I Lost 28 Pounds in 4 Months by Quitting These 6 Habits
Are your bad habits preventing you from losing weight fast? Luisana Carrero is a nutrition coach and social media influencer who knows how to lose weight and keep it off from personal experience. In a recent social media post, she reveals that once she ditched six bad habits, the weight fell off. "6 things I stopped doing and I lost 28 pounds in 4 months and kept it off," she writes over the Instagram video of herself at the gym. "These changes made ALL the difference for me and I hope they help you too."
She Started Tracking Nutrition
Number one on her list? "I stopped guessing my nutrition and started tracking all my food every single day (including the weekends) to ensure I was in a deficit so I could get in and out. My goal wasn't to stay in a deficit forever; I wanted to lose fat, reach my goal, and then transition to maintenance after," she says in the video.
She Cut Down on Alcohol
She also stopped drinking her calories. "I cut back on drinking from 4-5 drinks every weekend to only on special occasions," she reveals.
She Stopped Focusing on Calories
"I stopped focusing just on calories and started prioritizing my food quality. I transitioned from eating anything that 'fit my macros' to prioritizing lean proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats – opting for real, high-quality foods. This kept me fuller longer and made the fat loss easier," she said about her third habit.
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She Stopped Being Sedentary
She also started moving more. "I stopped sitting most of the time (because I have a desk job) and made walking a non-negotiable: Every single day, I was hitting 10k steps. I did this by going on walks and using my treadmill at home.
She Stopped Going to the Gym Without a Plan
She also got more focused on exercise. "I stopped going to the gym without a plan and started following a workout program, lifting weights at least 4x per week," she says.
She Stopped Spending Time with People Who Didn't Support Her Goals
Finally, she changed up her friend group. "I stopped spending time with people that didn't support my goals. I got tired of 'friends' making fun of me because I didn't want to drink or eat what they were eating," she says.
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Also, She Recommends Eating Lots of Protein
In another post, she stresses the importance of eating high-protein foods. "As a general guideline, if your goal is to lose fat, aim to consume .8-1.2g of protein per lb of target body weight a day," she says, recommending the following:
- Spend 5 mins in the morning planning what you'll eat.
- Cook protein in bulk to quickly put meals together in less than 5 minutes.
- Start your day with at least 30g protein, this helps control hunger levels, decrease cravings and it makes it easier to reach your protein goal.
- Opt mainly for lean protein sources for higher volume, fewer calories, and more protein per serving.
Here Are Some Food Ideas
She recommends the following high protein foods in order to "140g of protein in a day and make fat loss easier."
- Non-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt: "I prefer plain Greek yogurt for lower calories and more protein. 200g Greek yogurt provides 22g of protein. I add stevia, peanut butter and frozen blueberries to mine, I eat that for dessert every night," she says.
- Chicken breast: "130g of cooked chicken breast will give you 40g of protein. I cook it in bulk and use it to make many different meals like grilled chicken sandwiches, tacos, salads, bowls," she explains.
- 96/4 Lean Ground Beef: "140g of cooked ground beef provides 40g of protein. I cook it in bulk and make burger patties or use it for my pasta," she says.
- Egg whites: "200g of liquid egg whites will give you only 108 calories and 22g of protein. You can add liquid egg whites to your full eggs for more protein and more volume. I mix a cup of egg whites with 2 full eggs, or use it for my french toast or my pancakes," she explains.
- Fat Free Cottage Cheese: "A serving of cottage cheese gives you 13g of protein. You can add it to your eggs, eat it with fruits or add it to your salads," she adds.
And, You Can Lose Weight Eating Carbs
In another post she explains that she previously thought she "had to cut out carbs to lose weight," she wrote. But that left me feeling hungry, craving them even more, tired and unable to focus. Until I learned this: You can lose weight while eating carbs. The key is to choose high-quality carbs and monitor your intake to stay in a calorie deficit."
Top 5 Carbs
"Carbs are not essential for your body like fats and protein but they are our bodies preferred source of energy especially when you're working out because they help you maximize your performance and recover from those workouts," she continues. "Eat carbs as a part of a well-balanced diet and use them for energy, recovery, stress reduction, sleep and because you enjoy them. The amount to consume will vary for each individual based on your daily activity, stress levels, training intensity." She goes on to list her "top 5 during a fat loss phase."
- Potatoes: "One of my favorite foods to cook in bulk. I make them in the air fryer and it only takes 25 mins. They are perfect to have on hand for a quick lunch, I like eating them with lean ground beef patties," she says.
- Fruits: "Especially berries and apples," she writes. "Berries are full of fiber and antioxidants. I add frozen berries to Greek yogurt or smoothies. Apples are my go-to pre-workout snacks."
- Whole grain bread: "This is the one I use to make my high protein french toast," she says.
- Whole wheat tortillas: "Quick and easy option, love using whole wheat tortillas for homemade little pizzas or turkey wraps," she explains.
- Rice: "Another one I always cook in bulk. I use it to make my homemade chipotle bowls."
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