Weight Loss 101!

Happy Monday everyone, hope you all had a productive start to the week. I managed to make it to the gym today (hurrah!!) but I am feeling sluggish after an alcohol filled weekend! (something had to get me through two days of work at the busiest shopping center in London)...
Moving on, I'm looking forward at my goals. I still have around 3 stone that I'd like to lose (having already lost 4 stone!!!), and I think it's about time I got my butt into gear.

Anyway... I thought I might share my progress pictures to show you all what can be achieved with a little bit of hard work (and to remind myself that anything is possible).

2012 v.s 2014 // 250lbs - 200lbs

And if my face isn't enough, here's perhaps two of the strangest things I've ever worn:

2012 vs. 2015 // 250lbs - 200lbs

For more pictures head over to my tumblr: not-all-whowanderarelost.tumblr.com and follow me on instagram @charleytheloser :)

So, the question on everyone's lips: HOW DO I LOSE WEIGHT?!

Well, my friends, it's quite simple. There is not secret, all you have to do is eat well and work hard(ish). You DON'T need to go to the gym every day and run 10,000 miles. 20 minutes, 3 times a week will do it. Go for a brisk walk, jog, swim or something that gets your heart going. Try and mix it up. Do workouts from YouTube (I love Jillian Michaels, her 30 Day Shred is AMAZING, I lost 21lbs in a month), or get an app on your phone (I use Skimble Workouts).
Put the TV on and workout in front of it. Even 10 minutes is better than nothing. Look back at my blog posts with the workouts on. Do them!! It's simple, and you CAN DO IT. You might even find a passion for exercise that you never knew existed. I did! 

Don't get me wrong, some days it's sooo difficult to go to the gym. Some days I miss it. Some days I workout at home, and some days I just go for a walk. That's life. 

No need to beat yourself up about it, just keep trying. You'll get there. Try a sport if that's your thing: tennis, basketball, netball, pole dancing! Or go to gym classes: spinning, zumba, body pump. They're all great for all levels.

But... I LOVE food...

Uh hello?! Me too!! Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to eat 100 calories a day to lose weight. Obviously if you're eating 3000 and not doing anything, maybe cut back a little. But trust me, it's more about QUALITY over quantity. If you eat a beautiful salad for lunch with kale, spinach, , chicken/tofu, avocado, beans (borlotti/chickpea/butterbean/canellini etc), tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers etc etc etc, you'll be getting lots of nutrients, you'll be filled up, and it will taste amazing. If you eat a McDonalds burger or pastry or fried something or other, you won't be getting anywhere near as many nutrients, and you wont be as satisfied. You're probably thinking - er yeah I will, but what I mean is that your body will be starving on a nutritional basis - i.e. your cells want all the nutrients from the salad, and therefore you'll be fuller for longer and much better off eating more vegetables. The carbs that fill you up like white bread and pastry are simple carbohydrates: they don't have much nutritional value and therefore are pretty pointless. Switch to complex carbs: potatoes & sweet potatoes, brown/wholewheat bread, wraps and pasta etc. This is the reason why you want more food not long after a takeaway/fast food!

When it comes to food, it's all about balance. You can eat that chocolate bar, in fact, definitely do! But don't eat 5 in one go. 

I track my calories using MyFitnessPal on my phone. It helps me to stop overeating and to see what I am actually consuming in a day. You might feel this isn't for you, so perhaps you'd rather just write down what you're eating, or maybe not at all. Just try and be more conscious of what it is that you're putting in your body. Your food is your fuel. You wouldn't put crap in your petrol tank, so don't put it in your body. (Well, not too often anyway). 

There's actually a chart that suggests alternatives when you have a specific craving. For example if you're craving chocolate, your body actually wants nuts, seeds, veggies and fruits. Google it for more results, but here's one infographic I found:

Well, there you have the basics of weight loss. If you have any questions, please send them over, either comment on here, email me, or send on Tumblr (you can do that anonymously too).
Thanks for reading!! 

Love and peace xoxo