Rather than depriving yourself, focus on routine and consistency. You should eat every 3 to 4 hours to maintain blood sugar levels. Try following these meal tips:

For breakfast, have eggs with yogurt and fruit. Skip bananas and grab lighter fruits like apples and berries. Coffee may hinder weight loss, so try green tea instead. I recommend The Republic of Tea’s Green Tea Pineapple Ginger. It tastes delicious and ginger helps with digestion.

Your metabolism peaks at noon, so make sure you have a satisfying lunch. Rather than choose bread for a sandwich, swap it for a wrap and load it up with protein and vegetables, along with a salad with olive oil and vinegar.

Around 3 pm, you should have a snack, because this is when your blood sugar will drop. Try some coconut water to hydrate (you should be drinking four to six glasses of water daily) and a protein bar, like a Luna bar.

Do not have any carbohydrates in the form of bread, rice or flour at dinner time. Instead, have a protein source and vegetables. You should eat before 6:00 pm, because your metabolism slows way down at night. If you have late night cravings, drink Kombucha.

If you really want dessert, have a few pieces of dark chocolate. A magnesium deficiency may actually cause you to crave chocolate, so consider taking a magnesium supplement.

Dr. Mercola of mercola.com emphasizes keeping tabs on your insulin levels for weight loss: “ Controlling your insulin levels is important to optimize your health. You see, when you eat grains and sugar your insulin levels increase. When insulin levels increase, you are telling your body to store carbohydrates as fat and to not release any of the stored fat. (This makes it impossible for you to use your own stored body fat for energy.)” Not only do you gain weight from these excess carbohydrates, but you keep it on as well.

Exercise is equally as important as diet when it comes to shedding those pounds. Alex Swanson says, “You gotta move to lose! Choose exercises that you enjoy the most. The type of exercise isn’t as important as the consistency at which you can do it. Whether it’s walking, yoga, lifting weights or dancing, as long as you are doing it 4-5 times a week for an hour or more, then it’s perfect.”

So, think about adding routine to your eating schedule, cutting out excess carbohydrates, snacking to maintain blood sugar levels, and consistent exercise. For more information, check out the weight loss article from iGreen here: http://igreennutrition.com/topics/weight-loss. You’ve got this!

-Erin