Hilary Downey's 4 Easy Tips to Shed Pounds by Thanksgiving After Her 100-Pound Weight Loss
Hilary Downey, who has a BS in Nutrition and Psychology, lost a whopping 100 pounds. On her social media account, she regularly shares tips and tricks on how to burn fat and shift your mindset so you too, can become the healthiest version of yourself. In a recent post, she revealed how to slim down in just two months.
"Exactly what I'd do (hint: this is the exact plan I used to lose 100 pounds and that we teach our clients😎)," she wrote in the caption of the Instagram post, showing off her massive fat loss in a pair of her old jeans.
"The holidays are a time when many women choose to be more relaxed, so what if you spent the next ten weeks (leading up to Thanksgiving) dialed in on seeing real progress? You could look amazing in family photos and your cute holiday outfit, have the energy to get through the festivities, and feel strong and healthy and balanced in your body!" Here is how to do it, plus everything else you should know about her approach,
Food Logging and Calorie Tracking
Keeping track of your food is key, says Hilary. "I would get serious and consistent with logging my food, having calorie awareness, and staying within my calorie deficit consistently. This is the absolute baseline foundation for fat loss! Logging is the fastest track to get you there – period. Less guessing, higher accuracy = better, faster results," she writes in the post.
Amp Up Your Protein Intake
Getting enough protein is key, she continues. "I'd go hard on hitting my protein target and making sure I was pre-logging my protein for the day so that I had success here no matter what. Aka, no, 'hoping I hit my protein.' Alongside that, I'm loading up on volume veggies that are filling for fewer calories so I can make sure I achieve #1. No skimpy little pieces of lettuce, fiber-rich options filling that plate!" she writes.
Be Disciplined
Discipline is "one is most important," according to Hilary. "Holidays are coming where there will be plenty of parties & indulgences. Now is THE time to dial it in. If you're saying you want to get serious & you're frustrated by your lack of progress but you're constantly allowing yourself to excuse 'taking the day off' – time to turn the heat up," she writes. "We teach balancing in these fun days as a part of our fat loss framework in our programs, but they don't work if you're abusing the system! Discipline, setting boundaries, and picking when it's truly worth it are key."
Take Progress Photos
She also recommends taking progress photos. "We don't just measure scale progress around here. We regularly take progress pictures (every 3-4 weeks) and measurements and assess our clothing. If none of these are improving, it's time to fix the problem. So many women think their macros or calories 'don't work' when, in reality, they just need to go through our checklist to determine if they need an adjustment or to adhere to the plan better. Adjust when needed and take action," she writes.
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Don't Drink Your Calories
Hilary explained to Today that in order to lose weight, she had to stop drinking her calories. "I realized you can eat your entire day's calorie allowance in one sitting," she said. She upped her water intake and swapped her regular Coke for Coke Zero.
Set Small Goals
She set small, manageable goals. "Each week, I used goal setting, where I focused on these small bite-sized nutrition goals," she said. And slowly, over time, her changes built up: "I look at my diet now, and I would have never guessed that I'd be eating the foods that I eat now and be satisfied with them."
Exercise
She added in some exercise. At first, a slow walk pushing her baby in the stroller was all she could manage. "That led to walking faster and longer and eventually to running. I've run lots of 5Ks, and I started strength training in my garage," she said.
Focus on Sustainability
Hilary warns against "giving into temporary quick fixes" and instead, focusing on the long-term. "If there is one thing that feels SO dang good – it is knowing I got to the root of my overeating and self-sabotage, and truly fixed my mindset and adopted a balanced, flexible diet that I can do for life – and therefore, I'll never have to go finding another solution again! In fact, it feels more than good. It's life-changing," she wrote in a post, adding that "long-lasting success" is the goal. "When you get to the root of it all, and you truly transform your mindset, and therefore truly transform your habits and lifestyle – THAT is where you get assurance."
Be Accountable
"The uncomfortable truth in transforming your body and life that you need to hear" is that you need to give yourself tough love, according to Hilary, who says that "accountability" is key and an "act of self-love." "This is an important conversation, and we need to have it now so that we can get you moving forward and seeing the results you want."
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Manifestation
Manifestation is another "game changer," per Hilary. "I used manifestation to change my thoughts and rewire my brain to see myself as the future version of myself that I wanted to become. I got clear on what that woman looked like, how she thought, what her daily life looks like, what habits she had, etc., etc. and then I acted on it! I used other manifestation tools to transform my mindset, which transformed my life!" she says. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.
