How to keep going long term with no motivation or willpower!

Feeling disgust when I looked in the mirror was my every day experience for 20 years.

I felt horrible, yet I couldn't lose weight or when I could lose some, soon after I gained back double.

When I met new people and told them “I'm vegetarian” (not anymore), I saw the look on their faces that meant “Then why are you so fat?” Of course they didn't say this, but I heard it in my mind anyway.

I tried to accept myself. “Love yourself no matter what.” – I heard. I tried it and I could accept myself until I looked in the mirror again or saw a picture of me.

Shame was part of my life. I felt ashamed eating in front of others. I felt guilty after every meal and I felt very self conscious when I met new people.

I had constant inner conflicts. “I want to lose weight.” “I want to be pretty.” VS “I want to eat sweets.””I deserve this chocolate.””I won't deny the joy of eating from myself.”

This was the crazy background noise in my mind.

One day I stepped on the scale, I looked at the digits and they showed 216 pounds. My whole life flashed before my eyes. There was nothing pretty in it. I saw myself alone, fat like a cow, having nobody to love me and dying feeling regret about my poor decisions.

That image burned into my mind.

This was my turning point.

I decided to lose weight slowly this time. “F*ck quick fixes!” – I thought.

I started eating more veggies and less carbs. I ate Greek salad every day for 2 months. I had no better idea and it worked well.

When I got bored with it, I quit eating bread.

I started walking.

So basically I did what was common sense.

I lost 55 pounds.

Then I reached a plateau and soon after I started gaining back weight because I was clueless about what to do.

After a 15 pound gain I hired a coach to help me.

Wow what a journey it was!

It took me 8 months to lose 25 pounds, altogether 65 and not only keeping it down but still leaning consistently.

Today I'm 68 pounds lighter and I'm in the best shape of my life.

I want to shout from the top of a mountain to every person who is struggling to lose weight, like I was, to slow down and take tiny steps towards your health.

This was huge for me!

[Tweet “Losing weight without motivation? Without willpower? Without feeling restricted?”]

This was completely outside of my reality. I didn't think successful weightloss was possible for me.

Looking back at my 20 years of miserable trials to lose fat, I feel I wasted so much time feeling ashamed, because I was ignorant. Nobody told me that I could lose weight and have fun at the same time.

But I'm happy to know this today and I want to share it with the world, so others will know this too and it might save them a few years and lots of negative emotions.

I like simple. In everything. I don't care too much about theories. I want to know the basic principles that work and apply them.

My coach stripped down the whole nutrition chaos to a few basics and gave me just those.

I felt like somebody turned off the loud background noise and suddenly it became quiet. I felt peace and I could hear crystal clear what was the next step I needed to take. Only that. Everything slowed down and it became easy.

Take one tiny step at a time, the right step.

Knowing the basic principles guaranteed that I took the right actions.

These principles¹ are:

1. Eat slowly.
2. Eat till 80% full.
3. Don't drink any calories.
4. Get carbs from veggies, legumes or some fruits.
5. Eat lean protein with every meal.

I gave enough time to do every step.

For example: I ate slower than usual for 2 weeks.
Then again even slower for another 2 weeks.
Then I added 1 nut to every meal as a protein and fat source for 2 weeks. Even to coffee and ice cream.
Then I added a handful of nuts to every meal for 2 weeks.
Then I started to eat less for 2 weeks.
And so on.

I did every tiny step for 2 weeks.

They became habits and these habits were built on each other and slowly my eating style changed completely. I didn't even realize it.

The best thing about it is that I don't think it's a diet, this is just how I eat.

I can eat pizza and ice cream, made with the right ingredients and stay lean or even get leaner.

A whole new world opened up to me.

In this world there is no shame or guilt. I feel comfortable eating in front of others. I like looking in the mirror and seeing my pictures.

And I know it's all possible for you too.

Just take tiny steps each day towards your new you.

^{1. Source: https://martinlanzas.com/2014/08/07/how-i-lost-35-pounds-of-fat-and-22-inches-the-psychology-and-behavioral-tactics-of-effective-and-long-lasting-fat-loss/}