot). For snacks, the kids just have to open up the fridge and there are baggies of fruits and veggies, hard boiled eggs, containers of avocado chicken salad and egg salad, and our beloved crack salsa. For breakfast we can all grab our choice of oatmeal muffins: blueberry muffins, apple pie muffins, pumpkin muffins. Or we can quickly grab a couple turkey-veggie egg muffins.

I also stay stocked up on my delicious 3-ingredient protein gummies. My kids love them and have no idea they're good for them!

Food prepping makes life easy for everyone, but especially me. It's so nice to not hear complaining that there's nothing to eat.

I use these meal prep containers and they work perfectly!

Another crazy good reason to food prep is that you'll save a ton of money! Imagine how much money you'd save if you didn't order lunch almost everyday and order out for dinner throughout the week!

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2. Enjoy your food.

The first mistake we make when we want to lose weight is that we automatically assume food is going to suck ass from here on out.

Healthy food can be delicious. I mean if you call a rice cake healthy (which it isn't) then yes, healthy food to you is going to taste like cardboard. But real healthy foods; Fruits, nuts, seeds, veggies, lean meats, eggs, whole grains, and many seafoods can be scrumptious. Learn how to prepare healthy foods. Find some yummy recipes. There are countless quick and easy (and inexpensive) healthy recipes out there. Find them.

I have over 50 healthy recipes on my blog! You can check them out HERE!

Remember this is not a diet where you can eat melba toast and celery, lose your weight, and then go back to double whoppers.

This is a lifestyle change. You need to find healthy foods and recipes that you like and that you can see yourself eating forever. Yup, forever. You'll also find that eating healthy, even for just two weeks, will change your palette. What you thought was really good before may not taste as wondrous now. You'll also find that fruits and even veggies will taste so much sweeter to you. Taking refined sugar out of your diet allows your tastebuds to adjust so you can better taste nature's intended sugar in its plants.

Another biggie when it comes to enjoying your food:

Put your phone down!

Make a rule with yourself and with your family, no electronics at the dinner table. It distracts you and doesn't let your brain register that you are in fact eating and getting full. When we can't even remember that we ate, we tend to get hungrier quicker and end up eating more later in the day.

Allowing electronics at the table also distracts from this precious relationship-building and quality time that you have with your family. Even if you're by yourself, take time to savor the food you're eating and reflect on your own thoughts, not thoughts from some dipshit complaining on Facebook.

Another tip on how to enjoy your meals:

Don't eat while standing up.

Sit down, relax, and experience your meal. How many meals have you scarfed down at the kitchen counter or in front of your computer? At work, log off your computer and put your work away. Enjoy your lunch. Don't piss away your lunch break by working! You already give eight hours (or more) each and every day to your job. Take this little bit of time for yourself.

3. Don't overtrain.

A HEALTHY, WEEKLY WORKOUT SCHEDULE:

3 workouts that are balls to the wall
3 workouts that make you sweat (but lower impact)
1 rest day

Anything and everything counts. Sweating is sweating!

Overtraining is a one-way ticket to injury, burn-out, and a halt in weight loss. Putting too much physical stress on your body will not result in weight loss. Stress of any kind does not mix well with weight loss. You can't make a broken-down car run, no matter how hard you're pressing the gas pedal. Pushing your body to get stronger and go further is a good thing, but there is a limit.

Overtaxing your body each and every day will work against you. Trust me. I've been there. I had to learn this lesson the hard way.

If you overtrain and don't give your body the proper rest and repair time that it needs, it will bitch-slap you into reality sooner or later.

If you find yourself overly sore, fatigued, and feeling run-down, slow your roll. A healthy lifestyle with a nourishing diet and regular activity is energizing. You shouldn't feel exhausted all the time. If you do, stop, reevaluate, and find the glitch.

4. Don't deprive yourself.

Living on tree bark and ice cubes is not how you lose weight. Drinking shakes for every meal is not how you lose weight. There has to be some give and take in everything you do, otherwise you'll end up so frustrated that you'll give up.

