The Secret to Being Slim

If you’re just stumbling upon this blog (hi!) allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Lisa Traugott and I’m the blogger behind ShesLosingIt.com.  Three years ago my life was a mess: my marriage was going through a rough patch, our small business was stumbling, and my doctor told me I was borderline obese.  That’s when the invitation to my 20th high school reunion arrived, because God has a sense of humor.

Nothing I had tried to get in shape worked: neither fad diets, nor running, (nor giving up and eating chips while killing zombies on Wii.)  So I decided to do something radical:  I entered a bodybuilding competition.  Five months later I stepped on stage 50 lbs. lighter and with a whole lot more self confidence.

Bodybuilding changed my life. Today, at the age of 41, I’ve won 3rd place in my last bikini competition, am certified personal trainer, and will celebrate my 12th wedding anniversary this May.  My lifestyle was so transformed by this experience, I ended up writing a memoir about it, also called “She’s Losing It!”  which is like a Rocky for Moms.

All week long on my blog I’ve been revealing the 7 Secrets I Learned from Bodybuilding as I’m counting down the final days to my next competition.  If you’ve been trying to shake the baby fat, fight the 40-something spread or just lose some weight in general and laugh along the way, then this is the book for you.

Here is an excerpt from my book, “She’s Losing It!” (only $15.99 paperback/$4.99 on Kindle!)

The Secret To Being Thin

Want to know the secret to being thin in my humble opinion?  It’s 90% diet and 10% exercise.  Call it the 90/10 Rule.   (I’m not a doctor or a scientist; these thoughts are based on my observations at the gym and own experiences.)

It’s 90% Food

1. A bikini body is 90% diet.  Seriously.  I used to think that the diet-exercise ratio was a 50-50 thing.  It’s not.  I know it’s not because I ran a half marathon even though I was totally overweight.  There is such a things as “Fit Fat.”  The process of following the bodybildng meal plan taught me that being fit minus the fat was absolutely possible, even for me.  I’m telling you – if you eat “clean” you will be 90% to your bikini body goal.  And it happens a lot faster than you would think.

1. Eat “clean.”  Cook like your grandma did.  Avoid processed foods, stick to the perimeter of the grocery store when grocery shopping, and eat a good mix of proteins, vegetables, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates.

   

   Eating clean isn’t really that hard.  If you are a normal person, I guess the first two weeks of eating clean suck.  If you are a hard-core junk food junkie like me it took two months to get used to the clean food mantra.  But if I can do it, you can do it.  Quinoa actually tastes good.  Green beans are growing on me.  I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray makes everything taste better.

   

2. It’s better to eat 6 smaller meals per day versus 3 big meals per day.  Here is an analogy:  Think of your metabolism as a fireplace.  If you put in three heavy logs the fire will take longer to catch on and it takes a lot of effort to heat the room.  But, if you put in six small bundles of wood and kindling the fire starts up faster and burns more consistently.
3. Measure your food. Buy a food scale.  I got mine at the grocery store for about $20.  I used to think that just cutting a chicken breast in half was the right portion, but when working to obtain a bikini body, size does matter.  Sometimes that chicken breast needs to be cut into thirds or quarters if the butcher is feeling generous that day.

   

   Also, sweet potatoes have such odd shapes it’s really tricky to know where to slice to get exactly 4 ounces.  Use measuring cups to make sure you don’t go overboard when doling out your carbs.

4. Keep a food journal.  All vegetables are not created equal.  Sweet peas and carrots have a lot of sugar in them.  Who knew?  Go for fresh veggies instead of canned or frozen to avoid the added sodium and preservatives.   Want to really know how your favorites stack up in the veggie wars?  Keep a food journal and track the calories.
5. Hold yourself accountable.  This was a key component for me.  I outsourced this task to my trainer, Daniel.  You could ask a friend to check up on you, or use one of the many online sites and apps available to chart your progress.  Writing a fitness blog helps too…

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Want to know what types of food to eat?  Go no further than a click away on my blog to Free!!! The Bikini Diet (TM).  or, you know, you could buy my book 😉

I hope you have been enjoying these posts.  Please feel free to share them with anyone who may find them useful.

Stay healthy!

Lisa 😉

Lisa Traugott is a Mom’s Choice Award winning writer, fitness blogger, wife and mom of two. Her book, “She’s Losing It!” is available at Amazon.com (and has a 5-star review rating!)

ShesLosingIt.com (c) 2015 Lisa Traugott. All rights reserved. No portion of this blog, including any text, photographs, video, and artwork, may be reproduced or copied without written permission.