Hello 2017

Every New Year, pro ana sites have an insane influx of resolutioners looking for quick tips to lose weight. It's not your fault, everyone has goals and everyone takes a hit to the self esteem when they realize its a new year and they're stuck in the same old body. That being said, developing an eating disorder should not be on anyone's list of resolutions. Before you hope onto myproana.com and start asking around for an Ana Couch, learn a little about what you want and how to get there.

Most people want to be the type of "thin" that they see plastered across instagram's fitness or fitspo blogs; aka nice ass, tiny waist, perky little boobs and a thigh gap. I'm not going to declare this as the vision of beauty, but it is for many teens and young adults who find their way to pro ana blogs. This goal is a good one, but not an easily achievable one. This is not the body which is acheived by starvation diets. If you wish for such a body, here are my tips:
1) Get a book on nutrition, preferably one written by a doctor or someone with a degree in health sciences. Educate yourself on portions, macros, the process of digestion and what food really does to your body.
2) Begin an exercise regime. You don't need to buy a gym membership or exercise equipment or train for a marathon, but exercise is what shapes the body with weight loss. Exercise gives you the right kind of curves, as well as improving your physical and mental health.
3) Leave this blog once you've learned what you could. This, and other pro ana or ED related sites are not a healthy mind space. They will bring your self-esteem down, give you bad ideas, and there is always the risk of setting off disordered eating. You won't become anorexic by looking at them, and that should not be your goal.
4) Start developing happy, healthy habits. Walking instead of driving when you can, choosing more nutritious foods over what you like, and being positive about your body and mind are good ways to start. If you aren't happy now, losing weight alone WILL NOT MAKE YOU HAPPY. Happiness is a skill. Happiness is a full time responsibility. Thin ≠ Happy. Healthy=Happy.


If you are not part of this fad of New Years resolutions and lazy people who don't want to work for their body, you've probably been experiencing some major annoyances. Sweaty people on your gym equipment, longer lines at health food stores, a short stock of diet pills, etc. You're probably about half way done shedding your holiday pounds though, because you've really only gained a quarter of what everyone else does. Or you're attempting to quit purging or laxatives. Or you have some sort of "No More Bullshit" resolution because this isn't your first rodeo, but it won't be your last.

So Hello 2017. Scream it to the world. Yell it to your scale, your notebooks, your pill bottles, your binge foods. It's a new year! It won't be new for long. Every 7 years the body has completely rebuilt itself, replaced every live cell. If you're still in the same habits of 2010, you've got a long ways to go. Everything can change. Everyone can change themselves, their routines, their bodies. It starts with a single decision.

How much weight can you expect to lose from a diet?

I see it quite often, people start a diet expecting it will make them lose a lot of weight, they don't see the results they want, and they give up or end up binge eating.
Learning how to be realistic about how much you can lose and whether or not you'll be able to stay on track for a diet is very important.
First off, you should never try to reduce to less than 50% of your average intake overnight. It takes time to adjust, and this is the most common cause of bingeing. If you've been overeating recently, don't restrict to less than 1000 calories. Once you can manage that limit, you can try reducing it again.
Next, expect to lose water weight over the first days of a diet, but don't expect that rate of weight loss to continue during the whole diet. After the first 5 days or so, weight loss will likely slow to 0.5lbs-0.75lbs. This is normal, and may fluctuate through out a diet, don't give up or try to reduce your intake just because your weight loss had slowed.
Exercise. It's not always necessary to exercise, and often times diets are too low to have enough energy to work out. If you choose to start working out when you start your diet, it will make the weight loss slower at the beginning. Your body has to build muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat. After you've built up enough that you can exercise continuously without your legs/arms giving out, it will remain around the same level until you increase the intensity. You may experience weight gain because your body stores water to repair your muscles. If you're sore and you've gained weight, its safe to assume your holding water weight. It will go away as the soreness does. 

Exercise isn't about burning calories. Your own Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) burns over 1000 calories everyday, just by staying alive. Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is close to 2000 if you leave your house everyday. This is where the bulk of weight loss is from. The purpose of exercise is to shape your body as you lose weight. Toning is what makes models look the way they do. It's up to you whether you exercise and it depends on what your goal is. 

If you decide to start an exercise regime, I recommend finding 5-10 Youtube videos which are within your ability range and alternating them. Make sure you have a variety, doing the same workout everyday will only help what it works on. There's no shortage of variety on the internet and all it takes is a few google searches. Calisthenics (sit ups, push ups, squats, etc) are minimal in effect and benefit. Look for things that get your whole body involved. Be creative and make up your own exercises. Find things that challenge you, but not so difficult that it's intimidating. Cardio burns the most calories and builds endurance, so it's a good thing to do, but don't get caught up in trying to burn off your whole intake. 

Learn about the body and how it works. Digestion and nutrition, but also how foods affect your emotionally and mentally. Knowledge is power. Knowledge about your body gives you the power to change it. 

Finally... stay calm! Stress is the number one trigger for overeating. Even if you don't do as well as you hoped for a day or two, it's not the end of the world, and it won't undo all of your progress. You will not store calories as fat unless it's above what you've expended. Also, remember that calories are not stored as fat until at least 12 hours after they were consumed. Food waste which is still in your body is what causes weight to spike the day after a binge. Bingeing because of weight gain is the most counterproductive thing to do. Just take it day by day and you'll get where you want to go.