I wanted to share some easy tips and tricks to maintain a healthy body weight.  One of the topics I get asked most about is my fitness regimen and how I maintain my weight.  I am not a dietician or nutritionist – my most recent background is as a cardiology nurse practitioner.   Below are some tips I used to suggest to my patients to get their weight and cholesterol down as well as a cute athleisure outfit I purchased from Nordstrom.  Nordstrom is known for carrying a lot of brands (like Lysse, Spanx, Wit and Wisdom, and Alo) that offer tummy support.  While I’m happy with my weight, my belly skin has lost it’s elasticity after 2 pregnancies so I love a compression waist pair of leggings.

Tips To Maintain Healthy Body Weight

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I have taken some heat in the past for answering questions about weight because I think this is a touchy subject.   Unfortunately in our society women are so heavily scrutinized about their physical size that it becomes emotional for most of us.  In college I gained the “freshmen 15” through a lot of overindulging and spent a few years struggling with eating disorders as I tried to find balance.

The first way I gain weight is eating (and cocktailing) out too frequently.  When I go out I over indulge in food and bevies.   I know my personality by now and I do not hold back when I am out (at the dining table or on the dance floor).  Having a blog has limited my nightlife because evenings are a good chunk of my work day and that alone probably helped me shed 5 lbs.

While I do workout a couple times a week, I agree with the saying “abs are made in the kitchen”.   It takes me close to an hour to burn 700 calories on the treadmill and I could eat that in under 5 minutes (mmm…pizza!!).   Making healthy choices at home (where I spend the majority of my time) is my best recommendation for maintaining a healthy weight.   I use exercise to sleep better and tone up and try to make good food choices all to stay HEALTHY.  Below I’ve complied a list of 5 tips I use to maintain a healthy weight:

Cut your Carbs

Believe me when I say I know the pain.   My favorite foods are bread and pasta.   I want to sleep in a bed of Mac and cheese but I won’t sleep well if I do.  I notice when I gain weight I get tired more easily and become more sluggish.   At home I do my best to dodge the bread, chips, crackers, pasta, and rice that I love.   I try to find alternatives like cauliflower rice, plantain chips with guacamole instead of tortillas, or just leaving out the bun/bread that would hold a burger or sandwich.  It’s tough at first but once you get used to it the cravings diminish quite a bit.

Don’t eat sweets 3 days in a row.

I follow a 3 day rule.  In 3 days I can become hooked and need a sugar fix.

At home I rarely eat sweets.  I don’t keep anything in the house that I like so there is no temptation to dive in.   If we are eating out every night on vacation I know my husband will order dessert every night.  It takes me 3 nights of indulging to become a sugar fiend.   The sugar addiction is real.  I am not someone who normally craves sugar but if I allow myself to indulge for 3 days in a row I notice I start to crave it after meals.   The only time this really becomes “depriving” myself is on vacation.  I know to show slight restraint by abstaining from sweets on a daily basis to avoid having to break this sugar fix.

Eat in an 8 hour window.

I don’t eat late.   I eat dinner around 5:30 pm with my kids and I don’t eat again until the next day.  My habits are so ingrained that I don’t have any cravings at night.  My husband recently gave up eating after his evening workouts and lost 10 lbs.    Break the bedtime snack habit if you can!  Your body burns fat in a fasting state so take advantage.

Eat off smaller plates.

We have dessert plates and dinner plates.  My dinner plates are huge and for some reason I just always go back for seconds.   Eating off smaller plates helps me control my portions.

Aim to eat 80% of your meals at home (or brought from home).

At my last job we got catered lunches all the time and it was MAJOR junk food.   On top of that I would go to dinner meetings for work that would be 4 course meals.   While I wasn’t trying to lose weight, being out of that environment I have lost a few pounds because I don’t have much to indulge in in my home kitchen.  Eating at home is a HUGE difference for me and one I suggest to anyone struggling to get to a healthy weight.

Outside of these quick tips – remember to be forgiving of yourself.   The people in your life who matter most will love you ten pounds heavier or lighter.  That was a mental leap I needed to take in college to grow more comfortable in my own skin.

I actually bought this gray fleece tunic last year but it was restocked this season and I felt obligated to share it again because it’s that good.   This top is BY FAR one of the best purchases I have made since becoming a blogger.   The top is SO SOFT and longer in the back so it works well with leggings.   Also, the neckline is convertible from off the shoulder to cowl neck.  The cowl neck makes it nursing friendly!   The material has a lot of stretch so if you wear it as a cowl neck you can pull it down below your boob – should you wish :).   I am wearing size small in this tunic but I could have worn XS as well.  It’s meant to be oversized.

These white speckled leggings are a recent purchase.   I also wore them in this post about his and her athleisure looks.  I love the look of white leggings but they can easily show dirt (and cellulite) so it took me awhile to find the right pair.   These are what I would call “investment leggings” so I am sharing some other options I love below in case they are outside your budget.  I went with size XS in these leggings for a more locked and leaded feel.  The material is thicker (to help conceal any dimpling) and is speckled with silver (which helps hide minor dirt marks).

I love the gray and pink combo of these sneakers.   Pink sneakers have been selling out LIKE CRAZY so if you’re considering this pair I would act fast.   These sneakers fit true to size.   My Zac Posen bag has yet to show it’s face online (you can shop the brand’s other bags though here) but this crossbody  bag is similar and the price is right.   I’ll be sure to update my posts when my exact bag is shoppable on Nordstrom.com

Similar Athleisure Items That Might Be of Interest

This is what the fleece tunic looks like worn as a (nursing friendly) cowl neck.  You can shop a nearly identical necklace here.   Nordstrom carries an amazing selection of nursing tops if you’re in this stage of life (I have been for more years than I knew was possible).   You have to see all the creative ways they’ve come up with for whipping out a boob on the fly :).  (Shop Nordstrom’s nursing tops here).

I’d love to hear your tips to maintain healthy body weight!   Drop a comment below.

Thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post.

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