• Give yourself one year to lose 100 pounds – it’s a slow, steady process physically and mentally – build the right foundation to keep the weight off
• A year is not as long as it sounds with respect to your whole lifespan
• Trying to lose 100 pounds is not a ‘calories in, calories out’ weight loss – the root psychology needs to be addressed
• Weight loss has to come from a place of self-love and self-care, not self-hate and shame – explore therapy and emotional support throughout the journey

• Understand the importance of discipline and habit, everything is easy when you start and feel motivated – long term success is hard
• Discipline means you do it even when you don’t want to, ask yourself what changes you can make now that are hard but realistic
• Build momentum by changing a few things and sticking to it for a couple of months – ride that momentum and add in more

• When you start, focus on strength & not the number on the scale – building muscle speeds up your metabolism
• Strength is a good metric because you have to put in the work unlike weight loss where you can hack unhealthily
• One of the best ways to improve insulin sensitivity is to build muscle

• Increase activity throughout the day – add in 10 minute walks after meals, choose the stairs over the elevator, park a little further from the store
• It’s easier to stay consistent when you attach an activity to daily habits you already have

• Don’t drink your calories – if it’s too hard to only drink water, start by challenging yourself to drink 1 gallon of water per day as a priority in addition to whatever else you drink
• Avoiding calories in drinks can result in hundreds of calories per day and can help curb cravings

• Avoid heavily processed foods – they’re designed to make you eat more and are effective at doing so
• Don’t eat foods in wrappers & packages – don’t even worry about counting anything, eat as much as you want of whole foods  

• Create barriers between yourself and your impulses – your kids are not an excuse to eat poorly, they should be eating what you eat
• Don’t buy junk food or make them harder to access – your kids are not an excuse to eat crappy foods
• You don’t need to always tell yourself no: if you are really craving something and still want it, drive to the store, park far, and buy one serving – enjoy it – you’ll do it a lot less often than you think
• Impulsive behaviours happen before reasoned thought

Eat mindfully – sit at a table, no phone, no television

We often eat quickly and in a stressed state which is bad for the digestive process and doesn’t give us a chance to process the feeling of being full.

• Prioritize protein – eat protein first then move through the rest of the food
• Protein increases satiety and is critical for muscle and metabolism

• If you can, hire a nutritionist to understand the relationship between your mind and body when it comes to food.
• Get the 9 previous steps nailed down before hiring a nutritionist.