Reaching my weight loss goal feels amazing!
Although I was pretty much at my weight loss goal before my recent trip to Iceland, I ended up losing a few pounds anyway. I just wanted to share some of my food & mindset strategies that helped me be successful with weight management while traveling:
- I stayed in an Airbnb so I could cook/prepare the majority of my meals. The focus of my trip was on adventure, not eating my way through Iceland.
- Most days I ended up eating only twice a day: a very late breakfast of veggies, eggs, and cheese cooked in extra virgin olive oil; black coffee in the afternoon; and a dinner of fish or chicken with veggies (and sometimes more cheese!). For “dessert” I enjoyed nuts, plain skyr, and unsweetened cocoa powder. The last few days of my trip I had 1 fruit serving/day. If I had lunch it was a salad similar to dinner. Other foods I included were organic avocados and a jar of organic garbanzo beans. Garbanzo beans aren’t my favorite beans (unless in hummus form) so once I finished the jar I didn’t buy another one.
- I was pretty active, walking around a lot in the cold.
- I did not count calories, try to be “keto”, or think about my macros. I did keep my food choices to relatively low carb real, whole satiating food. I ate simple basic foods (see #2).
- I really paid attention to my body, eating only when physically hungry. If not hungry, I did not eat, or I just ate less. This is really key: I did/do not need an external calorie or macro count to tell me what and how much to eat; my body is an expert at that.
- I ate lots of non starchy veggies and drank a bunch of water.
I see a lot of people struggle with weight loss. But, it really is pretty simple:
- Eat only when physically hungry.
- Keep the diet simple, and eat real whole foods that promote satiety. For many people these are lower carb foods full of fiber & protein along with some healthy fat.
- Focus on all the things and people in your life that bring you joy and happiness.
If you need help, I’m here for you. My total weight loss is 30 lbs. I didn’t follow one specific diet, or do one specific thing: I tried many approaches, some worked and others did not. If you’d like more personalized support, contact me for weight loss coaching.