With eating, a very good rule of thumb to follow is the 80/20 rule. Eat right 80% of the time. The other 20% of time, allow yourself to indulge a little. Now I'm not talking about having an entire large pizza for dinner and chasing it down with a DQ banana split. But allow yourself to have that piece of birthday cake every once in a while. Or treat yourself to some greasy bacon with your eggs every once in a while. You don't have to be strict 24/7. No one can follow a strict regimen all the time. Learn to control your treat moments. This will prevent you from working yourself up into a binging tizzy.

You can find ways to still be good even though it feels like you're being bad. For instance if you have a sweet tooth, find or create healthy dessert recipes. They do exist, I promise you. Some of my own personal favs are my: 2-Minute Sugar-Free Cinnamon Apples, Coconut Bars, and Chocolate Walnut Fudge.

Now you can't eat five servings, but you sure as hell could have one (or two) and love every second of it without the guilt. Don't deprive yourself. If you're craving a juicy burger, make one yourself with extra lean meat, eat it with a healthier bun (or no bun at all). Food is not your enemy. Healthy food is your ticket to success. Learn to love it.

5. Eat your treat in the morning.

When I'm taking advantage of the 20% that we talked about above, I like to have my treats in the morning, whenever possible. It makes me feel like I have all day to burn some extra calories to make up for my treat.

Nothing big, not an extra workout or anything like that. But I might go up and down the stairs a few extra times just for the hell of it or park my car far away from a store entrance. All day long I can make little extra efforts to counter my treat.

But regardless of what time of day you choose to eat your treats, when you make a conscious decision to eat something unhealthy, it gives you back your power and control. Guilt can no longer sneak in and make you feel bad about yourself. When we are following a strict regimen day in and day out, at some point we falter. I mean my God, we are human! And when that time comes, we end up feeling bad about ourselves and feeling overcome with guilt. STOP IT! Control when and where you indulge so that you don't feel bad about it.

6. Eat when you're hungry.

I don't care if supper is in an hour. Eat when you're hungry or else you will gorge when your next scheduled meal does arrive. If a meal is coming up soon, at the very least eat a healthy snack and have a cup of water. Nurture your body when it needs it.

Now there is a big difference between being hungry and being bored. Make sure you are in fact hungry and not just looking for something to do (or that you're not just thirsty!).

Being hungry leads to poor decisions.

Figure out what eating schedule works best for you and stick to it. Don't let your body get famished. Keep your metabolism stoked and your belly satisfied evenly throughout the day. You should never feel hungry if you're doing things right. And if you are in fact eating regularly throughout the day and you still find yourself constantly hungry, then you are not eating enough. Listen to your body, it will tell you what it needs. It will tell you when it needs more food and it will tell you when it needs a rest. LISTEN!

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What can you do to avoid binges and slip-ups?

1. Don't go grocery shopping hungry.

This is a no-brainer! Good God, we all have been there. In the middle of the junk aisle salivating like wild beasts because our dumb asses showed up with our bellies already growling. Don't think you'll be a good girl. Don't think it'll be okay. It won't! Eat BEFORE you go grocery shopping! And if you're going to have the kiddos with you, make sure they eat too. They'll ask for less stuff and they'll be less of a pain in the ass.

Now there have been times where I had no other option but to grocery shop hungry. We all have busy schedules with an insane amount of stuff to get done and a limited time to do it all. So sometimes you have no choice but to stop at the grocery store when you're hungry like a wolf.

Here's what you do when this happens:

As soon as you set foot up in that piece, go directly to any healthy food items, rip them open, and nosh that shit like a boss.

Yes. I'm dead ass serious.

I've walked around the store eating mozzarella sticks, grapes, and lara bars. I've torn into turkey lunch meat packages, ripped holes in clementine bags to grab one (or two), and if I'm without a drink, I'll even claw my way into a case of water so I can wash down my impromptu meal. Will people look at you strange while you're walking down the aisles eating all kinds of shit? Maybe. But who the hell cares. It's healthy shit, you're still paying for it, and you won't end up going home with 14 bags of chips and 28 different Little Debbie boxes. If I have my kids with me, they're eating along with me. Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.

