Lose 7 Pounds In A Week?

About 6 years ago, I lost 7 pounds in one week. What was the secret? Determination and a game-plan. I continued to work hard and it was slowing going but by the end of the month, I lost 11 pounds.

June 6th, 2010 - 147 pounds

June 30th, 2010 - 136 pounds

I'm not a perfect person. I became overweight because of bad decisions that I made. And when life got rough, I often ate my emotions.

The reason why I haven't been successful as of late is not the lack of a great idea on how to lose weight. But, it was the poor execution on my part. I've tried so many diets over the years but none of them stuck. The only thing that worked for me was what I did 6 years ago.

When I lost initial 7 pounds all that time ago, I remembered having an extreme sense of discipline. Here are some rules I gave myself:

1. Exercise first thing in the morning

2. Eat 6 small meals (every 2-3 hours) (More on this later in the blog)

3. Limit social gatherings

Is it realistic to limit social gatherings forever? No. But it's imperative that you hone in on what your weaknesses are. Because I am a foodie at heart, it's very difficult for me to go to a restaurant and not want to order something I've never tried before- which normally ends up being very sinful.

Your weakness might possibly be sweets. If so, it's important to rid your home of any sweets like muffins, cookies, juices or sodas. If the temptation isn't there, you will be have a higher probability of succeeding. If you have a family and want to keep those snacks there for your children, you will have to toughen up and really grow a real inner sense of discipline. There's no easy remedy for that.

I have an all or nothing type of attitude. If I exercise and eat well, I am a badass at it. But, if I slip, it's hard for me to pick myself back up. I admit it's not exactly a progressive way of living, but I am trying to change it one day at a time.

6 SMALL MEALS LOWDOWN:

Meal 1/Breakfast:

For breakfast, if I have time, I love to make a very filling breakfast burrito with an egg scramble. My favorite tortilla to use is La Tortila Factory's 80 calorie, whole wheat tortilla. It's awesome because it has 12 grams of fiber! (Fiber is great because it keeps things flowing down south) Eating it takes a little getting used because it's whole wheat but once you switch and eat it consistently, you won't miss regular corn or flour tortillas.

Pan-seared chicken with ruby red grapefruit supremes, balsamic vinaigrette and cilantro for garnish

Meal 2, Meal 3, Meal 4, and Meal 5:

I love to mix it up here but I stay consistent with a simple recipe:

Amounts Per Meal:

-3-4 oz of lean protein

-mixed greens with 1-2 teaspoons of light dressing per meal

-2 oz of complex carbohydrates (only consumed during the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th meal)

-2 oz fruit

Walnut and raspberry salad with Italian seasoned chicken and fruit-infused water

Meal 6: Room for creativity!

These meals are the ones I ate six years ago that helped me lose the weight so quickly!

Baked chicken parmesan and raspberry salad

Baked Salmon With Mango Salsa

I hope these small plates gave you guys some inspiration on what to do for you journey. If you have any questions, please feel free to post them below.

Have fun in the kitchen. Remember, this isn't a race, it's a marathon.