Ana, who uses the TikTok handle, @thecertifiedhypegirl, is a weight loss influencer and coach who lost 80 pounds. Her videos reveal the things that worked for her in terms of weight loss and what didn’t. In one of her viral videos she revealed her best secrets that allowed her to lose weight while enjoying the foods that she loves and living her best life. We also asked The Diet Diva, Tara Collingwood, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD/N, ACSM-CPT, a Board Certified Sports Dietitian, to weigh in on her tactics.
1. Drink a Lot of Water
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“The first thing I want you to do is drink a s**t ton of water,” she suggests. “Now, I'm not just talking a glass, I'm talking a lot of water, like so much water that you're peeing all day long.” She explains that you should weigh yourself, “see how much you weigh” and “drink half of that in ounces of water. A lot of water.” Collingwood agrees that staying hydrated is good for overall health and can assist in weight loss. “Sometimes hunger is disguised as dehydration,” she says. Another perk of H20? “Water is also good for digestion.”
Related: 3 Simple Weight Loss Tips You'll Wish You Knew Sooner
2. Eat a Lot…Of Veggies
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She also says that “eating a lot,” will help you lose weight. “You need to eat a lot of foods of what you love that are essentially really low in calories. Get out that recipe book. Get onto Google. Do whatever you need to do to find recipes of vegetables that you love. The more vegetables, the more water, the more weight loss.” Collingwood agrees that a full plate of food is very satisfying both physical and psychologically. “Vegetables are the lowest calorie foods and they also contain water and fiber, both of which are filling,” she says. “I think the fiber in the vegetables is more important than the water content. Fiber is undigestible plant matter. You eat it and it gives you volume in your stomach to keep you full and your body stays satiated while it tries to digest it.”
3. You Can Cheat on Occasion
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Cheating is also part of her approach to weight loss. “That's not saying you can't enjoy your occasional pizza or your occasional beer,” she added. Collingwood agrees that balancing your meals is a good idea. “I don’t call it ‘cheating’ but rather balancing the lower calorie foods with some high calorie/empty calorie foods,” she says. “When you are having pizza, beer, alcohol, dessert, etc. it is also a matter of portion control. You can undo 6 days of good in one just meal or day.”
Related: She Lost 55 Pounds in One Year: 5 Tips to Become “Unrecognizable”
4. Write Down Everything You Eat
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Ana also suggests writing everything down. “You need to track what is going into your body so that your mind can be aware of what your body is consuming,” she says. “It's not enough to say, ‘Oh, well, I'll remember what I had.’ No, you won't. You got so much to remember during a day. You ain't going to remember everything that you ate, so just get a piece of paper, get a pen, and write it down.” Collingwood thinks that keeping track of what you are eating, and assigning calorie values, is a great idea. “Writing down what you eat (and how much!) is excellent accountability,” she says. “You can also keep track of your mood, energy levels, sleep, activity, and more and see how it might relate to your food choices.”
5. Weigh Yourself Daily
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“The last piece of the puzzle is you're going to want to weigh yourself every single morning,” says Ana. “You want to see what happened yesterday. You want to see if it worked or if it didn't, and make tweaks as the days go on.” While weight fluctuates a couple of pounds day to day, Collingwood does agree with weighing regularly – at least 1 to 2 times per week. “What you did yesterday is not likely to show up on the scale the next day already, but over a few days and weeks you will see the results of your habits,” she says.
Related: 3 Proven Methods to Get the Body You Want in 2024
6. She Suggests Trying It For a Week
thecertifiedhypegirl/Instagram
“I want you to try that for at least a week and come let me know how you did. And if there's only one thing you can take away from watching this video, if you only remember one thing, it's that more water equals more weight loss. Trust me, I'm not lying,” Ana concludes. Collingwood takes it a step further. “I always encourage people to practice new habits for several weeks before expecting to see major results,” she says.
💪🔥Body Booster: Eating more of the right foods, especially fibrous veggies and lean proteins, and drinking a lot of water will help you feel more full so you will end up eating less.
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Photo: Gabriel Mendoza Weiss / Design: Elina Diaz
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