2. Don't go to a restaurant or dinner party when you're starving.

Especially when you know there won't be any healthy menu options. Always eat something before you go, something preferably with protein and/or fiber so it stays with you longer. You can still order food so you don't feel out of place, but you can eat a very small portion since you won't be that hungry.

3. Bring a healthy dish with you to picnics and parties.

This has saved my life so many times! There are many events this isn't a viable option (like in #2). You're not going to roll up in a restaurant carrying a healthy casserole. But there are tons of get togethers where bringing a dish is not only appropriate, but much appreciated; Picnics, cookouts, birthday parties, graduation parties, game night, football parties, showers, and countless others.

Bring a healthy dish (or two) so you know for sure you'll have something to nosh on the whole time. Every time I go anywhere, and I mean anywhere... all of my friends and family beg me to bring Crack Salsa. It's a damn good thing that crack salsa is healthy because I've gotten dozens and dozens of people addicted to it!

My favorite thing to do is to bring a healthy dish that no one knows is healthy. Then when it's all gobbled up, I let them know they just oohed and aahed over something healthy. I get a kick out of it. But I also love to bring a dish that I can pick at all day/night. Veggie trays, fruit salad, and shrimp trays are some of my favorites.

4. Plan out your evening snack.

I think evenings are rough for most people. I know they are for me. We run around like crazed maniacs all day and at night we finally get to sit down and veg. I know for my hubs (Jay) and I, it's our time to try to watch one of our 642 backlogged DVR shows. We get the munchkins to bed and cozy up to a mindless hour or two of decompressing from the busy day. You wanna know something that dangerously pairs up with mindless TV viewing? Mindless TV snacking. Damn, the calories you can scarf without even realizing it!

It really helps to already decide what you're going to eat as your evening snack early in the day. That way there's no sifting around in the pantry or cabinets looking for a snack and coming across a more tempting, unhealthy choice at the last minute.

A few months ago I got into a really bad habit of making Jay's lunch after we got the kids to bed and right before our TV time, the same time that I'm hungry. It's been hours since dinner and my body wants food. Without even realizing it, while I was making his lunches, I was picking at everything I was putting in his lunch AND random stuff in the pantry and fridge.

We don't keep a lot of unhealthy snacks in the house, but there's definitely some stuff that isn't suitable for nighttime noshing. One of my biggest downfalls is nuts. Now nuts are extremely good for you and SHOULD be a regular part of your nutrition. But nuts are also high in calories, so ignoring portion size and eating enough for an army is a big no-no, especially right before you go to bed!

One night I counted up the calories that I ate while making Jay's lunch... 500!!! I just about died! In less than five minutes, I consumed more calories than I do for a major meal. I was doing this nightly and THEN I'd eat popcorn while watching TV (another 200 calories). So I was putting away 700 calories right before I went to bed and I was going to bed thinking I put in a great day!

I fixed my problem by changing things around. I started making his lunch right after dinner when I was full and wasn't tempted to snack. After fixing my snack-attack issue, I was able to go back to still eating my 200 calorie TV snack and everything was back to normal.

Just be careful when evening snacking. It's totally okay to do, just make sure you are snacking on healthy foods and paying attention to portion size.

What can you do when you don't want to workout?

1. Put your workout clothes on!

This may not seem like a big deal but omg is it ever! It is so much easier to talk yourself out of working out if you're braless and in jammies. If you get your workout clothes on, and I mean your socks and tenners too, you'll be able to quickly capitalize on a strong moment where you feel motivated. Plus, after a while you just feel stupid walking around all ready to workout but continuing to try to talk yourself out of it and justifying being lazy. After doing that for half the day, you're so sick of yourself that you just get it done.

