How to Lose Weight WithOUT Dieting (Part 3)

How to Lose Weight WithOUT Dieting (Part 3)

If you’re like me, you want to be fit, healthy, energized and confident. But you refuse to starve yourself, count calories or succumb to “diet food” because to you, it’s just not worth it. You’re willing to work for what you want but only if you can eat vibrant, real food that nourishes your body, works for your lifestyle and brings you one step closer to reaching your goals.  If this sounds like you, then you and I have a lot in common!

See, as a Nutrition Coach and Chef, I specialize in teaching people to how get fit with clean and balanced restaurant-style meals they can make at home.  This blog is designed to teach you how to achieve your goals with satisfying meals delicious enough to serve at your favorite restaurant!

But first, like anything else that is actually worth a decent amount of effort in life (like your family, relationships and career), getting fit the right way will take education, time, patience, planning and practice. The good news is I’m here to guide you through it.

Your first step?  Learn how your body works and how to fuel it with frequent, balanced meals with Part 1: How to Lose Weight Without Dieting.  Then move on to Part 2 which focuses on how to eat clean, natural foods for better health and faster results. So go check these past blogs out and then hurry back…

Now it’s time to whip up some amazing food!  The truth is if your healthy food is boring and tasteless, you’ll never want to eat it. And the comfort food will be calling your name. It’s up to you to learn how to master a few delicious go-to meals that you can rely on.  Whether you are new to cooking (and slightly terrified) or you’re a seasoned chef and just unsure how to create balanced meals that get you fit, follow my tried and true tips for success:

  • Aim to make at least one new balanced recipe per week.  Though I may be slightly biased (ha!), I recommend that you try my recipes.  Why? Because I made sure that every delicious recipe is balanced to stabilize your blood sugar levels and help you to naturally burn fat and boost your metabolism (and if a recipe is not balanced like a vegetable soup for example, I tell you exactly what to eat on the side to make it balanced.) I also know that not everyone is comfortable in the kitchen so I make sure that my recipes are easy to follow with a clear set of instructions. Sure, my recipes will challenge you to try new ingredients, cooking techniques and flavors, but there is method to my madness: my job is to push you outside of your comfort zone and learn how to become a healthy cook in your kitchen. To get started, try making my Maple Apple Turkey Sausage, Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup or Farmer’s Market Meatloaf. If you can nail these restaurant-style recipes (and I know you can), you are well on your way!
  • Be prepared.  I’ve been working one on one with clients for thirteen years and I’ve yet to meet one who is successful without preparation. If you don’t have clean, high quality food on hand, you will always reach for easy, processed foods in those “I’m starving” moments.  And you will always struggle to lose weight or get in shape.  I’m busier now than ever.   So I always have balanced protein bars and high quality protein powder stocked.  This week, I have cooked ground turkey, a salad and my Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup prepared for the week.  I have juicy pears, pineapple and strawberries (for clean carbs) and frozen cooked shrimp (for easy protein) on hand too.  Basically I’ve made failure impossible!   And you should set yourself up for success too!  My Healthy Shopping List and Product Guide is the most comprehensive resource you’ll find to stock your kitchen with delicious, natural food.  It lists every food and product I buy and why.  You can learn more here.
  • Make cooking easy and fun! So, my mom chops her veggies with a crappy serrated bread knife and it takes her 10 painful minutes to chop a single carrot (sorry mom.)   If you’re chopping a ton of veggies for soup with a steak knife or bread knife on a flimsy cutting board, I can guarantee you it’s going to be a miserable experience. And if you hate chopping altogether, it makes sense to invest in a food processor. Check out this picture of tools for easy healthy cooking (I would also add measuring spoons and possibly a blender of some sort for smoothies.)  If you’re committed to eating well and cooking, consider these kitchen tools an investment in your health!

kitchen tools 2

  • Start swapping! One of the most powerful skill sets I’ve honed over my career in the nutrition industry is learning how to swap an unhealthy ingredient for a healthy one without sacrificing flavor or texture. This took me thirteen years of blood, sweat and tears to perfect. But don’t worry- to save you the time and effort, I did all the work for you in my Healthy Recipe Swap & Tip Guide.  This guide is my bible- it’s every tip and trick I use to create deliciously clean and balanced restaurant-style meals at home, for my website or for companies that hire me for projects. You can check out this awesome guide here.   You’ll also learn a TON of swaps while making any of the recipes from my website!  Here’s a sneak peek of the dessert section of my Healthy Recipe Swap & Tip Guide:

sneak peek of my swap guide

Keep in mind that not every single meal needs to be restaurant-worthy.  There are times when I grab a scoop of ground turkey (protein and fat) with some pineapple (carbs) on the side and I’m happy with it.   If you’re eating frequent, balanced meals, you learn that not every meal is going to be something extraordinary that you whipped up in the kitchen. But it should be food that you actually like and have stocked on hand!  And it should be satisfying and fuel you until your next meal a few hours later. I usually have at least one delicious meal to look forward to- last night it was grilled shrimp and Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup and I loved every bite!

So, if you’ve read this far, then you believe that making the effort, time and investment to be healthy, fit and happy is soooo worth it!  I can tell you that there is nothing better than giving your body the nourishment it needs to look and feel your best all while indulging in mouth-watering meals that you actually look forward to!

If you found this blog helpful, please share it!  And please reach out with questions- I’m here to help you get deliciously fit, healthy, energized and confident.

Because diet food sucks.

Xx Valerie

4 Comments
  • Kelly O'Brien
    Posted at 15:23h, 05 April Reply

    Hi Valerie,

    Congrats on your recent success in getting signed! I’m currently stalking your blogs after they popped up in my Facebook feed today bc I was just trying to come up with a way to eat more. It’s a great blog! I was thinking about making a snack kit with 4 or 5 walnuts, maybe a few blueberries or strawberries, and machego bc (1) I’m obsessed and (2) it’s high in protein (but also high in fat) to have in between lunch and dinner. Am I on the right track at all with grouping those things together? I really look forward to hearing from you!
    Thanks,
    Kelly

    • Valerie Cogswell
      Posted at 16:35h, 05 April Reply

      Hi Kelly! Thank you and thank you for reaching out! What’s machego (did you mean manchego cheese?) If so, use the cheese as your protein (1 ounce has 7 grams of protein) and fat (1 ounce has 7 grams of fat.) Skip the nuts in this case because you already have enough fat from the cheese! And then add the berries and it would be a mini snack! Or do the nuts (fat), fruit (carb) and another lean protein like chicken or even protein powder mixed with water on the side…hope this helps!!!

  • Kelly O'Brien
    Posted at 20:12h, 09 April Reply

    Thank you! That helps a lot!

    • Valerie Cogswell
      Posted at 13:37h, 10 April Reply

      You got it 🙂

Post A Comment

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share this post with your friends!

WordPress Video Lightbox Plugin