Always keep a packed gym bag in the car too. This way you can leave work and go straight to the gym or stop at a track to walk/run. How many times do you plan on going to the gym but then stop home first? Oh yeah, you don't have to tell me what happens next. I already know. Your ass doesn't go anywhere once you step foot through your front door.

2. Put your workout playlist on.

Music changes our mindset. You might be in the middle of folding clothes or chopping veggies and the whole time you're thinking about how nice a nap would be. But then you blast some music and all of a sudden you're swaying your hips and performing on the Grammys. You're not standing there worrying about all the other stuff you have to do. You don't even care that you dropped a bunch of broccoli on the damn floor. Your jam is on.

BAM! Just like that, you're in the zone. So if you're feeling lazy and need a boost, go put your workout playlist on, or any music that inspires you to move, and you'll be motivated in no time!

For me, I have specific playlists that I only listen to when I work out. Oddly enough, the music I listen to when I'm working out isn't music that I listen to in my non-exercising moments. That's kind of weird, right? Idk, I always thought it was. But it works for me in a big way because when I hear any music from my exercise playlists, or even music like it, I feel like kicking ass and taking names. It makes me want to move! So if I'm being particularly unmotivated and lazy, I play my kicking-ass-and-taking-names music and BOOM... before I know it, I'm sweating!

Bonus Fact: Did you know listening to music makes you work out harder? Yup.

3. Sweat with others.

Get your kids, significant others, or friends involved. Sometimes we get in ruts where our workouts become boring. It's so easy to put off a workout that doesn't engage you anymore. The first solution to this issue is to change up your routine ASAP. But another solution is to not workout alone. Working out with others can give us a nice change once or twice a week.

Sometimes getting your workout in feels isolating. On a really beautiful, weekend day when your family is enjoying each other, the last thing you want to do is go into the garage or down to the basement and workout. Skip your regular regimen and pack everyone up and go to a park or go bike riding. Do something that doubles as a fun family outing AND a workout! Or simply jump rope in the driveway with the kids or have a dance party in the living room. There's also lots of DVDs that are fun to do with the family. My daughters LOVE doing the Cize Program with me. We even get daddy to join in sometimes. We have a blast!

You don't need a read-out on your treadmill to show you that you ran 3 miles and burned however many calories to count as a workout. Sweating is sweating. Go do something different and fun!

What can you do to fight cravings?

1. Brush your teeth.

Sometimes something as simple as brushing your teeth can ward off a food slip-up. I have found this most helpful when I've already slipped and had a few too many cookies or didn't want to stop after my small dessert portion. Brushing your teeth and getting rid of that sugary after-taste will cleanse your palette and stop reminding you of the food that you just ate and want more of. I use this trick all the time!

Great tip: Always keep disposable toothbrushes in your purse!

I use the Colgate Wisps with the freshening beads. So if you're at a party with tons of ass-widening treats or you're out with the girls and craving another 300 calorie White Russian, you can hit the ladies room, brush your fangs, and get a hold of yourself!

2. Have a cup of coffee or tea.

I have a sweet tooth. Like hardcore. I've maintained my 120 pound weight loss for eight years now and I still battle my sweets addiction. I find myself still craving something sweet after a meal. Having a mug of sweet coffee or hot tea (sweetened with stevia) always makes me feel like I'm getting something sugary even when I'm not. It also fills my belly and fights off my urge to eat more.

3. Chew gum.

Now there is some controversial views on chewing gum and losing weight. Some studies say chewing gum doesn't help you lose weight while other studies state it does. Here's the deal. Chewing gum doesn't help you lose weight. I would never try to say it does. For me, gum helps me when I want to eat bad shit, especially when I'm not even hungry. Chewing gum gives my mouth something to do and lets me taste some kind of flavor, any kind of flavor. It tricks me into thinking I'm being sated for the moment and helps pass the time until my craving is over. The only gum I chew or will let my kids chew is Simply Gum. It is all natural and has no artificial sweeteners in it. Have you ever tried to find a pack of gum without aspartame or other artificial sweeteners? It's damn near impossible. Beware though, chewing gum with your mouth open can cause bloating and gas because of all the air you'll swallow. So keep your mouth shut!

4. Drink a glass of water and give yourself 20 minutes.

Sometimes I even go through this cycle twice. Most of the time a spontaneous craving will pass. If it doesn't, and you cannot shake it, go ahead and eat a small, healthy snack (100-200 calories). My favorite go-to is the 100 calorie Skinny Pop Popcorn bags. I try to eat it slow and savor it. You get a helluva lot of bites for just 100 calories.

If you've tried your best to shake a craving and you absolutely just cannot get it to go away, let yourself have a 1/3rd or 1/2 portion. Sometimes if we keep depriving ourselves of cravings, it leads to a binge. Let yourself have a light taste of what you want. One cookie or three bites of pie isn't going to make you gain weight.

Don't eat it in a rush either. Eat it slow and pay attention. You may realize it's not as great as you thought it was going to be.

I have found that the fleeting cravings that pop out of nowhere are actually easier to control if you follow the above steps. These cravings aren't really cravings at all. They're more an issue of the mind wants what the mind sees. Maybe you ordered pizza for the rest of your family or you're at a party and there are mini cheesecake bites. It's a want and need for an instant gratification. These sudden cravings are usually the easiest to fight off.

It's the cravings that linger around for days, weeks, or even months that can lead to big time trouble. These are true cravings and we need to address them. Sometimes addressing them means allowing yourself a small portion. If you keep it controlled, it won't interfere with your weight loss. If you've been craving brownies, do NOT bake an entire batch of them. Go to a local bakery and buy one. ONLY ONE! And then get the hell out of that devil's lair!

What can you do to speed up your weight loss?

1. Drink coffee before you workout.

Studies have shown that drinking coffee before a workout increases fat burning AND burns more calories. The best part? This increased fat and calorie burning not only happens during your workout, but for three more hours after your done! Woo Hoo! More coffee? I'm in.

Now if this doesn't make me your favorite person of the day, I don't know what will! Drink up that java, you sexy bitches!

2. Don't go to bed on an empty stomach.

BUT don't go to bed on a full stomach either. It has been beaten into our heads over the years that if you're trying to lose weight, you can't eat at night. WRONG. Now should you eat until you're ready to burst and then go take a swan dive into your bed? No. But having a bedtime snack as long as it's light and is within the allotment of your total day's calories is not only totally okay but can be helpful. Giving your body a light snack before bed will stoke your metabolism one last time before you get some shut eye.

3. Eat eggs for breakfast.

Okay well first of all let me say this... EAT BREAKFAST, whether it's eggs or not! Breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day. I mean even the name tells us we need to eat... 'break the fast'. It doesn't have to be a five-course meal, just get something in that belly.

Any healthy breakfast will suffice; however, studies have proven that eating eggs for breakfast makes you lose weight 65% faster than people who choose other breakfast foods

Eggs are a complete protein. This means they contain all nine of the essential amino acids. One of my family's favorite breakfasts is our 2-Ingredient Pancakes. Can you guess what one of the ingredients are? Another quick egg breakfast you can make ahead of time for the entire week are my Turkey-Veggie Egg Muffins.

If you're in a hurry and absolutely have no time to make eggs, eat something! When I'm in a super rush, I rely on my Coffee Breakfast Smoothie. I get my caffeine and protein in one fell swoop. Easy peasy!

4. Get more Zzz's

Get more sleep! Especially if you've been feeling tired lately. Your body will have a very difficult time losing weight if it's under sleep deprivation. Your body desperately needs its rest and repair time. It needs this rejuvenating time even if you're laying around like a slug all day. Our bodies are hard at work all day just trying to keep our vital organs working. If you aren't getting proper rest, it puts a tremendous strain on the body.

If you have chronic issues with poor sleep, this could be drastically interfering with your ability to lose weight.

Beware of taking melatonin in supplement form! In pill form, melatonin is synthetic and can wreck havoc on your system. Did you know that melatonin is actually a hormone? Flooding your system with lab-produced hormones can throw your natural hormonal balance off and actually worsen your sleep quality over time. A lot of people even give synthetic melatonin to their children! Please do a little research and see for yourself the possible dangers and side effects. Melatonin is definitely not something we should be giving to our kids! I would recommend only adding melatonin through the most natural of ways... Eating! In addition to cherries, walnuts, peanuts, asparagus, rolled oats, and ginger root also have natural melatonin. So stock up on these foods and get some Zzz's!

Sipping a warm cup of ginger tea would be a great bedtime routine to try... and your belly would love it too. Ginger is very tummy friendly! So stock up on these foods and get some Zzz's!

5. Drink water.

I know everybody says it, but it's true. First and foremost, if you aren't properly hydrated, your body will have a harder time losing weight. We ask a lot of our bodies when we want them to lose weight. Losing weight is a bodily process that takes a lot of energy and exertion. We can't drink minute amounts of water and still expect our bodies to lose fat and build muscle. With whatever little hydration we are providing our body, it needs to first deal with tending to our vital functions. We are 80% water. Even a slight dehydration effects our basic functions and metabolism.

Hydration boosts metabolism.

Your body needs water to do its job and it's going to need even more if you're exercising and sweating like a beast everyday. It doesn't care that you want to lose weight. If you want to squeeze that ass into a little pair of jeans, you better get to slurping!

Secondly, when you're dehydrated, you will feel HUNGRY before you feel thirsty.

You know that feeling when you're so thirsty you want to drink the world? Ya, well that's when you have gotten yourself so far past the point of return that your body is screaming at you. But there are many levels of dehydration before you get to that point and almost all of them make you feel hungry instead of thirsty.

Being dehydrated makes us eat more.

So if you're feeling hungry, but know you shouldn't be, drink a glass of water instead of snacking. And if you hate water, find out how to stay hydrated in other ways in my article, "Sick of Water? Healthy Ways To Get Your Hydration On".

Bonus Tip:

6. Drink 8oz warm lemon water on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.

Even plain water first thing in the morning helps boost your metabolism right out of the gate. So if you hate lemon, down a glass of plain water before your coffee and breakfast.

But adding lemon juice (fresh lemon only!) adds a detoxing element and helps our bodies flush out any toxins.

Toxins slow our bodies down and they impede weight loss.

Lemons have a ton of other health benefits as well. Lemons help balance our pH levels, aid in digestion, clear up skin, promote healing, boost the immune system, can help fight stress and depression, and even freshen breath.

Try my Lemon Cucumber Mint Detox Water! It's so refreshing, you'll want to sip on it all day! Even my kiddos love it. When we run out, my 11 year old will make more. She loves how pretty it looks.

So there you have it. All of the tips and tricks that have helped me lose over 120 pounds and have helped me keep it off for over nine years now! I will continue to use these gems because I know they work firsthand!

Losing weight doesn't have to be a battle. But it does have to be a process and processes take time. It took you a long time to settle into your unhealthy habits and gain weight. It's going to take time to reverse all of that. But it's okay. Time will pass quickly whether you get healthy or not. Believe me, as miserable as you might think it'll be to dig deep and work hard to lose your weight, it's far more miserable living life stuck in a body that's unhealthy and sluggish and won't let you live a vibrant, healthy, and active life.

Take this journey for what it is... precious time that you have been granted in order to unlock a healthier and happier life.

““The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.””

— Anthony Robbins

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*The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content in this article is for general information purposes only. I am not a doctor, nor am I a dietitian. Talk to your physician before making any changes in your diet or exercise regimen. The information found in this article is from various sources which include, but are not limited to, the sites listed above. I encourage you to do your own research and talk with your physician before making any changes in diet or exercise. What has worked for me may not work for you. This information in this article or on this website should never replace or serve as medical advice.

NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON OR HAVE ACCESSED THROUGH THIS WEB SITE.

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